Bath Time Poll

[klreese]

Just wanted to get an idea of what everyone schedule is. We are trying to set up a schedule for grooming... as right now it's "oh shoot, kitties need baths" or "ouch, nails need clipped" :Laugh:


Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid?

How far in advance to you put in on your baldies?

What type of soap do you use to wash them?

How often do you have bath time?

How often do you clip nails?

How often do you clean ears?

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean?

Any other info that would be helpful is appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[Mews2much]

I use solid coconut oil that melts in the sun.
I put it on 5 minutes before they have a bath.
Ears I check every day.
I use make up remover pads in between baths and make up remover to clean the nails also.
They get baths once a week or every 2 weeks.

 

[LLevenson]

I don't use coconut oil on my kitty but after reading all the rave reviews about it, I'm going to have to try it!

I use EarthBath Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo (all natural)

Bath, nail trim, teeth brushed, and ears are done once a week

I use Halo Cloud Nine Herbal Ear Wash on both the ears AND nails (helps get all the gunk off the nails b/c it cuts through the oils)

I always clip the nails first and then clean them, so that way if Arias isn't in a cooperative mood and he's only willing to put up with so much, at least his nails are trimmed! I find that the ear cleaner on a wipe and a little pressure from my fingernail gets the nails pretty darn clean!

A warm towel fresh from the dryer totally relaxes Arias so getting the nails, teeth and ears done is much easier! I also use one of those exfoliating gloves to wash his bod b/c it seems to help get all the sticky dirt/oil off.

One of Arias' favorite things is a laundry basket full of warm sheets. SO, being the well trained human that I am ,I always time his bath with sheet cleaning day so after his bath, he gets "treated" with the warm clean sheets! So spoiled!! Bedtime on cleaning day is the best--nothing better than a clean Sphynx and clean sheets to put you right to sleep!!

 

[Mews2much]

I also use sphynx shampoo from France that works well.

 

[Fester]

I use EV olive oil, i lube them up just before washing with Johnson's baby oil.

I used to bath every week, but since they grew a bit, the keep cleaner so it's down to every two weeks. I have a groomer trim their nails every two weeks. my guys seem to like to like inside each others ears like someone stuffed it full of tuna so I have had to since I got my second sphynx. I clean the nails and nail beds every so often when they sit on my lap

 

[klreese]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
i figured, no only could i benefit but others may be able to as well from this info.

Llevenson- clean sheets and clean sphynx sound like a lovely way to fall asleep

So far this is how i do things:

i recently bought the coconut oil, however, it's the oil, not solid.... so hopefully it'll work the same.

the last few weeks ive been doing bath time every 2 weeks... which is a schedule i'd like to keep.

Ears are wiped when the kitties sit on my lap and i notice they are dirty, however, i don't use the flush as often as i should- which is why i was asking.

nail clipping is, again, not as often as it should be.. usually when i notice they are long and/or my fiance complains about being scratched lol.

and as for the gunk in the nails, i'll wipe them here and there but never knew how to get the gunk off... bath time isn't an option for that- as it'd take too long to rub it off and by them i'd have nails inbedded in my skin! So a solution would be perfect! i like the idea of the makeup pads.. that sounds like it'll work good.

 

[Bella07]

I think this is a really interesting thread! When I get a Sphynx kitty, I'll be sure to refer to it. I also hope I'm lucky enough to get a Sphynx who doesn't get oily so quickly, and only needs a bath once a month, opposed to every week or two. Oh, and that she loves to be groomed, so no problems there! I can dream right

 

[dreaming_in_colour]

I use the solid coconut oil that turns to liquid as soon as I start handling it. I put it on them about 5 minutes before their bath.

I have been using J & J or Dawn, however I recently received some goat's milk soap from Amaryllis's breeder that she uses. I can't wait to try it on them this weekend!

Gable could get a bath each week. I can usually stretch it to every two but any more than that and he looks like a street Sphynx that no one cares for. Amaryllis is a much cleaner girl. She can easily go two even three weeks. Baby wipes for greasy spots in between.

I trim their nails every other week or at bath time, which ever comes first.

Ears get spot cleaned as necessary and a good "flush" each bath.

