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Max and Min had their big spaw treatment yesterday, so I thought to take pictures of the process for anyone who is interested. I know that we all have different routines, methods, and products that we utilize and so forth. I also know that everyone struggles differently or not at all with respect to bathing their nakeds. Hopefully this will be of interest to some. And of course, please feel free to add to this thread with your own routines and tips!
I'm numbering various items in these pictures to provide sourcing information.
PREPARATION
From start to finish it takes me approximately 2 hours for Max and Min's weekly spaw treatment (I'm thoroughly envious of those who can do this in considerably less time... how????).
However, only once a month or so do I perform a full bath – every other time I give them a wipe down (explained later). Although somehow it's still pretty much 2 hours a week.
I like to get everything ready before I start luring Max and Min into the spaw spectacle. They are reasonably well behaved but this is not their favourite pastime.
The first thing I do is throw a variety of towels into the dryer to heat them up. I use one towel for wrapping them up to clean their ears, another towel for wrapping them up while I clean their feet, and a specific final larger towel for drying them off after their bath or wipe down. That's three towels per cat.
Following the above, I fill the bathroom sink with hot water and deposit their ear cleaner (Epi-Otic), witch hazel, and a small dish for the purpose of heating up these items.
I continue to lay everything out for their ear cleaning, feet cleaning, and ultimately their bath or wipe down.
I also use this time to listen to an audiobook! It makes the time go by faster. This is not to say that I don't obtain pleasure from cleaning Max and Min (I do!), but I like to multi task.
EARS
(1) rinsing bowl for final steps of cleaning chins and ears [I find a small stainless bowl retains heat nicely]
(2) washable sherpa cotton makeup rounds for cleaning chins and ears and also removing my own makeup [Items similar to Six Sherpa 2 Ply Facial Poufs - Cotton Face Wipes - Makeup Removal Pads - Sherpa Disposable Pouf Alternative - Facial Wipes - Choose Colour on Etsy]
(3) ear cleaner – Epi-otic by Virbac [EPI-OTIC® Ear Cleanser]
(4) witch hazel for cleaning chins [available at any pharmacy]
(5) small bowl for holding ear cleaner [I use a soy sauce dish]
(6) a variety of cotton ear swabs for ear cleaning [Q-tips® Precision Tips™ for narrow spots and those little folds inside their ears, Q-tips® Cotton Swabs for general cleaning, and JOHNSON’S® safety swabs for further in the ear and larger surfaces]
I take the first Sphynx that makes itself available to me (usually it is Min, but yesterday it was Max). I swaddle Max fairly tightly in one of the heated blankets. Essentially he is mummified LOL. I sit on the toilet, and cradle him in my lap.
I soak one of the cotton makeup rounds (2) with the heated witch hazel (4) and proceed to clean with firm strokes his chin, neck, and as close to his mouth as I'm willing to go. Depending on the level of "dirt", I may flip the makeup round over soak it and wipe again. Then I set about looking for blackheads. Max hardly ever has any although Min gets a few on occasion. She has one persistent one that I keep squeezing. I then dip a clean makeup round (2) into the rinsing bowl (1), squeeze out the excess water, and wipe down Max's neck, chin, and mouth. I may even use a second makeup round.
I completely focus the process outlined below on one ear at a time. This way I'm not flipping the cats from side to side. It's best to have them leaning one way and then the other way.
Next I squirt some Epi-otic ear cleaner (3) onto a fresh makeup round (2) and use this to clean the outside, around, and inside of one ear. I flip the makeup round around and squirt some more cleaner if needed. I never put the ear cleaner directly in their ears.
I pour some of the ear cleaner into the small bowl (5). I dip each ear swab (6) into the small bowl holding the heated ear cleaner. Sometimes I squeeze out the extra ear cleaner in the swab by pressing it against the side of the bowl before setting about to clean the ears. I usually start with the large baby safe ear swabs and clean the larger area inside the ear as well as down into the ear (you won't get far, but it helps). I then use the precision tip or narrow tipped ear swabs for the narrow nooks and crannies inside the ear. And finally I use the regular ear swabs for the rest of the ears, including getting down into the ear (not too far) and that fold by the ear canal entrance. I used to use a headlamp so that I could see very clearly, but after a year and a half of doing this I feel fairly confident.
