question for cat owners

[rejectedmom]

MY nine month old kitten went into heat over the weekend. Yes, I tried to spay her before it happened but I could not get an appointment until mid December and had to go back to my old vet who is an hour away to get a sooner apointment. She is scheduled for the 6th of November now and even though I told them I was afraid she would go into heat before then that was the best they could do. It is hard around here because they won't spay before 8 months of age and then they have such a long wait list. In addition they won't even schedule until the animal is 8 months and so many end up experiencing their first heat before the operation comes around. It is horrid! BUT back to the issue at hand.

She is finished with her heat now and I thought I would give her a bath so I wouldn't feel sqeemish about her going on the beds. She still has her claws and as I was trying to bath her she was frantincly using them to get away. I had her by the scruff and I managed to get her wet (no soap) before she broke my hold laid my hand open with her claws ans ran dripping water through the house. I caught her and she let me dry her off but she is still not really clean. My question is this: are there waterproof work gloves thick enough to protect my hands but also flexible enough to handle my skiddish kitty? Your answers are appreciated. -RM

 

[flutterbee]

I don't know the answer to your question, but probably. However, cats are very fastidious with their grooming. You shouldn't need to bathe her as she's been taking care of it herself.

 

[Hound dog]

Nichole bathes our cats wearing those thick yellow cleaning gloves and a thick hoodie. We find them in the cleaning section of the supermarket. The thick ones we find are sold only 2 pair in a package. Sorry can't recall the brand. But we pick them up at wallie world.

Both our cats have major claws and haven't managed to cut thru the gloves yet.

Make sure you clean that cut well and put an antibiotic ointment on it. Nasty cuts those. Ouch!

Hugs

 

[fedup]

You can also buy what is called grooming gloves- I think I saw them at a major pet store. My kitty is only about 9 weeks old. I bathed him uing a pair of cotton gloves from B&B- they were stained, and I had another pair. I'm not sure I could handle an older cat in them. The only reason I bathed was that Marmy had gotten in some old oil- he liked to sleep in the engine compartment of hubby's car. A white kitty didn't look good with oil spots!

 

[Steely]

I had to bathe my kitty once, and I wrapped him in a towel and then filled the bath. I set him down in the bath, wrapped in the towel, and was able to get him relaxed enough to bath one side of him at a time. In the end, he actually purred - but then again - he was a quirky sweetie like that. You might try wrapping him in something during the bath though, because cat's feel safer when they are cocooned.

 

[rejectedmom]

Great ideas thanks am off to the pet store to see about those gloves and then on to Wallie's since I had errands that included that stop anyway. I've put antibiotic cream on the cut and a bandage. It is a nasty 3 cornered tear. Will take a while to heal for sure. -RM

 

[rejectedmom]

BYW, I am told it is easier if you start them when they are very young. I did this with a previous cat and she was great until she turned a year old then she was not at all tolerant. She ended up never having another bath after that LOL. She was fastidious and it was not an issue. But this new kitty likes to get dirty and will find all kinds of ways to do it. Recently my husband was working on the roof out in the hot sun and sweating like anything. When he came in he took off his shirt and got into the shower when done he opened the curtain and there was kitty rolling and grooving on his icky shirt. I sometimes think she is part dog. LOL -RM

 

[Star*]

My cat is afraid of running water. I've bathed her since she came to live with us after someone fished her out of a dumpster. Her first bath I grabbed her by the back of the neck and talked softly to her reassuring her and she was stiff, but it was then I figured out the sound of the running water freaks her out.

Now? I fill the tub, grab the nape of her neck, dunk her in the warm water, and use the extension sprayer (left under water as I turn it on) to rinse her but I keep the nozzle head right on her skin. As the bath goes on I can usually let her sit in the tub of warm water, shampoo and rinse well.

When it's done? It's DONE! While I KNOW she likes being bathed occasionally because she roams and smells and cant get herself clean in certain areas - once she's bathed she will shoot out of the bathtub, to the door, where she pastes back her ears, and gives us ALL that indignant cat look. I tell her I'm sorry, how pretty she is, but it usually takes her an hour or two to be my cat again.

To try and make it fair I bathe her the same day I bathe the boys, but if you give her the last bath water? YOU can forget it! Nothin' doin'! She must be first. And she's still mad.

I tried some dry shampoo but she licks it off and I'm not sure it won't make her sick.

Also the really thick industrial black rubber, arm length gloves can be gotten at most places that sell diesel fuel.

OH and WHATEVER you do - do NOT (repeat) DO NOT get the camera out or laugh.

 

[susiestar]

I have almost NEVER bathed a cat. They take care of it themselves.

Until they are very very old, or want their makeup changed.

Yes, my Freckles who died this year at 17 wore makeup. I used the food color markers after asking the vet if it was OK. She was white with black and brownish patches. Beautiful all by ehrself, but she knew where I kept her makeup and would go and start batting the markers around, then yell at me if I wasn't quick enough to pick up on it.

