Conference misery::feline_v1

    Well I guess I'll go first then.
    
    All three of my adult cats are bathed at least twice a month.  A
    couple of reasons for this are, 1) Fleas 2) Fleas 3) They like to look
    good 4) I'm a crazed lunatic that likes spending my weekends up
    to my elbows in wet cat and flea dip.
    
    I haven't yet bathed Jou Jou (our new kitten) but have to soon as
    her first show is December 20-21st.
    
    I usually "do" the cats in a marathon session starting at around
    two in the afternoon on a saturday.  First things first, all claws
    are clipped.  Next ears are cleaned with Q-tips and the brushing
    commences.  Two of my adults are long haired.  One is a Maine Coon
    look-a-like and the other resembles a Maine Coon but has persian
    textured fur.
    
    After they are thoroughly brushed out (they LOVE this part) they
    are taken one at a time to the dreaded bathroom.  I always put a
    small drop of mineral oil into each eye to prevent the soap from
    stinging if it gets in their eyes.
    
    I wash them in the shower with the shower massage.  We have a shower
    in the tub in our house and that makes it difficult on me because
    I have to lean over the edge of the tub to wash them.  And there
    are sliding glass doors on the tub!  Typical scenario....
    I put Winston in the tub and aim stream of warm water at him, he
    runs to other side of tub, I push glass doors to opposite side of
    tub in order to get Winston, he runs to opposite side of tub, I
    push doors to opposite side of tub to get him, and so on and so
    on.
    
    We used to play that game alot.  Now I just squirt him where ever
    he may be instead of chasing him around.  I give them each a flea
    shampoo, then a beauty shampoo and then after rinsing all the soap
    out they are flea dipped with Hill's Citrus Flea Dip.  It makes
    them smell great and really helps control the fleas.
    
    Only one of my cats acts like a crybaby at bath time.  He starts
    howling when I clip his nails and doesn't stop until the blow dryer
    stops.  Then he will sit under the dining room table and pout for
    the rest of the evening.  And he is the shorthair!!  What a whinerrrrr.
    
    JoAnn

    Well, bathing cats....
    The most I've ever bathed at once was six (with help). I too use
    a shower attachment, and have a stool for the cats to stand on (so
    they don't have to stand in water.  Most of them are reasonably
    well behaved, but two, Calli and Lulu are terrors.  Lulu is the
    only one of my cats to ever bite me, and she did it twice. Calli
    just spends the entire time jumping up and out (amazing how high
    up a wet cat can get).  I generally use Ajax dishwashing detergent
    to cut the oil, then rinse, followed by a flea shampoo, then the
    various color beauty shampoos (Black out on black, Bright white
    (but it's blue!) )
    
    more later
    

    
    I went to a Dog & Cat Grooming shop to find out how much it costs
    to have a cat shampooed.  They charge $20 a cat, and since I am
    the fortunate caretaker of 7 kitty-faces, this would come to the
    exorbitant amount of $140.  I bought some flea shampoo instead.
    
    I asked the shop owner how he would suggest I go about this suicidal
    endeavor.  He suggested making a harness of some soft cord so that
    I could hold the cats in place and prevent myself from getting
    "mutilated".
    
    I have not yet attempted this, though I'm feeling pretty brave this
    week.  Maybe Saturday....
    
    Carole
    

    I think this is something everyone should do at least once in their
    life!  My only attempt at cat bathing was when my friend's kitten,
    Skyler Van Grayson, was staying at my house.  Sky, a Blue Persian, had
    been flea dusted earlier in the day and he didn't appear to be tolerating
    the flea powder very well.  Since he was only a baby, and had been
    bathed before, I decided to try it.
    
    I got out my book on kitty care, and it gave me details on how to
    bathe him.  So, armed with every towel in the house, the bath began.
    I did all the "right things", towels in the sink, warm water, gentle
    soap (Ivory Soap), gentle spray attachment.  The only thing I hadn't
    considered was this very little kitten's determination NOT to be
    bathed.
    
    When the bath was over, I was much wetter than Skyler, rather scratched
    up, but the joy came from snuggling up with a fluffy little kitten
    who smelled like Ivory Soap.  All that was missing was the baby
    powder....
                 
    Mary

    Well, here goes my thing!!
    
    I usually bathe Fire at least every week to two weeks, and the females
    get baths about once a month.  I have 5 cats and the bathing portion
    of the job takes about 1 1/2 hours.
    
    I use the kitchen sink which is a large single sink.  I have an
    attachment on the faucet that sprays both stream and shower type
    spray, this attachment also swivels.  
    
    I fill a large basin (which is in half the sink) with warm water
    and dawn dishwashing liquid.  Just like you'ld do dishes!!  Then
    I take the cat and hold both sets of paws fronts in one hand, rears
    in the other hand and sorta flip the cat upside down and thoroughly
    dunk them up to their necks in the water.  Actually funny, is that
    this is the part that most of the cats don't mind.  I use a big
    sponge (the type that holds lots of water, not the celulose kind)
    and filling the sponge with the soapy water continue until I think
    the cat is wet to the roots.  Then I rinse...add more warm water
    to the sponge and a squirt of dawn directly on it and lather the
    cat again with the dish detergent.  The sponge really works well
    to distribute the soap and not get it all in one spot on the fur.
    Rinse again...Then I use a clean sponge and do the same thing using
    pro-coat (a shampoo by Lambert_kay).  I sometimes use other shampoos
    if the coat is in bad condition or I want to be color specific or
    things like that but most often for routine baths it's the pro_coat.
    
