Q- how do u bath a cat
A- with great difficulty...

a very old english joke.....

Get yourself plenty of bandaids and perhaps have the paramedics on standby -
for yourself not the cat.  I've only bathed kittens, and I come away with
scratches.  I would not want to try one of my adults.  You can try wiping
them off with a wet cloth, and I believe some of the pet stores that have
wipes you can use on cats to bathe them.  If you are really determined to
bathe him, I've seen cat bags to put the cat in so you can bathe them -
their head is out, the rest of the cats body is in the bag.  Although I
can't see any of mine willingly getting into the bag.  :)

And no your cat won't hate you - well not forever, he may avoid you for a
day, but he'll get over it (cat treats could work).  And if it's cold where
you are, I wouldn't do it until its warmer.

I personally never bath my cats. I do however, take a warm wet cloth on
occation and wipe them down briefly, esp if they are not feeling well
and are not apt to bathe themselves.

Keep in mind that the kit for washing a cat includes everything you
would need for washing a dog ... plus a suit of plate armor.

I tried bathing a cat ... once ... a *long* time ago.

T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body)

i used to bathe my cats on a regular basis, because I had a friend who was
allergic to them.. it reduces the dander.. I also felt it was a good idea to
do so that I could do it when needed.  Ive fallen off doing it since the
friend moved out of state..

On the whole, cats don't need baths.. a little spot cleaning is usually more
than enough.. but if your cat is having issues, then it can't hurt, as long
as your using cat safe shampoo.

Have you consulted with your vet? Poor haircoat can be as a result of a lack
of grooming, a dietary problem or a medical one.

They'd get over their hatred alot sooner than you'd get over your
wounds. Have you tried brushing or combing the cat ? Most of them put up
with or even enjoy it.

If your cat has been rolling in toxic substances, a bath is necessary.

Otherwise, you're just being seriously masochistic.

Note that if a cat appears dirty too often or can't seem to take care of
him/herself, the cat's probably depressed (the equivalent of moping
around the house in the old housecoat'n'slippers for the entire weekend,
crashed on the couch eating potato chips and soda and.... you get the
picture) a trip to the vet for a "spring cleaning" might be in order.
(on 2 occasions the "senior feline" needed to be taken to the vet for
fur tangles/willnots (longhair and hates to be brushed), both times she
perked right up afterwards too).

pat

Yeah, I don't know what the big deal is.  I just gave my cat a bath.  
But my tongue is sure tired.  [rim shot]

{Old steve martin joke}

Minus

If *you* get over it once you're back from hospital they will be OK.

To be serious: I had a stinking cat once and the vet said not to bathe the
whole cat. It could give it a shock and heart failure.
Better put a little water in the bath and wash them or look for a suitable
spray in the pet shop. Dandruff is caused by something, try and eliminate
the cause.
My problem solved itself when Micky balanced on the bath while I was in it -
he slipped, fell in and has a beautiful coat since then. LOL

Carola

A great deal depends on the individual cat.
But cats only need bathing when they're unable to take care of it
themselves.
Either way, stand the cat in a sink with your hands supporting his front
legs - in the bipedal position.
If you intend to try to submerse him all at once, have a blood transfusion
unit on hand.
You HAVE to do things gently and reassure constantly or they just get too
offity.
If the water's warm enough and you gentle enough, you might just do it.
Have a big towel to dry him and leave the heating on, so he can dry off
without getting too cold.
And .... good luck to you <snigger>

It's not unusual for cats to have more dandruff during the winter months
(particularly indoor only cats) because of the lower humidity. Bathing might
not be the method of choice to deal with dandruff. I'd try combing or
brushing regularly and adding a bit of oil to kitty's food first
(particularly if kitty is eating dry food).

Most of the time cats keep themselves clean enough unless there is a health
problem or the cat is overweight and can't reach certain areas to groom
themselves. I did have one long haired cat who needed a little help maybe
once a year.

W

Once you've tried bathing a cat you will never be undecided again. About
the only safe way for you involves a full suit of chainmail armour. If the
cat has something obnoxious on it that really does need cleaning off like
say engine oil then you may get away with wiping it clean with a cloth.

