bathing a cat?

Question

what to and not to do, and how to do it.

my cat has fleas and i have to bathe him becaus the vet says that is more efective and it kills flea eggs

Answer 1

i agree with the other answers, cats rarely need baths. but i did get a flea riddled, earmite infected, FILTHY FILTHY FILTHY stray a few years back that needed some TLC. plus over time we realized that he just wasnt as neat as the other cats so this cat regularly needed some assistance.
so i bought a specialty pet shampoo and proceeded as follows. i put kitty in a cloth bag with his head sticking out. i did close off the bag as much as possible so he couldnt get out. while he did still manage to scratch me a couple of times it was much easier to hold on to the wet bag than a wet cat. i used the bag like a washcloth. the soap permeated the wet bag which i rubbed over his body and then his head i washed with my hands. rinsing did take a while using this method.
while my guy was a kitten this worked out fine. after about a year at this (we bathed maybe once every two months) my husband ended up with a six inch gash on his shoulder because the cat wiggled out of the bag.
so from that point we let a groomer do it.

Answer 2

the vet should have a flea powder that will work better. i didnt even use medication to get rid of my cats fleas, i just held her in the water for 5 very long minutes and the fleas drowned themselves, more or less. I dont think maybe this will work on all cats, but its what i did to mine. Whatever you do DONT use OTC flea medication. It's very harmful to felines. Also, use a flea comb. And make sure to really clean your house, and your clothing, so those fleas dont jump back on the cat and re-infest.

Then get your cat on some flea control.

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Answer 3

I gave my cat a bath about every 3 weeks. I did it in the kitchen sink. I used the sprayer instead of the faucet it's easier. Make sure the water is warm. You might need 2 people if the cat is not used to this. I used shampoo and conditioner. Just try not to get shampoo and water in the eyes and ears. Then I just towel dried him. I did not use a wash cloth I justed used my hand. To dry sometimes I use the hairdryer but the hairdryer might be too scary for your cat.
Just keep the cat away from drafts until the cat is dried.

Answer 4

I have never tried soap and water on my cats. I use a cleaning foam for cats and small dogs (sort of a mousse) to "dry clean" them. Apply it according to the instructions and brush the kitty. They end up clean, soft and smelling good!

Now I see the flea problem. When that happened to one of my cats I took him to the vet and he applied a light sedation, then bathed them with a flea-killing shampoo. I would leave that to an expert if it is an adult cat.

Answer 5

The bath tub, a towel underneath the cat so he doesn't slip, CLOSE the bathroom door to contain him (toilet lid down too) and use hot water, not warm.

Use soap once, and three separate rinses to get all the soap off the skin. Don't put the head under water or cause them to inhale water or they'll go balistic. No soap on the head either, especially around the eyes. Towel dry, most cats are afraid of the blow dryers.

Answer 6

Don't do it. I gave my cat a bath on a vet's advise and she never trusted me again. I think it terrified her. Unless the cat has gotten into something vile, it should not need a bath. For fleas, adminster Revolution from the vet. Otherwise, I would suggest taking it to a vet who could give it a sedative prior to. I personally would never do that again.

Answer 7

well my cat will not let me bath him unless i get in the water with him myself. that way it feels more like playtime and not bath time and he's more comfortable. try it

Make sure you get kitty shampoo and for the fleas (i know this sounds crazy) but use alka selzter in the water, i used it on kittens who had fleas and it took them right off. killed the flees.

Answer 8

Cats rarely need bathing. They are very good at cleaning themselves. It is safer to let them do that too!!!!!!!!!!

Brushing helps also....without the drama of a bath.

Answer 9

well only if you cat really needs it. but you will probably need a harness and some patience. quick reflexes don't hurt either. most cats cannot tolerate a bath.

Answer 10

It's easy... put the cat in the stool and close the lid then, while sitting on the lid... flush the stool... the cat will come out all nice and clean and madder than hell.