    When they are thoroughly rinsed again I then fill a basin with vinegar
    and warm water and run this over the cat as a rinse.  Then rinse
    again thoroughly with warm clear water.  I think the vinegar leaves
    the cat nice and shiney and you don't smell it after it's rinsed
    out.  
    
    Towel Dry and then Blow Dry.
    
    I do the ear cleaning while the cat is in the sink, but claws are
    clipped before.  I use a handi-wipe to wash faces in the sink, but
    on problem faces (like whites with eye stains) I may use a little
    Brite White shampoo and a toothbrush to clean the eye corners. 
    
    
    I guess everyone has their own technique, but if you haven't tried
    the sponge trick, try it....it works great.  I learned this method
    from Sammi Martin of Marsamis Cattery.  
    
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    Since I don't bathe my pride of five regularly, I really don't have
    any techniques to share. What I do have is an experience. 
    
    One of our more helpful housemates decided to assist, or at least
    observe VERY closely, while we repainted a room in the house. Yes.
    She first stepped into the can of paint and next, in her panic,
    toppled it off the table onto herself. Yikes! She's Green!
    
    She was also quite miserable. After blotting with paper towels,
    wiping with mineral spirits, bathing in Johnson's Baby Shampoo,
    toweling dry, and being shown as much affection as one can, she
    still carried a slight greenisn tint.
    
    Did I mention, she had to be CAUGHT for cleaning?
    
    Dick
    

    
    	I had to give my cat Woofie half a bath when my husband was
    painting the house and Woofie showed up with a very handsome Navaho
    Red racing stripe down his body!  I called the vet and they recommended
    using Dawn dishwashing soap. We stuck him in the sink and washed
    the side that had the stripe.
    
    Shortly after that, we had to give Woofie's friend Chubby a quick
    bath when he decided to help Patrick paint the shutters.  The effect
    was striking- yellow paint on black fur!  I've often wondered what
    his "parents" thought he was doing when they saw him!

    			C O R R E C T I O N 
    			===================
    
    Since MY job was cleaning the messes all over the house, my wife
    got to bathe the cat. The process I described was IN ERROR !!!
    
    She actually used only one product to remove the paint - Johnson's
    Baby OIL. Since it was oil based paint, the baby oil (which is
    non-toxic) mixed with to dilute to paint. There were, as I recall,
    multiple rinsings with warm water (also non-toxic). 
    
    I'm the one who bathed in mineral spirits (but, then I don't lick
    my fur).
    
    
    Dick
    

    Footnote to my previous bathing reply #.1:
    
    I had to give Jou Jou a bath last night.  She seems to have a
    proclivity for fleas.  Maybe because she is white.
    
    Anyway,  she is four months old now and this was (obviously) her
    first bath.  She did fine while in the water and the bathing process
    itself went smoothly.  When I put her into the towel to dry her
    off a bit, she absolutely FREAKED OUT!!!!!  I didn't want to make
    this a traumatic experience for her since she will have to be bathed
    every couple of weeks.  I tried everything to reassure her, to no
    avail.  We spent about 25 minutes sitting in the bathroom staring
    at each other while I talked softly to her and she shook with fear
    (and probably cold).
    
    It was awful for both of us.  She ended up calming down a bit (ears
    only folded halfway back on her head!) and I started to blow dry
    her.  She became completely relaxed during this process!  Probably
    out of sheer exhuastion!!  Having your back arched and ears laid
    back for 25 minutes is hard work.
    
    I am really looking forward to her next bath.(HA HA)
    
    JoAnn

    	I'd be willing to bet that she reacted that way to the towel
    because she's been given medication while wrapped in a towel and
    that's the only things that a towel has been used for around her.
    
    	You might want to "break her into" the towel while she's dry.
    Play with her with a towel for short periods of time till she
    understands that towel is not equal to bad time.
    
    tlh
    (who has cats that run at the mere mention of a towel...)
    

    
    It has been by experience that there are only two ways to give a cat
    a "no fuss" bath.  
    
    Unfortunately, neigher of them works!

    Well... you missed the mark on this one.  Not only has she not been
    medicated (she is only four months and has been perfectly healthy)
    but I do not restrain my cats to give them medication.  
    
    I am one of those people who believe that the less you make of it,
    the easier it will be.  I just open their mouths, put in the pill,
    and wait for them to swallow it.  They always do.  And they get
    much praise and ear scratching for it.
    
    I think Jou Jou's problem with the towel was the natural "kitten"
    instinct of not wanting to be held against her will.  She has a
    short attention span (do this for a minute and then it is on to
    the next thing).
    
    JoAnn
    
    for a minute and then on to the next thing
    

    
    My cat loves to be dried off with a towel. It started when he came
    back in from escaping into rainy days.
    
    PC

    THIS ISN'T AN ACTUAL BATH STORY BUT RE .6 REMINDED ME OF AN EXPERIENCE
    I ONCE HAD WHEN MY CAT GOT CURIOUS.  WE HAD A SKUNK LIVING UNDER
    OUR PORCH AND NATURALLY SHELBY GOT SPRAYED.  IT WAS THE MOST DISGUSTING
    SMELL IN THE WORLD!  WE KEPT HIM OUT ALL NIGHT AND FIRST THING THE
    NEXT MORNING I BOUGHT A CAN OF TOMATO JUICE AND RUBBER GLOVES. 
    I STARTED OUT BY HOLDING HIM VERY GENTLY AND PETTING HIM WITH ONE
    HAND AND WITH THE OTHER I DUNKED IT IN THE CAN AND RUBBED IT ALL
    OVER HIM.  THIS DIDN'T LAST TOO LONG - HE GOT NERVOUS AND WAS GETTING
    READY TO MAKE HIS ESCAPE.  SO I GRABBED THE CAN OF TOMATOE JUICE
    AND POURED IT ALL OVER HIM.  HE RAN AWAY AND LICKED IT OFF.  I WAS
    A LITTLE WORRIED THAT IT WOULD BE A LOT OF ACID FOR HIM, BUT HE
    SEEMED FINE AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!  BY THE WAY MY CAT DID GET
    THE SKUNK AND WHEN WE TORE UP THE PORCH WE FOUND TEH REMAINS.  YUCK!
    
