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First bath for adopted adult sphynx?

Melishia

Lairian
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
6
Points
4
Hi there, my name’s Mel!

Forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place (says every person making their first post)!

Here’s a little background on my new little man. 2 nights ago I came across the cutest little sphynx at the SPCA and I absolutely had to take him home. They said his name was Gollum which IMO is not a very flattering name, and so my partner renamed him Marvin. Some might not find that very flattering either but I lost that argument and so Marvin it is. Plus he seems to respond well to it.

Marvin was listed as a 2 year old aggressive male who was brought in by his previous owner after he reportedly bit her. There were comments in his SPCA file saying he was very difficult to handle/manipulate during his evaluations. His file also stated that the vet removed 9 teeth (!!!) due to tartar buildup. Poor baby. He’s on soft food for 10 days and meds for 3. They later told us he was 6 years old and not 2. I feel like because of his teeth, 6 years old makes more sense but we're still not sure.

Marvin was very curious when he first came in and I think he’s adapting very well.

We learned very quickly that Marvin is the sweetest. He has 2 modes. His first mode is very active where he’s running through the house, jumping on the counters (No Marvin!), playing with his toys, running towards loud noises, talking to us very loudly and attempting to claw our brand new couch. His second mode is burrito sphynx, where he crawls into the folds of his soft blanket and sleeps.

I can’t figure out if he actually was aggressive with his previous owner or not. He’s a cuddle monster. Marvin literally sits perched on my boyfriend’s shoulder while he’s at his computer. If either of us are on the couch or in the bed he’s right there, finding a spot to curl up on.

The only incident we’ve had so far was that Marvin growled once on his first night in our home when I gently scooped him up from the kitchen counter and put him on the floor. He protested a little and that was that. He still doesn’t understand ‘no’ when it comes to kitchen counters but now he doesn’t even mind when I scoop him up and put him down. I can tell he's not very comfortable with being picked up though.

SO!
It’s very clear to me that I need to regularly bathe Marvin, as well as clean his eyes and ears.
I have no idea if he’s used to this process or not. I made a weak attempt to bathe him in the kitchen sink last night but he didn’t want to go in the water so instesd of physically putting him in the water I settled on wiping him down with a facecloth. He was very stiff and I didn’t even get anywhere near his little toes (he kept them curled underneath him) and his claws are absolutely caked in gunk. The face cloth felt very ineffective. I’m going to attempt to bathe him in the bath tonight.


I’ve read about using coconut oil around his cheeks and neck to help loosen the dirt and moisturize before he goes in the water. Could this be used on the rest of his body as well to loosen dirt? I’m going to purchase Johnson’s baby shampoo to wash him, as well as a gentle exfoliating glove for the washing. Would you guys recommend a sponge over the glove? Since his little toes are really dirty I was thinking of getting a really soft bristled toothbrush to really get in there. Thoughts on that?
I also read that rinsing him with a mixture of water and vinegar removes any traces of soap left on him. Do you guys find this necessary?

And lastly I’m going to purchase some alcohol/fragrance free baby wipes as a last resort should he put up a wild fight during bath time. I heard that some people prefer to fill the water up to the neck for difficult sphynx. Would you recommend it or would you stick with belly height?

I’m currently reading up on brands of hard food for him to transition to once the 10 days of soft food are up. I personally prefer a 100% hard food diet for the pets I’ve had because I find that they tend to have less tartar buildup during their checkups. What are your guys’ favourite food brands and treats? What kind of eating habit does your cat have? I believe they have high metabolisms. Do you have food available to them all day long or do you feed them at specific times? Tell me everything, guys!


I’m open to comments, suggestions, recommendations, tips, stories and experiences.

Thanks for reading !!
 

Yoda mom

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Messages
26,180
Points
653
@Melishia H Mel!Welcome! Hugs to you for giving Marvin a forever Home!
I love his name!

I have adoptees . It's a whole new big world for all involved . Who knows the real story with "Gollum" s
previous life - it's a fresh start

Take bs y steps at your amd his comfort level for spa day-
I don't spa day for a week or two till they settle in.
Sometimes I clip one toe nail and wipe down s before full spa day -
It's okay - baby steps amd it helps build trust and bond too.

Healing for the dental recovery Wow ! Poor baby - I would have been scuffy car too if I had 9 bad teeth ! Yikes!
Wonder if thsf was his real underlying issue .

