how can i SAFELY give my 2 yr old new cat a bath?? shes freaking out but she needs one!?

Question

i just adopted a two year old calico female, fixed ect, young energetic little thing, with her claws (i will not declaw an animal!) ---- so i bathe all my animals, and i tried giving her a bath tonight and she freaked out and jumepd outta the tub ripping up my arms with her claws doing so.

how can we calm her down? my other cat is fine in the tub she just sits there lets u wash her, rinse her, then towel her off and off she goes.... butthis one. omgosh.

my hands and arms are covered in scratches now!!!!

i was thinking would it be wise to put her in the shower stall (stand up shower) and close the door and get one of those hose sprayer extensentions to reach her over the door???? and just do it that way???

any ideas on this ? any thoughts??? any methods? thanks

Answer 1

You can buy a kind of bag that you place your cat in, and it ties off at their neck so only their head is exposed. That way the cat can thrash all it wants, but since it's trapped in the bag it can't really do much of anything as you bathe it. Make sure the water is comfortably warm, and towel-dry your cat after the bath.

I'm not sure what the bag is called, but you can probably get one from PetSmart or some similar place.

Answer 2

I seldom have to bathe my cats, but when I do, I have a small fabric harness for cats that fits around its chest and neck. I tie a thin rope from the ring on the harness to the shower head so the cat can't jump out of the tub. Its feet are still on the tub floor so it doesn't hurt itself and I can use both hands to bathe him. Of course, it still isn't happy about having a bathe, but I don't get scratched or bitten.

Be sure to run the water - you'll need very little - and have everything else you'll need within reach before bringing the cat in the bathroom.

Answer 3

It's going to be hard to get the fleas off of him even if you give him a bath, I'd suggest vacuuming everything and washing all the sheets and blankets and then giving him the bath. I don't think there is any easy way to do it, I had a cat who was old and not very strong but when it came to trying to bathe her she was hard to handle. But you want to make sure you get as many fleas out of the house as possible because they're just jump right back on him, also put some sort of flea medication so they don't come back. Good Luck.

Answer 4

Hi there! We have 2 cats (a 1.5 yr old and 2 yr old). There is no GREAT way about it, but it has always went better when we had the water ready to go. Our cats weren't as unhappy about the actual water itself, as much as they were freaked out by the noise.

You can sometimes calm the cat down by grabbing them by their skin behind their head (how a mother cat carries a kitten in her mouth). You'll see a great demonstration of this by your vet when he/she gives a cat shots. Also, make sure the shampoo you're using isn't too fragrant, that can cause upset. The water should be luke warm, gentle to the touch for temperature.

Aside from that, I would also consider a treat or giving him/her a catnip toy immediately after. We've been enforcing better behavior because now our more reluctant cat is expecting the treat at the end. I hope this helps, the scratched raw arm deal gets old very quick! :)

Answer 5

Well first of all you don't need to bathe cats but if you insist then I would recommend clipping the ends off of her claws before giving her a bath. That way she can't tear you up. You just need to get some cat claw clippers from the pet section of your store and clip the ends off. Be sure not to cut into the pink part of the nail. The sharp part is all that you need. Most cats do not like baths so it's going to take awhile for her to adjust to this new thing. I wouldn't spray her with an extension cause that would just frighten her more.

Answer 6

whiskeytears made some very valid points, but the one thing you do have to remember, you adopted a 2 yr old cat. Calicos' are very finicky felines to begin with, if this cat has never been introduced to water, then there is a very high chance the cat will never agree to a bath. You can take them to a groomer, but please be aware that if the cat is very upset, they may give it a sedative. Cats generally keep themselves very clean, if it does get into something, however, that is a poisonious material, you may have to resort to a groomer. Depending on where you allow your cat to roam depends on the situation. I have a beautiful Calico also, but I have had her from 8 weeks and she was brought up with water, she baths with me, which is kinda strange lol. My tortishell can't stand a drop on her, and I've had her since she was 5 weeks but she is always clean, and because I watch where she roams, I don't worry about poisons.

Answer 7

I once saw this thing on a pet show. It was called a cat bag. Basically, it was a cape type of thing that you slipped on over the cats head and wrapped around the body so the cat can't claw you. Never tried it, always luck to have a cat that likes baths.

Answer 8

does she REALLY need a bath? or are you maybe bathing because that's what you usually do??? and that is a serious question.

cats, as a GENERAL rule do not like water. you can have some cats that are fine with baths, i've had them, and i've also had cats that freak out.

there are ways you can try to get them used to it. are you making sure that you use warm water? not hot not cold.
are they comfortable with you? can you try a spray shower (hand held shower head). there are options you can try.

good luck to you.

Answer 9

First, get a kevlar vest, heavy motorcycle or welding gloves and a screened mask. Now grab the cat and pour about 3/4 of a vicodin down her throat, or light a doobie and super hit the cat. Once she's stoned out, wrap her in a short length of chain link you can cut from a fence, now just dip her in warm soapy water a few times, the rinse. Next, prepare yourself a safe exit strategy. Release the cat from the chain link wrapper and run. Don't worry about drying the cat, she will do this as she races around the house looking for you to take revenge on your poor unsuspecting butt.

Answer 10

Divinemadness, it sounds like she is not adjusting to you and her surroundings very quickly! At this point in time, I would concentrate on bonding with her until she gets more settled in, and trusts you a little more as time goes by, I think right now that would be more important! Just remember this strategy I used for my stepkids, when I was having trouble with them,"you cant' make them love you, but just let them love you"!