    

    I gave Jouissance her second bath this weekend for her big show
    debut.  Worked out fine.  No freaking out in the towel this time,
    she just layed there all slit eyed and let me love on her a bit.
    Seems as though she has gotten the hang of it now.
    
    JoAnn

    
     When I took my shower tonight, Residual jumped in the tub with
    me. As a matter of fact, he stayed in there and started batting water
    before I turned the shower on.
    
      I was sooo tempted to get him... but I spared him.
    
    8^)  PC

    I have 7 cats (and 4 baby kittens...), and my bathing routine sounds
    like a mixture of Cin's, and JoAnn's.  I bathe the cats in the tub
    with a shower massage type head on a hose (my normal shower head),
    and I use Dawn, and regular shampoo. I experiment with different
    kinds for different coat textures.  I try to get everyone done at
    least every other week, and the ones who are being shown, or being
    conditioned for show get bathed every week.  I have done up to 14
    cats & kittens at once! UGH!!!  Now I usually do 2 or 3 at a run.
    I do use the vinegar/water rinse, and I agree with Cin, it smells
    fresh and clean.  It's also good to use before a 'dip' rinse, as
    it tones down the dip smell afterwards.  One thing I do use that
    no one else (I think?) mentioned, is GOOP.  This is an organic
    mechanics waterless hand cleaner that is perfectly safe for shampooing
    animals and people.  It's wonderful for removing all kinds of things
    including gum, paint, and grease.  I have a couple of sort of oily
    coated cats, and this REALLY helps to fluuf out the coat without
    actually causing undo dryness.  I use it at the beginning of a bath,
    mixing it in with the 'dawn' and massaging it into a froth.  I work
    it in real well, especially around the areas that tend to get stringy
    - i.e. behind the ears, underbelly, and near the tail base.  If
    you try this - please be sure to rinse real well, and shampoo with
    the dawn, or other shampoo 2 to 3 times after rinsing the GOOP.
    The goop itself is greasy, and will make the coat look awful if
    left in.  Goop is the brand name. It comes in a white can with blue
    writing and can be found in the grocers with hand soaps, or automotive.
    It's $1.00 - $1.60 per can.  I use most of a can on the cat.  Another
    one many breeders use is D&L hand cleaner (I don't like the smell!).
    
    I rinse VERY well and blow dry with a special dryer for cats/dogs.
    Many of these are VERY expensive, but I have a plastic on that looks
    like a people dryer with a bent snout.  It has a stand to sit on
    that allows you to direct the air where it's needed. It cost about
    $35, and can be ordered through cat show vendors, or catalogs. 
    Let me know if you want more info.
    
    Good luck all you novice bathers!!!!
    Happy Holidays!
    
    Molly

    Hi Molly,
    
    Good to see you back.
    
    I also use Goop, as you said, well, actually, I use the D&L!!! 
    
    If you use it, be extremely careful not to get it in or near their
    eyes, it burns something awful!!! 
    
    Happy Holidays,
    
    Purrs
    cin...who knows about the stinging from experience!!
    

    I have been known to use a product called Grease Relief on Monroe.
    He is our cream tabby that loves to get into any kind of muck he
    can find.  Most often in the garage under the cars, in the oil.
    Yuck.  He sometimes comes out looking like a sealpoint.  He is the
    worst groomer of all of them.  We should have named him Pigpen.

    I have given Onyx three baths and that is it for me.  He was about
    six mos. old and didn't seem to mind it too much.  The second was
    a few weeks later and he was definitely not interested.  He is now
    about 10 mos. old and hates water unless he can do it himself. 
    He growls, spits, and bits, as well as scratches with the hind legs.
    I should probably put some shampoo in my plant watering can (his
    favorite toy).  Come to think of it, I should have done that for
    the xmas tree too (putting shampoo in the watering dish).  The cat
    has a mind of his own and that's it.  The vet gets the next turn.
    
    the monster's mom.

    I have bathed my kitties twice now.  They don't like it much - but
    mostly just struggle if they think I am not holding on tight enough.
    Takes two people - and one of you gets pretty wet.
    I got an extension hose, with a shower attachment and hooked it
    onto my bathroom sink.  Close door and have lots of towels.
    Now all i have to do is figure out how to get them to let me use
    the hairdryer!
    Sally
    

    Sally,
    I can offer a suggestion as to how to get them to let you use the
    dryer on them.  Just do it.
    
    To build up to that point I would suggest bringing them into the
    bathroom with you when you blow dry your own hair so that they can
    get used to the sound of the dryer.
    
    With my own cats I just decided that they would be blow dryed and
    then did it.  They have never given me any trouble because of it
    and two of them love it!!  They will actually fall asleep upside
    down on my lap while I blow dry their bellies.
    
