Anyone have trouble bathing your sphynx?

[ilovemysphynx]

Hi I am wondering if anyone has any pointers on this I have 2 sphynx cats and one takes his bath just fine, but the other does not like it as much or even at all she even hides when she knows it is bath time and when i do catch her and get her to the bath the fights me tooth and nail!(really) Any tips any one has would be great! Thankyou

 

[admin]

It's definitely a hard task for some cats.My male loves it.You just have to have patience.Do you bath them in a tub? try a sink sometimes they don't get as crazy in a smaller area.Make sure the water is comfortable for them.

 

[ElGatoLoco]

Well darn. I can't embed a youtube clip. I have two bathing videos. Does this answer your question? ButterBall does not like the water one bit. I have claw marks on my back to prove it.

 

[pattyj]

Well, some just never get used to it. I have found one good way to bath without actually putting them in the tub. I get a bucket of nice warm water and a wash cloth. I purchased baby shampoo in the form of foam. Sometimes I put her on a leash just so she doesn't run away. Then I put the foam all over her and dip a wash cloth into the warm water and rinse her off. It works really well and she does not seem to mind it as much as actually getting in the water. Well hope this helps.

 

[admin]

thanks patty,
we started bathing them outside the tub.Put em in the tub get em wet.Get out soap, scrub,back in for rinse.It's a little easier.
p.s. we would love to see pics of your sphynx!you can use the kitty's pic as your avatar and we also have a picture album which you can find on your personal sphynx lair page.

 

[ilovemysphynx]

I like your idea Patty, the foam sounds like a great idea I am going to get some today and try that, I use baby shampoo now but foam makes more sense. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[lavenderfancy]

Hello there, I have found that if I feed treats near and in the sink before and during the bath 'Butta Cup' seems to relax and almost enjoy the ordeal. They float... It's very hard to bath a reluctant cat by yourself... an extra hand to amuse the bather is a great help.

 

[lemmysmommy]

Those are all good suggestions....I will have to try them. Lemmy hates the bath. I am like El Gato, I have scratches everywhere!!

 

[susi794]

Have trouble bathing our sphynx? Is the Pope catholic? ROFLMAO!!!

 

[ckutkuhn7]

I'm so lucky. Snuffie was so used to getting baths by the time I got her she didn't fuss once. She has only tried to get out of the tub one time on me and I think that was because I was runnng behind and it was her supper time and she was just being fussy.
She is always so tolerant tho.
@Mike - Butterball reallys loves to give you a run for your money when it comes to bath time. Never hold a kitty above water too long,,they will freak! lol
Foam sounds like a good idea. We don't use it in our home because my kids are allergic to foam soap for some reason but sounds like it could be ideal for a kitty.

 

[Christine]

YES! Gibson isn't too bad...but he does try to climb me to get out of the water lol. What he REALLY REALLY hates is getting his nails clean....and they get so dirty that it takes me forever.

 

[lawgrl]

My first sphynx was no trouble at all during baths but our newest kitty absolutely hated bath time (think climbing the tile walls in the tub and me coming out looking like I survived a slasher flick, lol) but I absolutely had to clean him thoroughly because I'm showing him.

Anyway, I started doing the outside the tub routine (wet with down with washcloth, soap up, then wipe off with wet washcloth), then moved to wetting him down and rinsing him off in the tub (but still soaping up outside), and eventually (maybe 6 weeks later) I was able to bathe him completely in the tub with no problems.

Honestly, though, I've heard of lots of owners who never move to bathing in the tub...some use baby wipes, some wipe their kitties down with a wet washcloth, and some keep doing the outside the tub bath...so, stick with whatever ends up working best for both of you!

 

[Nofuratu]

Nofuratu used to squirm just like butterball!!!

We switched from the sink to the tub, and make sure the water level goes right over his shoulders so only the neck and head stick out...this made him "freeze" and just stand there. If we dont put enough water in he tries to escape more.

Also water temp on the hotter side seems better for our kitty...he likes the heat.

Putting a few face cloths in the water around him seem to make him happy and even a small towel to stand on helps decrease the panic.

Hot towel from the dryer is the big treat he looks forward to!!

 

[braverducky]

Pander is not horrible to bathe.. He doesn't like it by any means but he just hates being dried off afterwards. He hates being swaddled and fusses like crazy while I try to dry him off!

 

[13brutus]

Thanks for all the great info everyone. My cat hates the bath, bought her a baby tub, not too bad, but still hates it, now I have a big deep tub, so maybe she won't get out. She is white, and really needs a bath two times a week, if she sees the wipes near her she runs, LOL! I have to hide them from her before I use them.

 

[muddpuddles01]

According to Lenore, water is just a fancy word for a horrid flesh-eating acid-like substance, and "bathtime" is code for "horrible torture session in the dungeon of doom that mommy must pay or with her life".

I've found what works best for her is to let the tub fill up to chest level with very warm water - about 100*F. At that depth, she seems a bit calmer for some reason and not as likely to sever any of my arteries or appendages. She still doesn't LIKE it, but she seems to tolerate it a bit better. Make sure the faucet is NOT RUNNING when you take her in there! That sound is horrifying! And don't force her to stay in any longer than absolutely necessary. Be sure to give lots of snuggles and treats afterwards!