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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Giving a cat a bath?
I am not a cat person, but DH had 2 cats when I met him so I have 2 step-cats now!! Anyway, as you can see from my siggy pic they aren't small cats!! The white one pictured is 24lbs and we have a smaller black one weighing in at a slip 16lbs.
They are shedding worse than normal lately and the black one has what looks like dandruff on her coat. I want to give them a bath because I think it will help get some of that undercoat off of them but I can't do it. I know they will freak out and they are too big for me to hold down and try to bathe.
Does anyone know of a local vet or groomer who will do cats? I don't want them to have to be sedated though.
6/28/10: Lost our sweet baby Addyston at 18wk 1day to pPROM
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Re: Giving a cat a bath?
Most vet offices will do them.
You can bathe a cat at home (it's a 2 person job), just remember to not use any running water (this means have your bath and rinse water already prepared) b/c that will freak the cat out more than actually being put in standing water.
There used to be an animal care show on the WB or one of those networks, the host (who is a vet) bathed his kitties at home and had three buckets of water--wet, bathe, rinse. He started bathing his cats at a young age, so they were used to it. We used his method with our female kitty and she was more upset about the shampooing process than the water.
Rather than a bath, you're better off using an Undercoat Brush. Here's an example of one:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18687
You should be able to find them at any pet store.
Cats shouldn't need a bath unless they get into something really bad, or if they're older / having health issues that make it difficult to groom themselves.
GL!
Unfortunately I have tried about 10 different brushes and none of them are doing the job effectively. The male cat that is in my siggy loves being brushed and I do it all the time but if you could see my furniture you would think I have never brushed him in his life! Every time you pet him you get a hand full of hair...no joke! Our cats are FAT and they physically can't clean themselves like most cats do so I think this is part of the problem. I will try to call my vet today and see if they do it. Thanks ladies!!
The costs of grooming I've found for cats are kinda outrageous. Most places want to charge about $45. I bathe my cat about once or twice a year depending on his coat as well as use a furminator several times a year on his coat in between. Like pp's said, do not run the water at the same time or they will totally freak out on you.
I just bathe ours by myself but if you've never done it you'll definitely want a 2nd person to help you. Surprisingly some cats aren't all that hard to bathe, others are a nightmare. Anyway..Here's what I do:
1) Warm water in a bathtub about 3-4 inches deep (or Laundry tub would be better as it has higher sides and you can stand up).
2) Get a large container or cup to use for rinsing the cat off.
3) Put the cat in the water and have your DH or someone hold the cat down. Don't be too forceful though. Although they usually try to escape so the person holding the cat needs to be prepared for the cat to jump.
4) Use the cup/container to wet the fur, then apply your cat friendly shampoo of choice. You can use Dawn Dish soap on them. This is great for killing fleas, and this is safe to use (they use it to get oil off of penguins). Just use a small amount, it lathers well.
5) Lather the cat up, be careful not to get water around the face/ears they dont like it. If their faces are crusty from the eye boogers just use a warm damp washcloth afterwards.
6) Quickly rinse the cat off with the cup, and be sure you've gotten all of the soap off (esp on the belly, tail, and feet).
7) Grab a couple of old towels and swaddle them up and just rub them down to get them as dry as possible. I just let my cat air dry after I get most of the water off of him, blow drying a cat seems like a bad idea.
Sorry so long, and GL!
The Groom Room 6231 Montgomery Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45213 (513) 351-4776
Anderson Twp Family Pet Center (grooming place looks sketchy, but they do the job and don't charge a million dollars 6666 Clough Pike
Cincinnati, OH 45244 (513) 231-7387
Also be aware, that if the cat has a lot of "dandruff," they probably have dry skin, and bathing can make that worse, leading to more dandruff.
Some cats are perfectly OK with bathing...so maybe you'll luck out and they'll sit still for you. (one of mine does this, and she's the one I've had to bathe the most--she's scared, but she doesn't try to run)
I feel your pain, though--one of my cats (the white one, of course) is a neverending source of fur, and she leaves it everywhere.
The Fluffy Cat says... "Boxes are the best toys ever invented!"
Einstein gets a bath every few months, and we've been doing it for as long as I can remember. About 16 years, now.
We do pretty much what jenaeone does.
Baby GIRL EDD 5.21.13
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I was also going to suggest a Furminator, we have one for our dogs and it really works. They're not cheap, so see if you can borrow one or look around for a good price. One of our dogs has seborrheic dermititis (aka cradle cap)-like dandruff but a little scaly or oily. Maybe you could ask the vet if the cat has something other than normal dry skin. The same dog needs to go to the vet every month to have his nails trimmed and I have to give him a tranquilizer and we muzzle him. Not ideal, but my vets suggested this and I really trust them. I would NOT tranq an animal just b/c a groomer wanted to make their job easier, but I guess my point is that sometimes it really is necessary, but I'd only do it if the VET suggested it, nobody else. I bet that a skilled person won't have to sedate your kitties though (and IMO, the people at the vet's office are the most skilled in grooming cranky pets!)
OH, and I have a similar comb to the one posted above and it's just ok for our dogs. I like a slicker brush better and I have a shedding comb that has long and short prongs that really gets rid of that soft downy undercoat
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+5+12737&pcatid=12737
I have something to this and it's good for getting off the loose bits of fur and for cleaning the furniture!
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+5+19073&pcatid=19073