    Try it on the low setting first and work your way up to high.  I
    always use my hand on the fur between the dryer and the cat in order
    to know how hot their skin may be getting.  The idea isn't to burn
    them but to dry them.
    Jo

    i second the idea that getting a cat to "let" you use a hairdryer
    on them is best done by simply doing it!  my aby LOVES it, and will
    come out of the woodwork any time she hears the dryer so she can
    be "dried" as well...she is a "heat-seeker", and will paw at my
    arm until she convinces me that i should aim the thing at her for
    a bit...then she just lies there and smiles...
    
    
    			georgeanne

    Unfortunately the hair dryer is only used to dry the spools that
    we roll film on just before developing.   Getting a bath is fearful
    enough for at least one of the kitties who is also afraid of high
    pitched noises.  Next time I'll be a bit more persistant with the
    dryer.  Next summer though they probably won't need any help drying!
    
    Sally

    (Hi, Sally!)
    My cats normally disappear when they hear the hair dryer - it sounds
    almost as bad as the dreaded VACUUM CLEANER to their ears!  However,
    if I do have to wash a kitty, when I get through, I wrap the unhappy
    beastie in a big towel, and then dry the towel with the hair dryer.
    The cat (both of them hate water in all forms) is usually sufficiently
    unhappy by then to just sit huddled up inside the towel, as if she
    were at the vet's, and can be dried fairly quickly.  Then the now
    clean and dry cat usually hides from me for an hour or two until
    her dignity recovers!
                    

    Sally,
    Try putting a small wad of cotton in their ears to muffle the noise
    of the dryer.  The only disadvantage is that they can't hear your
    reassuring voice.  
    
    Actually... I find it necessary to blow dry my cats coats because
    I show them (the cats) and the blow drying gives extra body to their
    coats.  I have blow dryed other peoples cats when I agented (showed
    someone else's cat for them) even tho there owners said that the
    cat wouldn't stand for it.  I usually just lock myself in the bathroom
    with the cat in question, turn on the dryer and aim it at the cat.
    If the cat runs to the corner, the dryer follows.  I have never
    had a cat freak out on me yet (knock on wood ;^).
    
    There may not be any reason for you to have to blow dry your cat.
    If it is summer time and very warm out, just towel dry them as best
    you can and let them find there favorite sunny spot on the floor
    to lay down and groom themselves.  In the winter, leave them in
    the bathroom with a heat fan on so they won't get a chill.
    Jo 

    I'm fairly luckly because Corkie likes a bath.  She gets so miserable
    from the fleas she finally realized that all that fuss makes her
    feel better.  She still isn't crazy about the blow dryer but it's
    getting better and it's strictly the noise she doesn't like.  Once
    she feels the heat she relaxes.  My vet has a method of bathing
    cats that works real well and even though it sounds somewhat weird,
    it doesn't hurt the cat.  He takes tape (the white kind that holds
    bandages in place), and wraps the front legs together and then the
    back legs together.  Believe it on not they can still stand, but
    they don't fight.  A smaller cat without the strength to stand like
    this can be laid over on its side.  The sticky side of the tape
    goes OUT so no fur gets pulled and you can quickly bathe a non-moving
    cat.  This works on the most fractious cats because they can't get
    their claws in you.  Before I learned to bathe Corkie on my own,
    when I found out about this method, I freaked.  It sounded almost
    mean, but he let me watch once and it wasn't bad at all, and "his"
    cats get a good flea bath.
    
    Pat
    

    Pat,
    
    Who's your vet?
    
    Dave

    Last year was our first year with fleas, we brought them in after
    visiting a friend with outside cats.  The girls went crazy scratching!
    We finally got flea collars and powder, and that seemed to work
    (although, Hotrail figured out real quick how to get her collar
    off by hooking it on the drawer pull in the bathroom and backing
    away from it).  This year I don't want to possible go through the
    same thing, so here is the question:
    
    	With dogs you can give them yeast in their diet to help fend
    off the fleas, can you do the same with cats?  If so, how much yeast
    should be used? Neither one really likes bathing, unless it is on
    their terms (when they want to play in the water), just like kids!
    
    Thanks in advance!
    
    Mary-Lynn and the Girls (Hotrail and Chessie)
    

    I've never heard of using yeast for fleas, but I have heard that
    garlic powder or salt added to the food will deter the fleas.  
    
    cin
    

    I have heard that yeast in the diet will prevent fleas.  This is
    an unscientific claim.  Some vets have called it an 'old wives
    tale' but people who do it claim it works.  That's all the
    'scientific' proof I would need.  Yeast is primarily some sort
    of B vitamin, and I've heard that supplementing the cat's diet
    with a B? vitamin tablet will accomplish the same result as
    yeast.
    
    Donna

re .30

Just what I need!  A cat with garlic breath!  Fortunately, Zelda, the one who 
licks my fingers all the time, HATES garlic.  She will not eat the meat from a 
soup chicken that was boiled with garlic.  Vindaloo, on the other hand will 
glady eat the chicken meat.  Fortunately, she doesn't lick.  I find the 
industrial strength flea collars my vet supplies do the trick for my cats.  
They dislike wearing them for a few weeks, but get used to them.  Once winter 
sets in, they don't need them, so it's just once a year that they have to 
readjust.

						     
							- JP

    I always had outdoor cats, so my allergies never really bothered
    me, but then I moved to an area where I was leary about letting
    out my new kitty out.  Needless to say, my allergies started to
    act up.
    
    I went to the library and got out zillions of books on new cats
    and started reading up.  I wanted to start training my new kitty
    to be even more cute than she already was and I needed to combat
    the hair.
    
    The books said to bathe the new kitty by first wetting the face,
    then they pretty much don't care what else gets wet.  After the
    face you can submerge them as long as there is a bath mat beneath
    to offer them a feeling of security.  Now my only problem was that
    I didn't have a bathtub!  Just a shower!!!!!!
    