Marvin has a new name , new life is on the road to recovery healing amd lots of love by you and yours .

You have many great questions
There is a tom of great info on food , spa days , etc in the help center .
You will find what works best for Marvin

Many of us just use the exfoliating gloves
A member told me about Hylt shampoo many years ago . My vet sells it and it's online too and reasonable Priced .
It is hypoallergenic , soap free and easy rinse .
I actually give up on baby wipes -
I put a teenie few drops of Hylyt in a big pticher of water with baby face clothes for wipe downs .
Walmart makeup remover wipes alcohol free fragrance free for $1.50 works great to clean nail gunk.

Food - many great ones out there amd polls on foods etc On the threads

I will chime in more later

I just wanted to say welcome, and bless you for loving "Marvin"
Look forward to pics amd tales!
Bathing your Sphynx Cat and why.
What type of food do you feed your Sphynx?

@Xandria has great spa day pics
 

Bluemaryjane

Lairian
Joined
Sep 25, 2018
Messages
3
Points
4
Hi there, my name’s Mel!

Forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place (says every person making their first post)!

Here’s a little background on my new little man. 2 nights ago I came across the cutest little sphynx at the SPCA and I absolutely had to take him home. They said his name was Gollum which IMO is not a very flattering name, and so my partner renamed him Marvin. Some might not find that very flattering either but I lost that argument and so Marvin it is. Plus he seems to respond well to it.

Marvin was listed as a 2 year old aggressive male who was brought in by his previous owner after he reportedly bit her. There were comments in his SPCA file saying he was very difficult to handle/manipulate during his evaluations. His file also stated that the vet removed 9 teeth (!!!) due to tartar buildup. Poor baby. He’s on soft food for 10 days and meds for 3. They later told us he was 6 years old and not 2. I feel like because of his teeth, 6 years old makes more sense but we're still not sure.

Marvin was very curious when he first came in and I think he’s adapting very well.

We learned very quickly that Marvin is the sweetest. He has 2 modes. His first mode is very active where he’s running through the house, jumping on the counters (No Marvin!), playing with his toys, running towards loud noises, talking to us very loudly and attempting to claw our brand new couch. His second mode is burrito sphynx, where he crawls into the folds of his soft blanket and sleeps.

I can’t figure out if he actually was aggressive with his previous owner or not. He’s a cuddle monster. Marvin literally sits perched on my boyfriend’s shoulder while he’s at his computer. If either of us are on the couch or in the bed he’s right there, finding a spot to curl up on.

The only incident we’ve had so far was that Marvin growled once on his first night in our home when I gently scooped him up from the kitchen counter and put him on the floor. He protested a little and that was that. He still doesn’t understand ‘no’ when it comes to kitchen counters but now he doesn’t even mind when I scoop him up and put him down. I can tell he's not very comfortable with being picked up though.

SO!
It’s very clear to me that I need to regularly bathe Marvin, as well as clean his eyes and ears.
I have no idea if he’s used to this process or not. I made a weak attempt to bathe him in the kitchen sink last night but he didn’t want to go in the water so instesd of physically putting him in the water I settled on wiping him down with a facecloth. He was very stiff and I didn’t even get anywhere near his little toes (he kept them curled underneath him) and his claws are absolutely caked in gunk. The face cloth felt very ineffective. I’m going to attempt to bathe him in the bath tonight.


I’ve read about using coconut oil around his cheeks and neck to help loosen the dirt and moisturize before he goes in the water. Could this be used on the rest of his body as well to loosen dirt? I’m going to purchase Johnson’s baby shampoo to wash him, as well as a gentle exfoliating glove for the washing. Would you guys recommend a sponge over the glove? Since his little toes are really dirty I was thinking of getting a really soft bristled toothbrush to really get in there. Thoughts on that?
I also read that rinsing him with a mixture of water and vinegar removes any traces of soap left on him. Do you guys find this necessary?

And lastly I’m going to purchase some alcohol/fragrance free baby wipes as a last resort should he put up a wild fight during bath time. I heard that some people prefer to fill the water up to the neck for difficult sphynx. Would you recommend it or would you stick with belly height?