Coconut oil is great for the nail goo. I also bought some ear cleaner a while back that was very oily and I hated it. I found it works wonders on cleaning the waxy buildup on the nails though!

My nakeds also love the freshly warmed towels from the dryer. You can just see them melt when they are all wrapped up and nice and snuggly.

They still are not fans of bath and grooming though. They don't really fight it, they just vent their frustration using a variety of Sphynx curse words...

 

[MissMySphynxBoys]

A warm towel fresh from the dryer totally relaxes Arias so getting the nails, teeth and ears done is much easier!
One of Arias' favorite things is a laundry basket full of warm sheets. SO, being the well trained human that I am ,I always time his bath with sheet cleaning day so after his bath, he gets "treated" with the warm clean sheets! So spoiled!!

My nakeds also love the freshly warmed towels from the dryer. You can just see them melt when they are all wrapped up and nice and snuggly..

My boys were suckers for warm sheets. Tanker used to come running when the buzzer on the dryer sounded.

 

[Melonie]

I do it how you do, oh they are kind of dirty huh? Better give them a bath. I do NOT do ears, they go to the vet for that it grosses me out. I can't explain. I do nails about every 3 days to keep my furniture whole. I just use baby shampoo, or dawn or whatever is there. I have two really clean sphynx Ben who used to be super dirty all the time is growing out of it I guess as I have only been having to do him about 2-3 weeks when it was like 2-3 days.

 

[marlene]

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid? I use the solid, comes in a jar from the supermarket. 100% virgin.

How far in advance to you put in on your baldies? I run the bathwater, then put it on and rub it in, then we hop in the tub. So just a few minutes in advance.

What type of soap do you use to wash them? Johnson & Johnson's Baby Wash.

How often do you have bath time? One a week.

How often do you clip nails? Once a week. Without fail. And I smooth them with an emery board after clipping. Oh, screw the Pedi-Paws nailtrimmers, those are a waste of money.

How often do you clean ears? Clean the outer folds every day. And once every 2 weeks she gets a deep cleaning with Cerulytic.

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean? I use nail polish remover pads right before putting on the coconut oil. We do this while we're snuggling so its not associated with part of the nasty "bath routine."

 

[FaceForRadio]

I use olive oil, haven't found coconut oil yet!

Kif gets a good basting while her bath is running.

I use J&J Baby wash.

Kif is quite young and we've taken to bathing her twice a week. She stays squeaky clean for about a day

She's not into sharpening her claws (handy, because she loves to climb on me!) so they get a trim once every few weeks. I check them for dirt once a week while she's sleeping.

Ears aren't so bad. She gets drops and a delicate scrub every two weeks.

I got her nails super clean while she was sleeping with some olive oil and a cotton bud. I think she likes the taste of olive oil now!

Her face occasionally gets dirty with eye juice. The vet isn't worried about it so we just scrub it away with a J&J fragrance-free baby wipe.


There's something SO satisfying about a sparkling clean Sphynx! Shame is doesn't last!

 

[ckutkuhn7]

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid?
When I first got the coconut oil it was solid but its so easy to melt that its now a chunky liquid, I put mine in a old "Bug Juice" squirty bottle and just warm it up in the bath water before bathtime and then use a few squirts as needed.

How far in advance to you put in on your baldies?
I put it on Snuffie right before I put her in the water,,I don't really let it sit all that long. 1 minute tops.

What type of soap do you use to wash them?
I use J&J baby shampoo. SphynxLair has a new shampoo coming out August sometime that is especially designed for Sphynx and plan on giving it a try.

How often do you have bath time?
Once a week, usually one Tuesdays.

How often do you clip nails?
Once a week, directly after bathtime while she is wrapped up in a towell.Not only do I clip the nails but I wipe them down and get the oil buildup or dirt off of them as well.

How often do you clean ears?
Once a week, directly after bathtime and before doing nails.

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean?
Warm washcloth or wipe, use with a little bit of oil, wipes crud right off, I've also found that their ear cleaner gets the grime right off as well but I just happen to figure that out by mistake one night. I wouldn't recommend it as a all the time solution.