    So, brave girl that I am, I brought Muffin in the shower with me.
    Well, I have no scars from it, but I don't suggest it to anyone
    either.
    
    We just moved to a much larger apartment (it has an attic) and one
    day Muffin ran up into the attic when we weren't looking and I was
    running frantically all over the place llooking for her.  I finally
    found her in the attic, but much to my dismay her predominately
    white fur was black!!!!
    
    Well, since I now had a tub, I decided to give her a bath because
    I didn't want her to lick herself (she looked as if she had climbed
    into a chimney).  So I added water, with her in the tub and bath
    mat in place, and proceeded to wet her face.  After her face was
    wet and the water level started to rise, I began bathing her (one
    handed since the other hand was holding her by the scruff of the
    neck).  But as the water level started to rise, so did MUFFIN!!!!!!
    I started to panic!!!!!!!!!!!  I was afraid that she had either
    had a heart attack or I was bathing a dead cat.  You see, Muffin
    started to FLOAT!!!!!!!!  Don't ask me why, I guess I was afraid
    that if something terrible HAD happened she'd only be half clean
    and half soapy, so I continued to bathe her.
    
    Well, much to my surprise and happiness, the only thing that had
    happened was that she just thoroughly enjoyed the bath and now whenever
    I take a bath she hops up on the side of the tub and swishes her
    tail in the water hoping that she's next.
    
    As for drying, I turn the heat up and only give her a bath when
    it's sunny.  Towel dry her as best as I can and let her finish in
    the sun.  She doesn't like loud noises either, but after she's dried
    herself enough, she will let me put the blow dryer on her (on low)
    for a little while.
    
    Krazy Kat Karen
    

    I am surprised that any book would recommend washing a cat's face
    during a bath.  I worked ar grooming for a while and it was an absoulte
    no-no to wash a cats head except with a dampened face towel if
    necessary. The reason os the sensitivity of cat's ears. Soap,water
    etc. can cause numerous ear infections as cats' ears do not drain
    as well as ours because the canal of the ear turns sharply inside
    whereas ours is straight. 
    To get the soap off the cat in general we always sprayed, sprayed
    sprayed as their fur holds the soap, it gets slick, they lick
    themselves after and end up ingesting the soap which can make them
    sick to their stomach.
    There are perhaps others who disagree, but I do believe that if
    you're going to wash a cat wash as far as the neck down and keep
    the soap and water away from the eyes and ears!!!!!
    Fran
    

    HI GANG,
    
    COULDN'T RESIST THESE BATHING STORIES. I HAVE A 9 MONTH OLD CREAM
    COLORED PERSIAN THAT I HAVE HAD SINCE HE WAS 3 MONTHS OLD. HIS NAME
    IS MAXWELL.  CAN YOU BELIEVE HE LOVES HIS BATHS?  WELL IT'S TRUE,
    EVERY TWO WEEKS HE GETS A LUXURIOUS BATH WITH HIS FAVORITE KITTY
    SHAMPOO AND AFTER THE BATHING IS OVER WE SETTLE DOWN IN MY BED WITH
    THE PILLOWS PROPED JUST SO AND HE PURRS THRU ABOUT AN HOUR OF BLOW
    DRYING.  HE HAS ON OCCASION JUMPED IN THE SHOWER WITH ME AND ONCE
    EVEN TOOK A QUICK DIP IN THE TOILET, WHICH WAS NOT SO CUTE.
    I AM LOOKING TO PURCHASE ANOTHER PERSIAN (FEMALE), IF ANYONE
    HERE'S OF ANY FOR SALE I WOULD APPRECIATE A CALL.  MAXWELL NEEDS
    SOMEONE HE CAN TALK TO WHILE I'M AT WORK.
    
    KARLA DTN-261-3856
    
    

    
    I have tried several times to bath my cats but I always end up worse
    off so I had given up until I heard of a 'Bran Bath' - anyone else
    ever heard of it????
    
    Apparently all you do is heat the bran through until its warm and
    stand the cat on newspaper and massage it in, then brush it out!!
    
    Sounds simple enough but I can't imagine how it works and no-one
    I know has ever tried it, so before I go putting bran over my boys
    has anyone else ever heard anything about this or tried it????
    
    
    Sharon "Minnie" Taylor
    

    I have in the past given our boys bran baths, though not recently.
    It is quite simple. You use bran flakes, i.e. baking bran, not
    something like All-Bran. Heat it in the oven until it is warm, stand
    the cat on newspaper and work it gently into their coat. LEave it
    for a few minutes (during which time the cat will run around your
    house depositing bran everywhere), then brush it out thoroughly.
    The bran absorbs excess grease, and makes the coat softer. I used
    to do this before shows, as it was less trauamatic for everyone
    than a real bath, but we now give them real baths, as, despite the
    trauam, they are MUCH more effective in cleaning the cat.
    
    SLP

    Well, I give all you breeders and show cat people out there mucho
    credit!!  My Ragdolls got their first bath Monday night and what
    an experience that was!  They fought me every step of the way. 
    At one point, I actually thought I had killed Shelby because he
    just sort of flopped over toward the end into the towel with this
    pitiful look on his face.  They looked like drowned rats.  I bathed
    them in the kitchen sink with the sprayer attachment and the whole
    thing went so fast due to their struggling to get away.  The shampoo
    could have been distributed more evenly but it was all I could do
    to hold them still.  After the bath, I scurried upstairs with them
    wrapped in a towel and blew them dry in the bathroom.  They came
    out real soft and fluffy but I would appreciate any suggestions
    on how to give a more thorough bath next time around.  They are
    only 5 months old so I think I can start getting them used to it
    now.  I was originally going to do them in the tub but was told
    not to because rinsing would be difficult with no sprayer attachment
    handy.  The shampoo I used is called Mycodex.
    