I’m currently reading up on brands of hard food for him to transition to once the 10 days of soft food are up. I personally prefer a 100% hard food diet for the pets I’ve had because I find that they tend to have less tartar buildup during their checkups. What are your guys’ favourite food brands and treats? What kind of eating habit does your cat have? I believe they have high metabolisms. Do you have food available to them all day long or do you feed them at specific times? Tell me everything, guys!


I’m open to comments, suggestions, recommendations, tips, stories and experiences.

Thanks for reading !!
@Melishia H Mel!Welcome! Hugs to you for giving Marvin a forever Home!
I love his name!

I have adoptees . It's a whole new big world for all involved . Who knows the real story with "Gollum" s
previous life - it's a fresh start

Take bs y steps at your amd his comfort level for spa day-
I don't spa day for a week or two till they settle in.
Sometimes I clip one toe nail and wipe down s before full spa day -
It's okay - baby steps amd it helps build trust and bond too.

Healing for the dental recovery Wow ! Poor baby - I would have been scuffy car too if I had 9 bad teeth ! Yikes!
Wonder if thsf was his real underlying issue .

Marvin has a new name , new life is on the road to recovery healing amd lots of love by you and yours .

You have many great questions
There is a tom of great info on food , spa days , etc in the help center .
You will find what works best for Marvin

Many of us just use the exfoliating gloves
A member told me about Hylt shampoo many years ago . My vet sells it and it's online too and reasonable Priced .
It is hypoallergenic , soap free and easy rinse .
I actually give up on baby wipes -
I put a teenie few drops of Hylyt in a big pticher of water with baby face clothes for wipe downs .
Walmart makeup remover wipes alcohol free fragrance free for $1.50 works great to clean nail gunk.

Food - many great ones out there amd polls on foods etc On the threads

I will chime in more later

I just wanted to say welcome, and bless you for loving "Marvin"
Look forward to pics amd tales!
Bathing your Sphynx Cat and why.
What type of food do you feed your Sphynx?

@Xandria has great spa day pics
I think he is new to the environment and needs a week to adjust if you get a cloth or a piece of a towel soak it in hot water and just laid on him he’ll start to break down the dirt for you to slowly scrub him and slowly start adjusting him to understand that he needs a bath but you can just put him in the water with out slowly adjusting him .
 

Melishia

Lairian
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
6
Points
4
@Melishia H Mel!Welcome! Hugs to you for giving Marvin a forever Home!
I love his name!

I have adoptees . It's a whole new big world for all involved . Who knows the real story with "Gollum" s
previous life - it's a fresh start

Take bs y steps at your amd his comfort level for spa day-
I don't spa day for a week or two till they settle in.
Sometimes I clip one toe nail and wipe down s before full spa day -
It's okay - baby steps amd it helps build trust and bond too.

Healing for the dental recovery Wow ! Poor baby - I would have been scuffy car too if I had 9 bad teeth ! Yikes!
Wonder if thsf was his real underlying issue .

Marvin has a new name , new life is on the road to recovery healing amd lots of love by you and yours .

You have many great questions
There is a tom of great info on food , spa days , etc in the help center .
You will find what works best for Marvin

Many of us just use the exfoliating gloves
A member told me about Hylt shampoo many years ago . My vet sells it and it's online too and reasonable Priced .
It is hypoallergenic , soap free and easy rinse .
I actually give up on baby wipes -
I put a teenie few drops of Hylyt in a big pticher of water with baby face clothes for wipe downs .
Walmart makeup remover wipes alcohol free fragrance free for $1.50 works great to clean nail gunk.

Food - many great ones out there amd polls on foods etc On the threads

I will chime in more later

I just wanted to say welcome, and bless you for loving "Marvin"
Look forward to pics amd tales!
Bathing your Sphynx Cat and why.
What type of food do you feed your Sphynx?

@Xandria has great spa day pics
Thanks for your speedy reply! I realize that a lot of my questions can be found on the forum so I'm going to do a little more digging! I feel like theres so much to know about these for furless babies. I've been so absorbed with reading as much as I can and it feels like theres never ending amounts of info out there!