 

[NakedNinja]

...
How often do you clip nails? Once a week. Without fail. And I smooth them with an emery board after clipping. Oh, screw the Pedi-Paws nailtrimmers, those are a waste of money.

I have a Pedi-Paws that I use on Gabe, and it works just great! He got really stressed with nail clipping, but doesn't mind the Pedi-Paws at all. Leaves nice, smooth edges, too.

Of course, the furred ones won't let me near them with it....

 

[ypvsypvs]

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid?

How far in advance to you put in on your baldies?

What type of soap do you use to wash them?

How often do you have bath time?

How often do you clip nails?

How often do you clean ears?

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean?

Any other info that would be helpful is appreciated. Thanks guys!

No oil.
Baby schampoo, no special brand.
Bath every 6-9 days.
About the same for nails.
Same with ears, always do it right after bath while wrapped in towel.
Baby Wipes. This I do a couple of claws at a time while watching TV or something.

 

[Ella_B]

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid? No oil. It's pretty humid here most of the time, so Berlin has no issues with dry skin.

What type of soap do you use to wash them? Elizabeth Anne's baby shampoo. It makes her smell so good.

How often do you have bath time? Once a week, although she normally finds some way to get dirty again within a few hours of bathing. Sigh.

How often do you clip nails? Once a week after her bath when she's all wrapped up and can't run away. Berlin hates having her nails clipped/cleaned even more than she hates bathing.

How often do you clean ears? Once a week, again after bath time.

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean? I use baby wipes to wipe the grime off after it has softened up a little in the bath. I'm definitely going to try using oil after reading this thread though - maybe it'll make nail cleaning quicker and more pleasant for both of us.

 

[kaoticharmony]

I always clip the nails the night before baths. One thing no one has mentioned. I use one of those suction cup bathtub mats cut to fit mt kitchen sink. It makes a huge difference! It makes them feel more secure ... no slipping. I've never used coconut oil. It would be intersting to try because all three on my Sphynx have different skin types. Shiva has some fur, Venus is Peachy and Neon is totally naked. Shiva has very little oil. Venus seems to have the most. I noticed that naked Neon has real tight chin pores. He hasn't had any acne problems. Shiva has had his share.
I buy a special Sphynx shampoo made by a lady I met on EBay. I usually add a little Dawn in the bath water. Shiva seems happy as long as he can get me as wet as possible and he likes a hot bath.



I was asked to do an article on him for ...I wish I could remember the name. I'll look tomorrow... It was put out by the Breeders before PSA ...Well they did a Fancier's issue and asked for a cute story about our naked guy ... I described giving him a bath and the siren. He was fine until it was time to dry him. I'm glad his head was covered because he couldn't see me laughing at him.

Maybe it was the ISBA or the ISBFA...International Sphynx Breeders and Fanciers Association. It's a wonderful magazine. I still have all my issues. It's hard to imagine that when I bought Shiva there were only about 1200 Sphynx cats in the world. They were a great organization. They were very protective and because of them we have healthier cats today. Sherry Jordon (Shiva's breeder) had a natural born male. He was born in Tennessee to a couple of barn cats. Shiva was one of his first sons. His mon was a beautiful cat named Queen Noor. Sherry said they traded their male cats all over the country. I think she worked with a few breeders in Holland too. They worked so hard to expand the gene pole because the breed had nearly died off from bad breeding before. Since there were so few cats they REALLY stood behind their contracts too. I'm really proud and happy to have known many of those woman.I never expected to get a cat from her. It was funny in a way. We had seen her ads and REALLY wanted one of her cats, but she was in Arizonia and we hadn't considered it's not that much to ship a cat. We were talking to a local lady and she was really impressed with us as potental Sphynx owners. We never nentioned Sherry. So we asked this lady 2 million questions. about 30 minutes after we hung up Sherry called us. We were shocked.... but most of the good breeders knew each other. Sherry wanted us to have one of her cats. She would send us letters with his paw print on them so we could see how much he was growing... well I better stop...turning to Sphynx mush...

I want to go find that post about the coconut stuff?

 

[abbyknitter]

I am learning new stuff
Why do you use coconut oil? and do you just rub it on their skin before a bath?

and what is flushing the ears?