    Thanks,
    
    /Roberta
    
    
    

    Roberta what happened to this note?
    
    Jo

    Jo - it should be entered by now.  I'm writing from home and the
    system is really slow.
    

	I gave my cat Bandit a bath last night.  It was the worst 
	experience of my life!  I don't know who was more upset,
	Bandit or me, but belief me, I'll never do it again!

	I started out by filling up the tub about 4 inches, then went
	and got Bandit.  I put him in the bathtub and started getting
	him wet.  He struggled and cried like I've never heard a cat
	cry before.  I took him out and held him till he calmed down
	then started working the soap in.  I stayed away from his head
	because I knew it was going to be difficult to rinse him.
	Well, the rinsing was even worse than the wetting!  By the time
	we finally had the cat rinsed, my roommate and I were soaked,
	she had gotten bitten, and I was in tears.  I feel like I should
	be punished for cruelty to animals!  I have never seen an
	animal more terrified than Bandit!  Near the end he stopped
	struggling and just sat there pathetically making a crying noise.
	
	I spent the next hour towel drying him.  I couldn't turn on the
	hairdryer since this frightened him too.  The rest of the evening
	he spent washing himself and sleeping on a blanket I put out
	for him.  Finally I brought him down to the kitty litter and
	made him eat some food.
	
	The worst of it is that I didn't manage to kill all the fleas!
	My roommate suggested bringing him in to be flea dipped but
	I will never subject him to that again!  I was going to give
	T.K. a bath but after the experience with Bandit I couldn't.

	Is this normal for a cat to be so terrified when you bath it?
	If so, how can any of you stand to do it on a regular basis?
	
	Karen

    Karen,
    
    That's why most breeders bathe their cats regularly.  By getting them
    used to it when their young, it becomes a part of life.  When I sell
    kittens, I suggest that the new owner continue to bathe the kitten at
    least once a month so that it will stay used to it.  
    
    You may want to have bandit professionally dipped, and take care of the
    house while he's being done.  A professional knows how to handle them
    to make the bathe easier.  Also, you won't have to listen to him cry
    and feel bad for doing it to him.  He'll really feel alot better
    without the fleas.  If you didn't get his head, that's why  you didn't
    get the fleas.  
    
    Good Luck, fleas are nasty this time of year!
    cin
    

    Karen, I started Kelsey young (5 months but that's probably a bit
    too old -- most breeders do it even younger than that!) and he hated
    it and still hates to be bathed.  We do it in the sink... do you
    have a spray nozzle attached?  Bathing in the sink is easier and
    the sprayer really helps to rinse them well.  I have to start Kirby
    soon.  He's almost 4 months old and if we wait to long, he'll be
    just as difficult as Kelsey.  I put something on the bottom of the
    sink like a towel or rubber mat and have everything within arms
    reach.  I also solicit the help of my neighbor; one holds the cat,
    the other soaps and rinses.
    
    I bring the three HHPs to the vet for their baths.  Would rather
    have the pros deal with them!  Don't be afraid to take Bandit to
    the groomers for a bath and flea dip.  They are trained to handle
    even the most incorrigeable cats.
    
    I know what you mean about listening to them cry... I'm sure people
    think I am abusing Kelsey when he gets bathed... the screams just
    echo throughout the house!
    
    /Roberta
    

    We had a Siamese when I was growing up that we bathed
    about once every couple months.  Lucky was very adament
    about the fact that grooming chores were her business
    and not ours.  It took my mother, my father, me,
    one pair of heavy garden gloves and a towel just to
    clip her claws!  When we bathed her (in the basement
    sink, where the acoustics are perfect for the
    discerning Siamese ;-) it literally sounded like
    we were killing people in the basement!  We stopped
    bathing her at about the age of ten, since she wasn't
    getting any happier and we were all getting bloodier
    with each experience.  Two things Lucky didn't mind,
    though, were rinsing with warm water and drying with
    the vaccuum cleaner on exhaust.  
    
    Of course, I also had the only cat I ever knew who
    wanted to be vaccuumed twice a week along with the
    carpets! ;-)
    
    Mary-Michael

    Happy is not a "fan" of bathing either.. but we get it done!! ..Pookie
    on the other hand.. LOVES to take a bath.. she gets in all by her
    self..
    ........ SITS THERE.. PAWS CROSSED, EYES CLOSED.. AND PURRRRRRRRS...
    and if she is not satistfied with what you  have done.. she will get
    back in again.. and just stare at you!!!!.. My kids get a bath
    once a week.. and then every 6 weeks.. we go to see the groomer..
    DESIREE Maloin at L'Petique in Hudson, n.h.. she does both of them
    and as "TERRIBLE"as Happy acts for me at bathtime.. She is according
    to DESIREE.. a "little sweetie".. and very well behaved.. HMMMMM.
    cuz at my house.. Happy acts like I am trying to kill her.. she cries..
    and carries on.. one nite.. Pookie was sleeping.. and Happy and I
    were "water wrestling.. MY S/O was"quietly reading.. well happy
    disturbed her ROYAL HIGNESSE"S beauty sleep. she came in looked
    in at Happy in the tub.. very balefully I might add. and leaned over
    and hit Happy on the head. hissed.. and walked out.. the next thing
    I know.. Happy leaped out of the tub... ran down the hall. jumped on
    the chair.. where my S/O was reading and was crying her little heart
    out..
    My S/O says you"poor baby owl kitty.. what is your mean mummy doing..
    daddy will dry you off.. and we will have treats..".. HMM .. We now
    use the sink.. it is easier... and I turn the radio for her..
    and we proceed..When "DADDY" is not around..Tee-hee..
    Regards
    Kate.. 
    p.s.. Pookie likes soft music, Happy likes WAAF????????!!!!!BCN ETC..

