Cat questions

[LauraGB]

How often does your cat get a bath? How about nail trimming? I just noticed our cat's nails are really long - do I trim them just like the dog's?

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Hmmm, that depends......

 

Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?

 

We were "gifted" with a cat when we moved to Panama. After having this cat in our home for about, oh, a day or two, it was obvious that we had clearly pissed somebody off. The person who gave her to us told us that she "loved to take showers".

 

 

I STILL have scars all over my torso from where she proclaimed her feelings on showers. Let's just say she made her sentiments known in a very deep, profound and painful way. :cursing:

[Cindyg]

My cat (16 years old) has never had a bath. I can't even imagine. I trim her nails when she starts picking the carpet as she walks. I use regular human fingernail clippers. If you press the pad a little bit, the claws will extend and you can nip off the tips. My cat does not appreciate this service, but I can get it done.

[DesertDweller]

We currently have three cats, and they all hate water. No baths here!

 

They groom themselves quite well. I use a special brush, as needed. One of our cats has rabbit-like fur, so she never needs brushed. Another could use an occasional brushing. He really doesn't like it, so I seldom brush him. The third one is part Persian and needs regular brushing at certain times of the year, mostly at the end of winter when he loses his winter coat.

 

As far as their nails, I use a nail trimmer designed for cats to trim their nails as needed. It various depending on when I notice their nails getting long. I may trim them once a month or sometimes every other.

[Perry]

My cats are 5 and have never been bathed. They look fine and don't stink, so I have no plans to wash them. Occasionally I have to rinse off their rear ends, and they HATE that.

[ereks mom]

Following are instructions on the best way to bathe your cat:

 

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

 

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

 

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

 

4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Don't get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out to grab anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

 

5. Flush the toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

 

6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.

 

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

 

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.

 

Sincerely,

 

The DOG

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!! :D

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Um.. I had a calico for 17.5 years and we only bathed her when she got into "something"--KWIM? No more than 4 or 5 times in her lifetime. I think we cornered her in the shower and scruffed her neck while we washed her. NOT PLEASANT.... She was pretty fastidious about her appearance and we brushed her so that she wouldn't get furballs.

 

You can buy a nail clipper at a pet store and clipped them (not too short, or they will bleed). We trimmed her nails regularly as she was not into scratch posts which may have helped to keep them dull.

[Perry]

Following are instructions on the best way to bathe your cat:

 

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

 

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

 

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

 

4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Don't get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out to grab anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

 

5. Flush the toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

 

6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.

 

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

 

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.

 

Sincerely,

 

The DOG

:lol::lol::lol:

[LauraGB]

Following are instructions on the best way to bathe your cat:

 

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

 

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

 

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

 

4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Don't get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out to grab anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

 

5. Flush the toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

 

6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.

 

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

 

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.

 

Sincerely,

 

The DOG

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!! :D

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[LauraGB]

We've only had him bathed once and that was when we first got him (and we didn't do it!). He doesn't stink or anything, so I guess he's okay there. Its just that I noticed his nails are really long and curled - not into his paws or anything, just, well, I guess I never really noticed it before. The nails are clear-ish, but I can't see the quick to tell how short I should cut them. I think I'll just trim the a millimeter or two to dull the edges.

 

Oh, and he likes water! He likes to sit in the sink and push the faucet up so the water streams out. He hasn't figured out how to turn it off yet, though :tongue_smilie:. He's quite odd.

 

Thanks!

Edited January 6, 2010 by LauraGB
grammar

[jujsky]

Yes -- you can (and should) trim your cat's nails. Do it the same way you do for the dogs. Usually I hold the cat while DH trims the nails. Your cat might fight you quite a bit if he/she isn't used to this. We've been doing it since our cats were kittens, so while they certainly don't enjoy it, they don't fight us too much. We probably do it about once/month. When they start to hurt me when they knead on me, I know it's time!

 

As for bathing them, we've never given them baths. Our cats are all indoor cats so they don't get into much, and since we have 3 of them, they help each other get the spots they may miss themselves.

Edited January 6, 2010 by jujsky

[Audrey]

How often does your cat get a bath? How about nail trimming? I just noticed our cat's nails are really long - do I trim them just like the dog's?

 

 

I trim our cats' nails every other Sunday. I pencil it in so I don't forget. Trimming seems to keep them away from the furniture (well, that and their scratching posts).

 

It would have to be the skeeziest cat on the planet before I'd ever, EVER give a cat a bath. But then, I've never thought "getting flayed alive" sounded like a nice way to spend an afternoon.

