She has all of her claws and never gave me this big of a problem in the 3 years that ive had her.
2007-07-28 16:48:06 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
I've had to wash my cats a few times; when the one escapes and runs around outside, when I find errant fleas, etc...
The best thing to do if she's clawing you, is to clip her claws before her bath.. that'll reduce the likelihood of a successful scratch. Then, if you've got the patience for it, put her in the tub with very little water in it and wash her very gently and calmly.. talking to her the whole time. Let her know you're not trying to drown her.
Myself, when I have to bathe a cat, I try to get it done and over with for the sake of all involved. I try not to "scruff" them, because it actually does hurt adult cats to be lifted that way. Once they're in the tub, I gently hold the front of their neck... in a sort of C shape as a guard so they don't jump out of the tub. Then I soak them quickly with a cloth, soap them up, let them set, then rise as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Then I drain the tub and let them sit in there until the dripping slows, and I wrap them up in a towel and hug/pet them for a little while while I dry them off.
My cats generally don't scratch at ME, they just try to get out of the water.. and that method of the C-shaped hand on the front of their neck really helps reduce the likelihood of getting scratched.
Like it's been said already, cats by nature hate water, and will do everything they can to stay away from it -including scratching and clawing at you. It's like a human phobia .. they go irrational. You just have to be calm, even if they aren't.
Good luck.
2007-07-28 17:18:05 · answer #1 · answered by customfordgirl79 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would just hold my cat down and force her she didn't like water but no cat is going to be stinky and flea ridden in my house so wash her she better get with the program or put her tail outdoors she will be fine and I would towel dry her and blow dry her too on low heat she was pretty afterwards all that licking that they do causes nothing but hairballs but I tell you you are doing the right thing!
2007-07-29 00:19:42 · answer #2 · answered by rashida_16 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Unless there's an important reason to bathe your cat (e.g. she got into something nasty, or you have allergies and need to keep the dander down), I wouldn't encourage bathing the cat anyway. Cats generally keep themselves neat and clean, and my vet tells me that frequent bathing is actually hard on their skin - it takes away the natural oils and leaves their skin dry and fragile.
If you absolutely MUST bathe your cat, consider the damp cloth suggestion, or get cat bath wipes at your pet store, which will remove the dander and allergens without getting your cat unduly wet or removing the oils from the skin.
2007-07-29 00:43:08 · answer #3 · answered by L H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't wash her.....cats clean themselves, they don't need baths. They don't like water. I've never given a cat a bath in 30 years. Thats ridiculous.
2007-07-28 23:51:41 · answer #4 · answered by t f 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just wipe cat down with a damp towel. Should get rid of most of the dirt.
2007-07-29 00:19:00 · answer #5 · answered by soupkitty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most cats don't like water...but since your cat has been okay with it in the past..then I would say something has happened to scare her
2007-07-28 23:51:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats naturally DO NOT like water!
2007-07-28 23:51:07 · answer #7 · answered by Say What? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Use a damp washcloth to wash her, it will be like a big ol' cat with a wet tongue is cleaning her.
2007-07-28 23:51:01 · answer #8 · answered by Bob Thompson 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cats clean themselves.
She probably put up with it and decided she wasn't going to any longer.
If she gets dirty and cant clean herself thoroughly, use a damp wash cloth.
2007-08-01 19:19:23 · answer #9 · answered by Katelyn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get soft claws they r nail caps for cats it helps to not get scratched anymore
2007-07-28 23:53:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