bath time??

[lemmysmommy]

I am going crazy. Lemmy HATES bath time. He scratches and claws the whole time. I can never get him clean in one try. Any suggestions for a necessary evil?? Lol

 

[Sam lewis]

Have you tried just putting him in the bath (with water in!)and letting him wander about in it without washing him? I sometimes put mo in and give him a little back massage first so its not all scrubbing! sounds wierd but he always purrs in the bath when i do that!

 

[PitRottMommy]

I am going crazy. Lemmy HATES bath time. He scratches and claws the whole time. I can never get him clean in one try. Any suggestions for a necessary evil?? Lol

When I try to bathe my cats in the sink, they go wild and try to climb the curtain. However, when I put them in the bathtub...they're fine.

Run the bath water before you prepare to add your animal. The associated sound often scares pets into thinking its worse than it is. If you have an attachment that allows you to use the shower head, this may work even better because alot of pets do not like being submerged. Reward your pet during and after a bath with lots of lovings and treats. My cats go through a heck of alot during bath tub (we clean/cut/dremel nails, we do ears, we clean eyes, etc). My two most recent adoptees hadn't ever had a real bath until July of this year. They're champion bath takers now. They all scatter when they hear the water running, but once they're inside the tub. They're great.

Warning: Teaching them to like bathtime may mean you get to share your tub-time with them, too. Baldwin and Buck will come and bug me while I'm getting clean. Baldwin likes to watch from between the curtains

 

[Haji the Sphynx]

I bathe Haji in the sink, and hes always put up a bit of a fuss but let's me do it. I face him away from me, and gently stabilize him over his shoulder blades. I used to put down a hand towel on the bottom of the sink for his feet to stabilize on but he doesn't need that any more.

I prefill the sink, and he knows it's coming so he'll hide for 20 minutes or so, then when he forgets about it and wanders out i scoop him up and plop him in the water.

When I'm done bathing him I wrap him up in a towel and can get pretty lucky and clip his nails and clean his ears, and so long as the towel covers his head he doesn't try to escape.

good luck!

 

[Brooke]

Same as PitRottMommy, I tried the sink one time, and it ended very badly - Walter shot out of my slippery hands like a rocket, launched himself across the kitchen, went sliding 10 feet across the tile floor, and ran straight into my room and under the bed -where the vacuum rarely reaches- and came out dirtier than he was before I tried to bathe him!! Plus, I was horrified that he'd hurt himself in the fall & slide through the kitchen. After that, it's always in the bathtub! I fill it about 4" with warm water before I bring them in to the bathroom because the sound of the faucet scares them. Once they're in the tub, the soap massage does seem to calm them down. Walter purrs the whole time! Mandy gives me the most trouble, and really, all she does is try to climb out the whole time... I just have to calmly remind her that I'm in charge and make it as quick and painless as possible. Everyone gets hugs and treats afterward and they quickly forget what they just went through.

 

[PitRottMommy]

Yep! My whole clan totally forgets. By the time we're finished with bath time and gathering up towels...the moment we walk into the kitchen...they're all in there screaming, "HEY!! ISN'T IT FOOD TIME?! ISN'T THAT WHY YOU JUST WALKED IN HERE?!". Very forgiving, very quickly. They have the memory length of that of a gnat.

 

[Maggies mommy]

Maggie is preety much good in the bath I give her a bath in the bathtub too! The sink she gets away lol. She tries to get out of the tub to & sometimes does. She also meows the WHOLE ENTIRE time!!! Than I wrap her up in a towel clean her ears than cut her nails than I clean her piggies! Last I put jj lotion on her! Ps. The whole time I am doing all that she is meowing ahhhh but it could be worse.

 

[lemmysmommy]

It sounds like everyone likes the bathtub over the sink, however I don't have an actual bathtub, just a stand alone shower. So the sink is where it all happens. I tried to bathe him tonight and ended up with many lacerations and him jumping out. I try to talk to him while I am doing it, but it does not seem to matter. He just freaks.

 

[PitRottMommy]

I tried to bathe him tonight and ended up with many lacerations and him jumping out.

Start with the nail trim, sounds like your baby has some daggers. Cats are twice as easy to handle without them being able to shred skin.

It might also help to start using a damp cloth to wash him down outside of the tub. Many pets prefer not to be submerged. Try water in one sink, cat in the next.