[2cents]

I bathe them once every couple months. Our long-hair gets a lion cut every 6 mos. and I trim their nails monthly or as needed. One of our kitties likes to join us in the shower a few times a week.

[Soph the vet]

Technically, cats really don't need baths because they are good groomers. If a cat is sick they may not groom themself as well and may need some additional help, but then they should also be brought in for a check-up.

[Hedgehogs4]

Following are instructions on the best way to bathe your cat:

 

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

 

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

 

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

 

4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Don't get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out to grab anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

 

5. Flush the toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

 

6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.

 

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

 

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.

 

Sincerely,

 

The DOG

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!! :D

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

i've had a little wine to drink this evening, so it's even funnier.

 

i say, unless the cat is very, very dirty and/ or has flea dirt, don't bother bathing him / her. my new kittens had a flea bath when they first came home, but my other cats....anathema!

 

also, cats are extremely stressed by bathing and are prone to catching kitty-colds. stress + new environment = cold for a cat. leave him / her alone except for trimming the nails.

 

to do this, have someone else scruff the cat and hold him close. press on the joints of the knuckles to unsheathe the claws. trim as you would a dog's nails, being careful not to get too close to the vein. then always provide a scratching post where the cat would likely scratch.

 

we have thee cats in the house with claws, and our furniture is all intact. this is because we have catnip-scented scratching "boxes" (like you can buy at walmart or petsmart) in strategic places and a very good scratching post that my dh built. he covered a 4x4 with carpet,screwed it into a 2x4 carpet covered base, then wrapped the post with sisal rope. the cats have absolutely shredded the thing, but it has lasted 4+ years and is still going strong. and our sofa is untouched (we keep it near the sofa). if a cat seems interested in scratching something or giving undue attention to anything, we spray it with "boundary" spray that deters them. then we "redirect" them with catnip to the desired location. works like a charm.

[missmoe]

I've never trimmed our cats' nails. I think that if they have something to scratch, trimming isn't necessary.

 

As for the cat that loves water mentioned, we have a cat that also loves water. She loves the toilets, the leaky faucet outside, the tub, ect. When we want to give her something to do, we turn on the bathroom faucet to a slow drip and shut the drain. She will sit there for a good hour playing with the water.

 

Aren't cats fastinating---all different!

[AK_Mom4]

The only cat bath we ever did was the result of bad timing on the part of the cat and a dropped can of enchilada sauce. It was not fun at all.

[Hedgehogs4]

I bathe them once every couple months. Our long-hair gets a lion cut every 6 mos. and I trim their nails monthly or as needed. One of our kitties likes to join us in the shower a few times a week.

 

you don't have normal cats. :lol:

[plimsoll]

Cats do not need baths. Their nails should be trimmed periodically or on an as-needed basis. If you provide them with scratching posts (either stand-up or the cardboard type), they will use them. This often breaks off the tips of their nails naturally and you can clip their nails even less frequently. Some cats are better about having their nails trimmed than others. Fyi, I have two cats whose nails I never trim!

[Starr]

:lol::lol::lol: dc, cats and I are loving this thread.

[Parrothead]

Gilbert got bathed when he rolled off the refrigerator into a pan of oil on the stove. He is 6-years old. That was his first bath.

 

Yes, in this house the stove and fridge are side-by-side.

[Tressa]

My cat gets a bath every couple of months because he is a long hair and is very fat. He can't clean himself properly in certain regions. I bathed cats and dogs at the vet when I was in high school. It isn't fun to bathe cats, but if it is necessary can be done. I only think it is necessary if they have fleas, or are stinky.

 

If you have to bathe a cat, never, ever spray water in their face. Most cats don't needs their faces washed even if they are dirty. Scruff the neck, and only come in with the water from the behind. I usually only bathe my cat where he needs it and not his whole body. Wet cats are probably the most pathetic things ever. :tongue_smilie:

[Jeannie in NJ]

I have 7 cats and the closest I have come to bathing one was one of them had stitches put in his hind leg and had to wear a cone aroung his neck for 2 weeks and could not groom himself. I bought unscented diaper wipes and rubbed him down all over once a day. He actually did not mind it, but then he is my most gentle cat.

[blessed2fosteradopt]

I have a long-haired cat, a Maine Coon, and I never bathe him or cut his nails. He doesn't need either. He uses a scratching post for his nails. I cannot imagine trying to bathe him.