Once I'm fairly confident that the ears are clean, I soak a fresh makeup round (2) in the rinsing bowl (1) of hot water, squeeze out the excess, and wipe the ear inside and out, giving it a nice massage. The massage tends to make for a happier naked.
Then I repeat the above process for the other ear. And the other cat! Once I am finished with one of my nakeds, I discard the used ear swabs, wipe the counter down, reheat the bottles in the sink by adding more hot water to the sink, dumping the bowl of rinse water and adding more. I also set out another set of makeup rounds.
Treats at the end of every stage also help!
(7) used cotton ear swabs! Some weeks there are more, some less, and I'm never quite sure why.
(5) small bowl for holding ear cleaner [I use a soy sauce dish]
FEETS
(8) Pet D’Grease by Pure Pet for paw and claw cleaning [http://www.mcssl.com/store/purepet/shampoos/dgrease-shampoo]
(9) midsized bowl of hot water for dipping cloths into [again, I find a small stainless steel bowl retains heat quite nicely]
(10) larger bowl of hot water and cloths for rinsing paws and claws
(11) empty bowl for used cloths
(12) dry cloths for dipping into the D’Grease and hot water [https://www.aliexpress.com/item/8Pc-Soft-Baby-Infant-Newborn-Washcloth-Bath-Towel-For-Bathing-Feeding-Wipe-Cloth-Hot/32717820232.html – numerous vendors on AliExpress sell these and what I like about them is that they are reasonably thin which means I can usually press my fingernails through the cloth to assist in the cleaning process & because the quality varies, I tend to use the thicker cloths for rinsing and the thinner cloths for cleaning]
(13) metal file [Revlon Products: Makeup, Fragrances, Hair Color, Nails, Beauty Tools – I particularly like this file because it is wedged and seems to be much easier to manoeuvre around their nails]
(14) nail clipper [www.revlon.com/products/beauty-tools/pedicure/gold-series-titanium-coated-heavy-duty-nipper – I have used many clippers over the years, and these are fantastic in that they are extraordinarily sharp and very precise; the steel ones I have in the picture have been replaced by the gold series ones from Revlon which I have linked to here]
(15) baby toothbrush with extra soft bristles if needed for additional cleaning of nails or paws
I take another heated towel out of the dryer and bundle up one of my kitties. I lay them on my lap, back down, and expose one foot at a time. I start with the right rear and work counterclockwise as for some reason this seems to work the best on them and myself – I have no idea why.
I wrap the middle of a dry cloth (12) around my forefinger and index finger, holding on to the edges of the cloth with the rest of my fingers. I dip this into a small amount of the D’Grease (8), and then into the bowl of hot water (9) next to it. I use one hand to steady a foot, and then begin cleaning the bottom of the foot, the top, and by the time I work into the actual paw pad, they seem very relaxed and will splay them wide for me. I continue to dip the cloth into the hot water (9) for additional moisture and scrubbing. I then use one hand to gently expose each nail in turn and then use the D’Grease and hot water soaked cloth to really clean the nail and around the nail. Min’s nails are a breeze to clean whereas Max seems to develop this really thick waxy buildup on his that requires me to scrape along the side of the nail a bit with my thumbnail. Once clean, I discard the cloth into the used cloth bowl (11).
I then use the clippers (14) to carefully clip the tips of each nail in turn. After that, I file the tips with the file (13). And finally I grab one of the hot water soaking cloths (10), squeeze out the excess water, and wipe down the entire foot, paying extra attention to the paw pads and nails.
I tuck the clean foot underneath the towel, and bring out the next one. I use fresh cloths for each foot. I always have extra rinsing cloths in the bowl of hot water (10) because sometimes I need to use a little extra D’Grease on Max which requires extra rinsing.