Thanks for the tips everyone!

 

[Maua_Peterbald]

How often do you have bath time?
Frodo HATES taking a bath. The first time I`ve tried to bathe him it was a complete disater. I was scratched all over and my clothes were torn So I want to postpone this horrible moment. I bathe him once a month and it is only wiping him, because he can`t be nowhere near water

What type of soap do you use to wash them?
I use a special Degreasing shampoo for cats (Anju Beaute Paris). I put it directly on his body and wash with exfoliating glove. It works miracle with the oil, but makes his skin a bit dry, so then I use a bit of baby shampoo with paraffin wax (Oilatum Soft). Then I try to wipe him with a wet towel

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid?
I don`t use it

How often do you clip nails?
Every two weeks, when I feel they are too long.

How often do you clean ears?
Every two weeks. I use special ear drops (Bayer Vetriderm).

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean?
I don`t really care and never clean his nails

 

[ypvsypvs]

I think this is a really interesting thread! When I get a Sphynx kitty, I'll be sure to refer to it. I also hope I'm lucky enough to get a Sphynx who doesn't get oily so quickly, and only needs a bath once a month, opposed to every week or two. Oh, and that she loves to be groomed, so no problems there! I can dream right

So, you want a Darwin without oil?
He is a dream bathing, fixing nails and ears. Not a complaint nor do he fight you the slightest.
He is one oily grease bag though. 3 days after bath he is really dirty and after 10 days you can almost scrape dirt of him so I rarely go more than 6-7 days between baths.

 

[abbyknitter]

Abby is oily as well she is dirty the same night she gets a bathBut babies are dirty so what are you gunna do...

 

[kaoticharmony]

More Fleshy

 

[pooner]

I have a Pedi-Paws that I use on Gabe, and it works just great! He got really stressed with nail clipping, but doesn't mind the Pedi-Paws at all. Leaves nice, smooth edges, too.

Of course, the furred ones won't let me near them with it....

Pooner didn't like the Pedi-Paw so he gets them clipped. He is pretty good about clipping the front paws but man does he get mad at me when I clip his back paws.

 

[pooner]

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid?
solid coconut oil, vaseline, or carmex(nose only)
we alternate between the three because after a few uses of one it quits working as well on Pooner

How far in advance to you put in on your baldies?
We start applying about 45 mins to an hour before bath time. We also periodically apply to is nose throughout the week. We only apply to his nose to get the oils off, we don't apply it to any other areas of his body. (we have applied to his rear end in the past when he needed it)

What type of soap do you use to wash them?
Dr. Bronners magic soaps Peppermint Organic. We use liquid and bar. We put a little liquid in the bath water and then use the bar on a baby wash cloth for scrubbing his body.

How often do you have bath time?
Varies, it use to be every 4 days but now he seems to only need a bath every 6 days

How often do you clip nails?
Once a week

How often do you clean ears?
Every time he gets a bath. We use Nolvasan Otic cleaning solution. We put the liquid in at beginning of bath and massage his ears. We then use a washcloth and q-tips to clean them out. This works very well, he has very clean ears and the vet and her techs always comment that he has the cleanest ears they've ever seen

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean?
I use baby wipes on them. It works pretty good.

 

[NakedNinja]

Do you use solid coconut oil or liquid?
Solid virgin coconut oil.

How far in advance to you put in on your baldies?
Still experimenting with that. Usually 20-30 minutes, with extra doses on the nose.

What type of soap do you use to wash them?
Right now I'm using Dr. Bronner's Lavender. We tried the peppermint, and Gabe screamed bloody murder. I think his skin might be sensitive. Plus, the combination of coconut and lavender makes him smell like cookies!

How often do you have bath time?
Roughly once a week. I try to bathe him every Friday, but sometimes he gets to be dirty an extra day or two if I'm busy.

How often do you clip nails?
On bath day.

How often do you clean ears?
Usually twice a week. Once on bath day, and once mid-week when they start looking gunky.

Any tricks to get their nails crystal clean?
A little bit of dish soap in the bath water seems to really break down the oils as he soaks.