 

[ssummers]

Lemmysmommy, I'm so glad you posted this. I feel your pain--literally! Coraline is pretty awful about baths. I'm excited to try some of these suggestions though! In the meantime, I use baby wipes every couple days to wipe her down so we when do try a bath, it's pretty quick.

 

[lemmysmommy]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I will try the two sink method next.(Thanks pitrottmommy). I will let you know how it goes.

 

[mercurysmile]

Walter seemed to HATE bath time in the sink, despite his breeder having said she always bathed in her sink... he yowled, scratched, leapt out of the sink on to my shoulders, then onto the shower curtains, and out the door as fast as he could go!

but I tried once in the tub, just put about 3 or 4 inches of warm water in there, and it was much easier. I think he was calmer because he was on the ground, and could see what's going on better.

Next I tried putting a piece of that exorcise foam floor cover in the tub (those squares of foam the people put in their exorcise rooms, they lock together like puzzle pieces, any way it looks like some sort of rubber foamy stuff about 1 inch thick) This went even better, walter could get a good grip in the tub, and feel safe, he let me soap him up and rinse him off, and then by the time he was in the towel, he was purring away and half asleep while I cleaned his toes and ears.

If you don't have a tub, maybe try a soapy cloth and a container of warm rinse water on the shower floor. Then you can soap him up, and use a container of warm water to rinse, and the cat gets to keep all 4 feet on the ground where he feels safer.

phew!

 

[susi794]

Next I tried putting a piece of that exorcise foam floor cover in the tub (those squares of foam the people put in their exorcise rooms, they lock together like puzzle pieces, any way it looks like some sort of rubber foamy stuff about 1 inch thick)
phew!

I might try the foamy things!

 

[Brooke]

Yeah, that's a great idea! ...but - do they float??

 

[susi794]

Yeah, that's a great idea! ...but - do they float??

Good point, Brooke--my rubbery bath mat floats so is useless to stop little paws from slipping.

 

[Brooke]

LOL, Lulu helping you type!! Nelson also tries to help me type.

 

[Marnasobsession]

This was a great thread becuz Jack HATES his bath. He yowls and gets his sister Maizie so upset!I use the deep sink in the Laundry Room but I am going to try the tub next time.

 

[ilovemysphynx]

It sounds like everyone likes the bathtub over the sink, however I don't have an actual bathtub, just a stand alone shower. So the sink is where it all happens. I tried to bathe him tonight and ended up with many lacerations and him jumping out. I try to talk to him while I am doing it, but it does not seem to matter. He just freaks.

I have also tried the sink and end of with A sphynx window decoration hanging from the curtain, I now use the bath tub and they do ok!
If I where you I would try A baby bathtub you can get one pretty cheap and fill it then get kitty in that way there is no noise and if you put the tub in the middle of the room that way he won't have anything to climb up on. (just you of course)

 

[silly4lilly]

we usually keep the water running and put the cat in the tub and try to wash them. this never works so we have just been wiping them down with baby wipes.

after reading this thread we figured we would try to give river a bath this way-- fill up the tub first. i went in with him bc i figured i could like comfort him (not really in, just like my feet in there).. well this did not work!!!! he freaked out!!!!!!!! he was meowing so loud it sounded like we were killing him!!! so i hopped out and pete my fiance went in which pissed river off even more and HE BIT PETE!!!! he bit him so hard his finger is all swollen up today and he cant even bend it!!!!! he is going to go on antibiotics now!!!! i will try to post a picutre when pete gets home. all i can say if never again are we going to try to put the cats in the bath tub!!!!!

 

[ilovemysphynx]

Poor Pete! But I am sorry while reading your post I had A visual of you 2 and I was cracking up

 

[silly4lilly]

LOL

look at it!!! its crazy

 

[heather]

OMG Poor guy! River got him real good. It looks really painful and cat bites hurt so bad.

River certainly made sure he never has to go in the tub again. Yikes!

 

[ilovemysphynx]

wow

 

[silly4lilly]

well, we just got back from the hospital. they put pete on an IV antibiotic drip. hopefully it will get better tomorrow. if not, the doc said we have to go back to the hospital and they have to like cut his finger open a little bit to clean it!!

 

[Brooke]

well, we just got back from the hospital. they put pete on an IV antibiotic drip. hopefully it will get better tomorrow. if not, the doc said we have to go back to the hospital and they have to like cut his finger open a little bit to clean it!!

OMG! , Pete!! Get better soon! Did he have to get a tetanus shot, too? ouch...