I like your suggestion with waiting before giving a bath. I'm worried that hes been too long without being bathed though. His claws are caked to the tip.
Maybe I'll use wipes on him for the time being. I already have a hard time getting him to give me his paws. Maybe we'll get him used to that first.
 

susi794

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Aug 23, 2009
Messages
13,556
Points
673
My cats do better with chest deep water in the tub. Since I can no longer do that, I fill the double sink...one side warm soapy water, the other with a towel on the bottom so their feet don’t slip. I have a pitcher of warm rinse water on the counter waiting. I let the cat stand on the towel side while I swish the wet cloth over her. Then I put soap on the exfoliating gloves and gently scrub their bodies down. I then use a wash cloth to preliminarily rinse most of the soap off, followed by slowly pouring the pitcher of warm water for a final rinse. Kitty comes into my toweled arms while I hug him or her close, give a zillion kisses and tell them how BEAU-TI-FUL they look. A few treats follow. Then I wrap them snugly in the towel while I clean ears, use a make-up round and witch hazel to get toenail gunk off, then clip nails as they tolerate it. Sometimes all of them, sometimes just a few. The trick is to not make it a battle. Try ping pong balls in the tub to play with...sing to them...whatever makes it a warm and snuggly chance to have special time with Mommy. Good luck!
 

Catzzzmeow

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
35,017
Points
673
Glad Marvin is a caring forever home. With any of our cats, I also tried to wait a couple of weeks before bathing in hopes to bond and build trust. Please let us know how it goes and how he is healing.
 

EnAyKayIDee

Lairian
Joined
Jun 17, 2018
Messages
61
Points
29
Curious how it all goes! Loving your adoption story, and looking forward to hearing more about you and Marvin! Best of luck with figuring out your spa day, I absolutely find the burrito method to be a godsend for nail cleaning. Perhaps getting him used to being blanket burrito'd with treats to start?
 

Melishia

Lairian
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
6
Points
4
Hi guys! So we've had marvin for a little over a month and he's just settled in so well! We are at bath #4 and his progress is great!
His first bath was a bit of a nightmare. My partner and I washed him in the kitchen sink and he barely stayed in the water for more than 4 minutes, and we had to hold him in.
All baths after that were in the bathtub which made a huge difference.
It allowed him to wander in the water, and although he still wanted to get out, he could move around without being held. His second bath lasted about 5 minutes, and the third a little longer.
Last night was his first bath where I didn't need my partners help. Marvin will still want to get out of the bath if I dont keep him busy but last night he stayed in the bath for nearly 10 minutes! I even washed his little toes.

My new issue is that he seems to have a rash around his neck and the corners of his mouth. It might be his food, I'll likely make another post with pictures in case you've seen this before. I use dove baby shampoo on his skin.
Does anyone else use this and have issues?


Thanks for reading!
 

Catzzzmeow

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Joined
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Messages
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Happy to see your update on how things are going well with Marvin. Can you share pics of the rash?
 

Melishia

Lairian
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
6
Points
4
Happy to see your update on how things are going well with Marvin. Can you share pics of the rash?

Here's an image of the corner of his mouth. He has something similar on the other side of his neck. I'm currently using an unscented coconut oil before bath and a drop of dawn dish soap in his bath water as well as dove babe shampoo (vet's suggestion).

20181028_202349.jpg
 

Yoda mom

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
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Messages
26,180
Points
653
@Melishia , checking in on Marvin :)

I have 4 adult adoptees that hate spa day baths -
Years ago a member suggested a stokkes flexibath - it has a drain plug -

I position it with the drain plug out over the bathroom sink - I put a towel on the bottom of the flexibath . I set up shampoo rimse cups amd microfiber dog drying towels nearby .
Hlyt shampoo is forgiving easy rinse soap free - has worked best for my adult adoptee water haters along with exfoliating gloves . So,e use a warm towels from the dryer but I just need to get it done quick! I used to have to wear a sweatshirt for spa day when I used the kitchen sink!
Wit the flexibath I can wear a tshirt lol amd not get clawed up!
The flexibath is nice bcz when they stand up to try to escape I can rinse undersides Lol


Mine growl amd complaint amd mock bite when I clean amd trim nails ! when I adopted them
I did ome foot a day ! Lol
I positition them on my lap with my arm over their back and trim so my wrist is not in the path of teeth! They have gotten much better but still carry on complaining and mock biting -
So,e wrap in a towel like a burrito amd take one paw out at s time to trim nails -

I discovered the fragrance free alcohol free Walmart equate makeup remover wipes work great for removing black nail gunk - check the skin folds around toes too! When I got them I noticed some gunk in the skin around the nails - I use the makeup remover wipe to gently clean and push out gunk ewww but it works
 

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