How would i give my cat a bath without loosing my arm?

Question

I'm looking after someones cat, but finds that he really smells he cleans himself but not properly, i've cleaned his eyes with wet wipes and just doing that ends in blood shed. What would be the most easy way?

Answer 1

Trust me iam a pro @ this i do it every day for a iving as a pet groomer.(but this is the way i do it @ home) If you have a tub that is enclosed with a shower curtain or a sliding door always put you and ur cat in the bath (just go in your underwear):)). make sure you stay far enough away from your cat when you turn on the water. let it fill untill its about 3 inches deap. wet down your cat using a tuper were of you choice. now may i remind you DO NOT PUT THE CAT ON YOUR LEGS!! them soap him/her up and rinse him/her up with the tuper were. Stay close to the cat but not enough to get scrached.

Answer 2

Sink or bathtub is irrelevant. Whatever suits your fancy.

Here is how you bathe a cat. You draw lukewarm water into the sink or tub, to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. You set a cup for dipping water, the soap (of which more anon) and a fully opened towel all within easy reach.

Soap: The soap you choose is important, because remember, once this animal is out of the water and blotted so he isn't sopping, you are going to release him, and he is going to lick himself dry. So whatever is in that shampoo has to be ingestible -- not food necessarily, just not dangerous. There are cat shampoos at the pet supply store. They tend to be pricey. Don't use a dog shampoo. I always used Dr. Bronner's castile soap, the liquid. They used to have a very small bottle of it that cost $2 and probably costs $3 now. It isn't delicious, but you can brush your teeth with it. It is non-toxic, completely natural, and it foams up nicely, and leaves human AND cat fur shiny and soft.

Once you have the bath ready, go get the cat. Pick him up as his mother did and as the vet assistant does -- by the scruff of his neck. He will go limp. And no matter how he feels about you or the water, he can neither bite nor scratch you if you have a hold of him by the scruff. So throughout the bathing, you are going to maintain control of him by keeping a handful of scruff. If you don't feel you can do this, enlist a second person to hold him while you scrub. If he starts to get nasty, just lift him a little.

Be soothing, very, very soothing. Move slowly. Talk to the cat gently. It does not matter how he acts or reacts or what he tries to do, stay calm and make gentle eye contact and speak in a soothing voice. If you freak the cat will go ballistic, so be determinedly soothing and reassuring.

Lower the cat into the water and hold him in place by the scruff. Grab the cup and wet him down. I never washed further up his body than the area between the ears, never threatened the eyes, nose or mouth with water or soap. That can be done later.

I began with the front end of his body, the chest, then down the front legs, lift the paw and wash the paw, applying soap as needed, but don't overdo, because it has to be rinsed off, and by the time the rinse cycle rolls around, everyone will want the job done. All the while I am talking to the cat, telling him he is beeooooteefull, so beeooooteefull, and on and on in a soothing voice. The cat is moaning, making a hollow sound from deep in his throat, looking at you with eyes the soon dead turn on their executioner. I would smile beatifically back and reassure him that he is beeooooteefull.

Move toward the back and scrub it. Apply a little soap to the hand and get that belly. Move back to the goodies and scrub his goodies. Then get the back legs one at a time, lift, apply soap, scrub -- first one, then the other. Then the tail, and work down the tail to that stinky old anus, and scrub the crumbs off it. Be gentle, but get it clean.

Then grab the cup and rinse. I prefer the bathtub because there is more water to rinse with, and I have learned that if you turn on the faucet, no matter how soothing you are or how much control you have over the cat, all hell will break loose if you turn on the faucet. So I just work with the water that's there in the tub. Once rinsed, pull the plug, control the cat, and once the water is sufficiently drained that you can do this, grab the towel and wrap it around the cat so he is immobilized. Lift him out of the tub, and just hold him for a minute, while the towel sops up the really wet stuff. Then pivot and release the cat.

He will sail over to the opposite side of the room, and there pause, lifting and shaking first one paw and then the other and giving you a look of homicidal hate. Be sure the house or apartment is warm and free of drafts, and leave him alone. He will dry himself.

If you are having a hard time cleaning his face, you can avoid deadly claws and teeth by immobilizing him in a towel. Just wrap him in the towel, so his legs are all contained. Then wash his face or brush his teeth or whatever. He can't hurt you then.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't clean it if it's someone else's cat. That cat isn't nearly comfortable with you enough to let you do that and if that cat hasn't been trained since a kitten to allow for cleanings then it's not going to let you clean it without a fight.

This fight can put an amazing amount of stress on the kitty and could be bad for its health.

As for baby wipes, I'd probably just use a dampened cloth. IIRC baby wipes have a strong scent, something we might find pleasant but the cat might detest.

If you absolutely must have the cat washed take it to the pro's.

Answer 4

Walmart sells cat wipes in the pet section; they clean the fur and leave the cat smelling like baby powder. =]

microwave a single wipe for 10 seconds so it's warm for the kitty; he'll think it's just a massage and he won't feel the wetness

Answer 5

If you go to a pet store, they have certain shampoos/baths that you can use without adding water. That way, it won't stress the cat out too much.

If you want to give it a bath with water, it'd be best to have someone help you. It's possible to give a hyper cat a bath, but you'll have to have someone hold them down and keep them as calm as possible. Also, you should use a pet shampoo cause the cat will lick him/herself and you don't want them to ingest the chemicals.

You'll have an unhappy, but a better smelling cat :).

Answer 6

You are in for it. The best bet is to just use a warm washcloth on whatever area you think is causing the problem. You may be able to sit on the floor with the cat and pet him until he's calm then have the wash cloth ready and go for it.

Don't use soap or wet wipes if you can help it because he will lick himself and also because cats have a natural substance on their fur you don't want to destroy.

Answer 7

First before you do anything with the cat, make sure he is current on his rabies vaccine. If not get him to a vet for the vaccine. If he is current you can keep reading.
Get a good grip on his scruff right up behind head. This does not hurt him, it releases endorphins to relax the cat and allows you to control his head in case he tries to bite (if you get bit go see the doctor to get antibiotics because they can fester)
In a sink or tub wash with warm water (test on wrist first) wash the cat as quick as you can. A lot of times cats will hunker down and take it, but the scruff will help.
If the cat begins using his claws, get someone to hold the front and hind feet while you scruff and wash. You have to work together so you don't get scratched and you don't allow your helper to get bit.
Make sure to use shampoo designed for cats and keep in a warm room til dry.
Good luck!

Answer 8

I think if he's someone else's cat, and you have to do it by yourself, it's best to spot clean with some baby wipes and a comb.
Why doesn't he groom himself better? Is he too fat to reach, sick, or on some very cheap food? Not neutered? Something is wrong with this picture, it's just not catly to smell bad...

Answer 9

You shouldn't have to wash a cat. If the cat isn't properly taking care of himself, he might have something medically wrong with him, and he needs to see a vet.

Answer 10

Most pet stores sell 'waterless shampoo' that comes in either a powder, or a spray on/wipe off. I would think that is the easiest way to go to remove odor.