    
    I've found that the cats pick up your mood very easily.  If you
    are upset then they'll get more upset.
      My guys don't like being bathed either, but we manage.  I have
    watched my friend, Margaret, the groomer bathe cats.  She does it
    very matter-of-factly.  She has an excellent method for getting
    the cats both wet and soaped at the same time.  Fill the sink with
    water and squirt in the "Dawn" dishwashing liquid.  The Blue dawn
    makes white, VERY white.  
      In goes the cat (hold one front leg between thumb and first finger
    of left hand and other leg between first finger and second finger
    of left hand - VERY secure grip and leaves right hand free for
    washing).  Wash cat thoroughly then drain sink.  Rinse cat very
    well - I've been told to use a vinegar and water rinse to insure
    that I've gotten all the soap.  Then dry poor kitty and give treats!
    
    I washed Tymothee when I had him and I doubt he'd ever had a bath
    before.  He didn't like it, but he managed nicely.  
       Nancy DC

    Hokay, I see that kitties need to be bathed if they play outdoors and 
    pick up fleas, but what about indoor kitties?  Do they need to be
    bathed too?  And why?
    
    Coelura is four months and Schnapps is ten weeks.  Schnapps, being a
    Persian, could occasionally use one, IMHO, as he tends to get a few
    "dingleberries" on his hiney, but he's my housemate's kittie and she
    won't hear of it.....
    
    Carol
    

    Do indoor kitties need baths?  Mine do!  When Kelsey and Kirby play
    and lick and bite each other, after awhile, the smell of cat breath
    lingers in the fur.  Sometimes I'll look at Kelsey and think that
    he doesn't need a bath then after giving him one he looks SO much
    better!  You'd be surprised what a bath can do, even for an indoor
    cat.
    
    What does IMHO stand for?
    

	My two cats are indoor kitties but SOMEHOW... they have fleas!
	I guess the fleas come in on peoples shoes and clothes and
	that one time Bandit accidently got out and was sitting in the grass 
	probably contributed to the problem.

	Rather than subject Bandit to another bath (he was TERRIFIED!),
	I am going to somehow get rid of the fleas on my own.
	
	I bought two flea collars for the cats, then flea powdered their
	bodies.  Well, all the fleas moved to the top of their heads and
	had a field day there.  And Bandit still had a number of them
	in his long hair which is why he got a bath last night.  They 
	both still have fleas but not as bad. I had been using Hartz 
	collars and flea powder.  Can anybody recommend a better brand?  
	And how do you put flea powder on a struggling cats head without 
	getting it in his eyes, mouth and nose?

	Karen

    IMHO = In my humble opinion
    
    BTW = By the way
    
    It's noters shorthand...
    
    TTFN!
    Mary
    

    Oh, sure, Mary... throw in another one to confuse me even more!!!
    
    As a secretary, that is not the type of shorthand I learned in school!
    
    Are you gonna be at the Nashua show?  It's right in your backyard
    practically!
    
    
    /Roberta
    

    TTFN - Tah tah for now??????
    
    Jo

    Bingo!
    
    Mary

    Well, Coelura just got her first bonafide bath, and not because of
    fleas!  I was getting ready to go out and took a last minute tinkle.
    Coelura was sitting on the floor right next to the toilet bowl.  As
    soon as I stood up, she took the opportunity to investigate the thing 
    I was sitting on, before I could pull up my pants, drop the lid and 
    flush.  UGH!  What a mess!  She went in head first and promptly
    launched out of the bowl.  I would have been totally disgusted,
    except that I was laughing so hard.  I pulled out my bubble bath,
    dumped some in the bathroom sink with warm water and dunked my
    already sopping wet kitten.  It was well into the rinse cycle before
    she started fighting back, not that she could fight back much.  Mama
    works fast!  Towel dried her, then introduced her to the blow dryer.
    She was shivering from fear, but I found her purr button real fast 
    by bribing her with Pounce.  Let her out of the bathroom and ZOOOOOM!!
    I guess she figured that flying through the house at top kitten speed 
    would be the best thing getting the rest of her dry.  In the meantime,
    I cleaned up the rest of the bathroom, changed my clothes, my mind and
    crawled into bed.
    
    I decided that that was enough excitement for one evening!
    
    Carol

    re: .54
      I bet she was real soft and clean when you were done!!  (And
    fluffy if you used the dryer)

Well, my four got a bath this weekend - I do it because Hannah gives the vet
a bad time - and I was thinking about why it works for some of us and others
have a hard time bathing the babies.  I have some ideas:

	1)  Bathe a cat in a sink or something small...I think the tub
	    seems too big and it may make them fear drowning more.  Also,
	    when bathing a baby at the sink, you are closer to the cat
	    ...sorta like face to face.

	2)  Accept the fact that the cat doesn't care if it gets bathed,
	    but it is better for the skin to keep it clean - you are doing
	    something to keep the animal in prime health.  You will get
	    some flak, but if you proceed with assurance, the cat will
	    probably not give you a lot of argument - once the bath is
	    a foregone conclusion - if it seems escape is possible, the
	    cat will try.