However cats cordially detest water[1] and bathing an entire cat in one go
can give them heart failure through thermal shock or sheer fright. If the
cat needs cleaning that bad talk to the vet.

[1] except Bengals who actively seek out a full tub of water to sit in, and
a few odd siamese who are even more weird than normal.

    Bathing cats really is no big deal, as long as you are
prepared for it.  I show my cats, and they get a bath before every
show they go to.

Things you need:

Sink or bathtub with a sprayer hose/head.
good quality cat shampoo
claw clippers
several large towels

First clip your cats' claws -- front and back.

Run the water until it is comfortably warm.  Turn the water off.

Put the cat in the sink/bath and restrain either by scruffing or a
hand under the front legs, holding onto the cats' ribcage gently.

Turn the water back on, and wet the cat down.  Don't wet their heads
-- cat faces don't really need to be washed and it makes getting water
in their ears more likely.  Cats *hate* that.

Turn water off, and soap the cat down thoroughly.  Follow the shampoo
instructions.

Turn water back on, and rinse *very* thoroughly.

Turn water off, and wrap cat in first towel.  This towel will soak
through pretty fast (cat fur holds a lot of water), so have the second
ready to hand, and so on.   Dry the cat by squeezing the towel to the
cat's body gently -- don't rub the fur against the grain.

When you have a damp cat instead of a wet cat, let kitty go to finish
the job itself (or, if you're particularly ambitious, use a blowdryer
on the 'cool' setting to help dry).

Orchid
See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage
Want a Purebred Cat?  Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid

We bathe our purebred Persian about once a year whether he needs it or
not (usually does), and he doesn't put up a fuss...  he just smells
different so when our Himalayan cat smells him, she growls but that
only lasts for a day or two, then she's over it.  She just can't get
used to the smell.

Our vet at last checkup, told us our Himalayan had acne on it's rear
back, and that a good bath would do her good... yeah, right.  I value
having all the layers of my skin on my hands and arms intact...  I can
live with a little acne...so can she.

Dan

A properly cared for cat will remain indoors all the time. In that
situation, the cat is perfectly capable of keeping itself clean. I have
had at least one cat living with me for more years than I can remember
and I have never had to bath my cats. I also take my cats to the vet
once a year and they get a clean (pun intended) bill of health.

Isis, my long-haired Tabby, needs a bath every 4 to 6 weeks. Her hair gets
oily, she licks herself more, gets hairballs, and she develops nats.

After a few bathing and grooming episodes at my vet they told me straight
out there would be no more baths for Isis. This announcement came after they
had to call in four (4) adults to assist with m'lady's last bath. (This is
the reason I offloaded the job to the vet - I already knew what it was going
to be like).

Their original proposal was for me to pay $32.00 for sedation. However, I
talked to the vet and got a wonderful drug called acepromazine. I give
m'lady .25 mg of this stuff an hour before her trip to the vet. She goes
into a zonkeroo and now the vet girls are delighted to bathe her!

Mike in Illinois

Hi, I've found that all beings let themselves go if nobody shows them how clean
they might become. Mine responds well to a bath (I use Johnson's bedtime bath
baby soap) and is forgiving depending on efficiency of execution (Planning the
steps the day before usually) . You can have ear plugs & a boom box. Also, the
water is best predrawn and on the warmer side, as their body temp is 102. I've
also heard it said that uninitiated cats will respond badly to running water, I
would add, that hair dryers would not be well received either.
Washcloths and cups, towels and  resolve, will be near the basin, which can be
a bathtub, or 3 - 5 gallon buckets (depending on the size of your feline).
Though the humidity of the environment  plays a factor (dryer climate - makes
the cat's surface temp decrease because of unrestricted evaporation) the clean
sensation has an unbelievable ability to destract from their inconveniences
they must  suffer by your willpower to see the task through. Once behind you,
you won't have to pretend that smell isn't keeping you distant. The practical
side as well is, that cats are more apt to disguise maladies which can
sometimes have an odor component. You detect more accurately in the absence of
uncleanliness.
Moniker