She liked blue the best, all over her head between the ears.

She HATED the spray on food color. It was cold. She did let me do her up in orange with her black ears and spots for the OSU Homecoming weekend.

My mother has a cat who is almost 18 and is long haired. He simply can't bathe himself, and she has not female cat to do it for him. (My Gma had a female cat who would get 2 of the males to hold the ohter male down for a bath - the bathee HATED baths, msotly hated doing anything that didn't involve food or sleep)

Mom had to bathe the old cat this last weekend and had a tough time. Then she bathed the medium size cat and he was OK with it. he is mostly OK wiht anything. But her big fat lazy cat freaked on her. She ended up just using a wet washcloth on him. But HE is the one who sleeps in her bathroom sink!!! ALL the time!!!

Cats are so cool! I just love htem!

Susie

 

[AllStressedOut]

How to Give a Cat a Bath..Again

1. First .... dress for the occasion. A 4-ply rubber wet suit is suggested, along with a helmet, face mask and welders gloves.

2. A Bathtub with a glass enclosure is preferred to the one with a shower curtain. A frenzied cat can shred one of these in about 2.5 seconds.

3. Have the Kitty Bubbles and towel in the enclosed bathtub area before hand. No ... blow drying the cat after the bath is not suggested.

4. Draw the water, making it a little warmer than needed as you still need to find the cat. Position everything strategically in the shower, so you can reach it even if you are face down or prone in the tub.

5. Find your cat. Use the element of surprise. Pick the cat up, nonchalantly as if you were simply carrying him/her to the supper dish. No need to worry about the cat noticing your strange attire... the cat barely notices you anyway.

6. Once you and the cat are inside the bathroom ... speed is essential. In one single liquid motion shut the door to the bathroom, step into the shower, close the sliding doors, and drop the cat into the water. While the cat is still in a state of shock, locate the Kitty Bubbles and squirt whatever part of him is above the water line. You have just begun the wildest 45 seconds of your life. Remember that cats have no handles and add the fact that he now has soapy fur. His state of shock has worn off and he's madder than a wet hornet.

7. As best, you can, wearing welder's gloves, try to field his body as he catapults through the air toward the ceiling. If possible, give another squirt of Kitty Bubbles with his body now fully exposed.

8. During the 5 seconds you are able to hold onto him, rub vigorously. No need to worry about rinsing. As he slide down the glass enclosure into the tub, he will fall back into the water, rinsing himself in the process.

9. Only attempt the lather and rinse process about 3 times. The cat will realize the lack of traction on the glass by then and will use the next attempt on the first available part of you.

10. Next, the cat must be dried. No...this is NOT the easiest part. By this stage, you are worn out and the cat has just become semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. We suggest here that you drain the tub and in full view of your cat reach for the bottle of Kitty Bubbles.

11. If you have done step 10 correctly, the cat will be off your leg and hanging precariously from your helmet. Although this view of the cat is most disgusting, he will be in a much better position for wrapping the towel around him.

12. Be sure cat is firmly wrapped in towel before opening tub enclosure. Open bathroom door ... put towel wrapped cat on floor and step back quickly. Into tub, if possible, and do not open enclosure until all you can see is the shredded towel.

13. In about 2 hours .... it will be safe to exit the bathroom. Your cat will be sitting out there somewhere looking like a small hedgehog while plotting revenge

 

[AllStressedOut]

That was a joke I read years ago, had to find it for this occasion.

I like the idea of wrapping them in a towel before putting them in the bath. I run the water ahead of time, the sound scares my cats. Besides that, they do pretty well as long as its warm, the water is done running and their head is easily above the water line.

I did see some cat bathing wipes, like baby wipes, at Walmart lastnight. Maybe you could use these instead?

 

[rejectedmom]

Thanks All I did read that joke a while back but it is still funny and so close to reality that you just have to laugh out loud. Kitty forgave me immediately but like I said she only got wet didn't get a bath. But I am gonna let it go for now. I've been keeping the bedroom doors closed. She keeps trying to open them but can't YET. LOL

 

[stepmom47]

All Stressed Out:

Toooooooooooo funny :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I personaly have NEVER tried to bath my cat..(she does weigh about 20lbs)
My girlfriend does and this sounds like what she goes through!!

I needed a good laugh today!!!
Thanks

 

[flutterbee]

Too funny. I've never known anyone to bathe their cats on a regular or semi-regular basis so I'm amazed at the number of people that do it. I have one cat that would just have to go dirty if it came down to it. She took my fingernail off just trying to pick her up...I have no desire to see what she would do if I tried to get her wet.

RM - a warning about closed doors. My cats will tear up the carpet if the door to my room is closed. The kids doors can be closed, but not mine.