	3)  Work fast, rinse really well by pouring warm water over the
	    cat from a cup - keep water out of the eyes and nose and
	    ears.  I wash my cats' faces with washcloths, not by running
	    water over the animal - fear of drowning can lead to real
	    panic.  I keep a large pot of warm water for rinsing next
	    to the sink so I don't have to run the water while the cat
	    is in the sink.  I also dip the cat into a deep pot of warm
	    water to get it wet before soaping up - one quick dip up to
	    the chin while I hold both front and back paws - so fast they
	    are in and out before they can even yell.

	4)  Use a shampoo made for cats (the label will say it is okay)
	    and dilute it 50% with warm water...it will soap up better
	    and faster.  Groomers routinely use diluted pet shampoo on
	    dogs and cats - it works.  Flea shampoo can also be diluted
	    with enough water to make it spread faster - it also takes
	    the chill off the shampoo.

	5)  Once rinsed, the cat needs to be cuddled up in a towel and
	    dried really well.  I use a first towel to get the cat to
	    damp and then another towel to get the rest of the wettness
	    off the cat.  Don't stint on towels - I used 10 towels to
	    process 4 cats yesterday.

It is worth it - all are prancing around and preening themselves today
and they feel like satin.

    I guess the trick to bathing a cat without him putting up a big
    fight is to start when they are a kitten.  I gave Chewy his first
    bath when he was about a year old (the first 8 months, he never
    went outside so was always clean).  Now every time I give him a
    bath he screams like I am murdering him.  She hates it (Chewy is
    a she, not a he).
    
    I have had to give Zula several baths for his ringworm.  He is 4
    months old.   He just sits there and doesn't budge.  Very sad look
    in his eyes but he doesn't cry or squirm. Just sits there and waits
    until I am done.  His ringworm is just about totally gone but I
    will continue to give him a bath once a month to keep him used to
    it.  That way it should always be easy on the two of us.  It's my
    fault that Chewy is so scared of it.  If I had started when she
    was a kitten it would be a lot easy now.  (now if only I can get
    rid of my ringworm.  I have a nice big bald spot on my head now
    that I got rid of it on my arm and neck).

    
    Diamond doesn't like baths, but a white furball gets soooooo dirty
    soooooo fast! (Her favorite place to sit in our bedroom is on the
    hearth of the fireplace, and she sometimes walks inside the fireplace
    to nose around. No, we don't use the fireplace at present.)
    My wife has to take Diamond into the shower/tub enclosure and close the
    doors, or Diamond will run out! My wife gets in there with her!
    Poor Diamond looks pitiful when she's wet, since she's so fluffy
    with the long fur, she looks like a skeleton when the fur's wet!
    And she's an indoor kitty at that! I wish she wouldn't get so
    dirty so fast (my wife does too!).
    
    Fred

    How about a screen in front of the fireplace, you know,
    the kind to keep ashes from flying into the room.
    

    Well - its going to be flea baths all around this weekend - boy
    is Dundee gonna be mad!  He just had a bath for the Braintree show.
    The real challenge is going to be Jesse (OUCH!!)  I have to finish
    trimming his claws first!
      Wish me luck
    
        Nancy "sucker for a stray kitty" DC

    good luck Nancy -- and wish me the same...  Thor Thunderkitty turns out
    to have some fleas, so its bath time for him and his brudder Loki this
    weekend -- their first!  At 10 weeks, they're getting to be large
    enough to object to this big-time. 
    
    What are folks favorite flea baths?  I've had Vetkem recommended to me,
    but it's only available from a vet;  are other commercial products ok,
    or do I need to make a trip to the vet this weekend?  (Yes, I've
    already read the warnings about Hartz Blockade :-)
    
    Todd
    

Nancy,

Although I deplore the excessive use of tranquilizers on cats for things
like bathing, I'd strongly suggest you ask you vet about tranking Jesse...
he's kinda new to the group and might decide you are trying to drown him...
at which point you could get some very nasty scratches and bites..

I've got the scars to prove it 8^}

D_who_really_learned_what_feral_meant_when_she_bathed_Sam_the_1st_time

    
    
    	re: .58
    
    	Sounds like our Chloe...She gets so dirty and she's an
    	indoor only kitty.
    
    	JJ
    

    As far as flea products go, I like the Hill's Citrus Flea Shampoo,
    and Dip.  I also like Nolvasan, kills everything and leaves the
    coat nice and soft, and Goodwinol Rotenone Shampoo for the same
    reasons.  Any of these can be purchased at a cat show.  The Hill's
    products can also be found at most pet stores.
    
    Jo

    Well, all went well.  We were all tired and wet when it was all
    over but no scratches or bites!!  Flame was by far the best of
    the bunch.  He was by no means happy about it all but behaved
    like a real sweetie.
    
    The "bitch of the bath" award goes to Bumpy-tail who kept trying
    to chew on Margaret's wrists.  
    
    I learned a new trick this weekend for dealing with cats in baths.
    Since we were concerned about Jesse's reaction (and he surprized
    us again) we decided to tape his paws.  This is something Margaret
    learned in her groomer's training.  You take surgical, waterproof,
    tape and wrap it around the cats paws (we only did the front.  This
    will (hopefully) prevent the cat from extending its claws.  Some
    cats have been know to go right through the tape.  If you have
    an "elizabethan collar" you can put that on the cat to prevent
    biting.
    
      Along with the baths we sprayed all the rugs with the vetkem
    flea spray, let it sit, vacumned and sprayed again.  We also
    sprayed all the catbeds and chairs.  The infestation was very
    light to begin with. Hopefully this will have taken care of it.
      N

    OH - and Jesse was a real trouper.  He growled and complained through
    it all - but then again, he growls and complains about everything
    except food!
      N