(11) filling bowl of used cloths – make sure the bowl is of sufficient size to hold approximately 10 discarded cloths for each naked.
<<<continued next comment>>>
I'm numbering various items in these pictures to provide sourcing information.
PREPARATION
From start to finish it takes me approximately 2 hours for Max and Min's weekly spaw treatment (I'm thoroughly envious of those who can do this in considerably less time... how????).
However, only once a month or so do I perform a full bath – every other time I give them a wipe down (explained later). Although somehow it's still pretty much 2 hours a week.
I like to get everything ready before I start luring Max and Min into the spaw spectacle. They are reasonably well behaved but this is not their favourite pastime.
The first thing I do is throw a variety of towels into the dryer to heat them up. I use one towel for wrapping them up to clean their ears, another towel for wrapping them up while I clean their feet, and a specific final larger towel for drying them off after their bath or wipe down. That's three towels per cat.
Following the above, I fill the bathroom sink with hot water and deposit their ear cleaner (Epi-Otic), witch hazel, and a small dish for the purpose of heating up these items.
I continue to lay everything out for their ear cleaning, feet cleaning, and ultimately their bath or wipe down.
I also use this time to listen to an audiobook! It makes the time go by faster. This is not to say that I don't obtain pleasure from cleaning Max and Min (I do!), but I like to multi task.
EARS
(1) rinsing bowl for final steps of cleaning chins and ears [I find a small stainless bowl retains heat nicely]
(2) washable sherpa cotton makeup rounds for cleaning chins and ears and also removing my own makeup [Items similar to Six Sherpa 2 Ply Facial Poufs - Cotton Face Wipes - Makeup Removal Pads - Sherpa Disposable Pouf Alternative - Facial Wipes - Choose Colour on Etsy]
(3) ear cleaner – Epi-otic by Virbac [EPI-OTIC® Ear Cleanser]
(4) witch hazel for cleaning chins [available at any pharmacy]
(5) small bowl for holding ear cleaner [I use a soy sauce dish]
(6) a variety of cotton ear swabs for ear cleaning [Q-tips® Precision Tips™ for narrow spots and those little folds inside their ears, Q-tips® Cotton Swabs for general cleaning, and JOHNSON’S® safety swabs for further in the ear and larger surfaces]
I take the first Sphynx that makes itself available to me (usually it is Min, but yesterday it was Max). I swaddle Max fairly tightly in one of the heated blankets. Essentially he is mummified LOL. I sit on the toilet, and cradle him in my lap.
I soak one of the cotton makeup rounds (2) with the heated witch hazel (4) and proceed to clean with firm strokes his chin, neck, and as close to his mouth as I'm willing to go. Depending on the level of "dirt", I may flip the makeup round over soak it and wipe again. Then I set about looking for blackheads. Max hardly ever has any although Min gets a few on occasion. She has one persistent one that I keep squeezing. I then dip a clean makeup round (2) into the rinsing bowl (1), squeeze out the excess water, and wipe down Max's neck, chin, and mouth. I may even use a second makeup round.
I completely focus the process outlined below on one ear at a time. This way I'm not flipping the cats from side to side. It's best to have them leaning one way and then the other way.
Next I squirt some Epi-otic ear cleaner (3) onto a fresh makeup round (2) and use this to clean the outside, around, and inside of one ear. I flip the makeup round around and squirt some more cleaner if needed. I never put the ear cleaner directly in their ears.
I pour some of the ear cleaner into the small bowl (5). I dip each ear swab (6) into the small bowl holding the heated ear cleaner. Sometimes I squeeze out the extra ear cleaner in the swab by pressing it against the side of the bowl before setting about to clean the ears. I usually start with the large baby safe ear swabs and clean the larger area inside the ear as well as down into the ear (you won't get far, but it helps). I then use the precision tip or narrow tipped ear swabs for the narrow nooks and crannies inside the ear. And finally I use the regular ear swabs for the rest of the ears, including getting down into the ear (not too far) and that fold by the ear canal entrance. I used to use a headlamp so that I could see very clearly, but after a year and a half of doing this I feel fairly confident.
Once I'm fairly confident that the ears are clean, I soak a fresh makeup round (2) in the rinsing bowl (1) of hot water, squeeze out the excess, and wipe the ear inside and out, giving it a nice massage. The massage tends to make for a happier naked.
Then I repeat the above process for the other ear. And the other cat! Once I am finished with one of my nakeds, I discard the used ear swabs, wipe the counter down, reheat the bottles in the sink by adding more hot water to the sink, dumping the bowl of rinse water and adding more. I also set out another set of makeup rounds.
Treats at the end of every stage also help!
(7) used cotton ear swabs! Some weeks there are more, some less, and I'm never quite sure why.
(5) small bowl for holding ear cleaner [I use a soy sauce dish]
FEETS
(8) Pet D’Grease by Pure Pet for paw and claw cleaning [http://www.mcssl.com/store/purepet/shampoos/dgrease-shampoo]
(9) midsized bowl of hot water for dipping cloths into [again, I find a small stainless steel bowl retains heat quite nicely]
(10) larger bowl of hot water and cloths for rinsing paws and claws
(11) empty bowl for used cloths
(12) dry cloths for dipping into the D’Grease and hot water [https://www.aliexpress.com/item/8Pc-Soft-Baby-Infant-Newborn-Washcloth-Bath-Towel-For-Bathing-Feeding-Wipe-Cloth-Hot/32717820232.html – numerous vendors on AliExpress sell these and what I like about them is that they are reasonably thin which means I can usually press my fingernails through the cloth to assist in the cleaning process & because the quality varies, I tend to use the thicker cloths for rinsing and the thinner cloths for cleaning]
(13) metal file [Revlon Products: Makeup, Fragrances, Hair Color, Nails, Beauty Tools – I particularly like this file because it is wedged and seems to be much easier to manoeuvre around their nails]
(14) nail clipper [www.revlon.com/products/beauty-tools/pedicure/gold-series-titanium-coated-heavy-duty-nipper – I have used many clippers over the years, and these are fantastic in that they are extraordinarily sharp and very precise; the steel ones I have in the picture have been replaced by the gold series ones from Revlon which I have linked to here]
(15) baby toothbrush with extra soft bristles if needed for additional cleaning of nails or paws
I take another heated towel out of the dryer and bundle up one of my kitties. I lay them on my lap, back down, and expose one foot at a time. I start with the right rear and work counterclockwise as for some reason this seems to work the best on them and myself – I have no idea why.
I wrap the middle of a dry cloth (12) around my forefinger and index finger, holding on to the edges of the cloth with the rest of my fingers. I dip this into a small amount of the D’Grease (8), and then into the bowl of hot water (9) next to it. I use one hand to steady a foot, and then begin cleaning the bottom of the foot, the top, and by the time I work into the actual paw pad, they seem very relaxed and will splay them wide for me. I continue to dip the cloth into the hot water (9) for additional moisture and scrubbing. I then use one hand to gently expose each nail in turn and then use the D’Grease and hot water soaked cloth to really clean the nail and around the nail. Min’s nails are a breeze to clean whereas Max seems to develop this really thick waxy buildup on his that requires me to scrape along the side of the nail a bit with my thumbnail. Once clean, I discard the cloth into the used cloth bowl (11).
I then use the clippers (14) to carefully clip the tips of each nail in turn. After that, I file the tips with the file (13). And finally I grab one of the hot water soaking cloths (10), squeeze out the excess water, and wipe down the entire foot, paying extra attention to the paw pads and nails.
I tuck the clean foot underneath the towel, and bring out the next one. I use fresh cloths for each foot. I always have extra rinsing cloths in the bowl of hot water (10) because sometimes I need to use a little extra D’Grease on Max which requires extra rinsing.
(11) filling bowl of used cloths – make sure the bowl is of sufficient size to hold approximately 10 discarded cloths for each naked.
<<<continued next comment>>>