Bathing a long-haired cat

[cookaholicwife]

There has got to be a better way to do this.

We have a himalayan kitten and bathe her monthly. This morning my H tells me she has shit on her ass so we start bathing her. She went all psycho kitty on us, climbed up and down me and left me with scratches and puncture wounds all over the left side of my body. I also lost a cardigan and tank top in the process.

As H was wiping the blood my back he said 'are you sure you don't want to get her declawed?' I really don't, but there has got to be a better way to do this.

Suggestions? Tips?

[SpicedApplePie]

Buy a pair of dish gloves that go up to your elbows and hold her firmly. If one person can hold and the other can scrub, you should be ok. If you have to, you could probably scruff her at the neck and she shouldnt be able to get away like that.

Why are you giving her a full bath if she just has something on her tail/butt area? I cant imagine that is necessary, at least not in any kind of regular way. I would buy some pet-friendly wipes and use those instead. Or, fill a sink up with water, put a little soap and water on a rag, then wipe her down, then dip the rag into the sink and use that to get the soap off. A lot of times, cats are scared of the sound of running water.

I just did a quick google search because I dont have a long-haired cat, but it seems the main reason for regular bathing is to get the loose fur out to keep the fur from matting. I would buy a really good brush and brush more regularly to try to avoid the baths. It seems you cant avoid them altogether, but maybe you could go longer between them.

Do you trim her claws? My cats have definitely crawled up my arms, but didnt puncture my skin, but we trim their claws. It is very easy to do, and much easier to start as kittens, so if you arent doing that yet, have the vet show you. I would wrap your cat up in a towel (make a cat burrito) and pop one paw out at a time. Then lightly squeeze each paw to expose the claws and trim, but dont get the quick. It is super easy.

Hope something in here helps. Good luck! If she is young and is still a kitten, it should get easier with time!

[cookaholicwife]

Ironically, we do pretty much everything you said, sans gloves. It was more than wipes could handle, all over her butt, tail and down her legs. She was sitting in a tub of cat shampoo and water and we were wiping her down when she just twisted funny, got away from my grasp and decided I was her new climbing post. She's brushed daily and her claws are clips frequently too. We were going to do them tonight after work.

[effisia]

I guess we're lucky. We bathe both cats monthly and don't (usually) get mauled. Our long-haired guy is usually the stinkiest and takes the longest. FI usually holds Jazz up so just his back feet are standing in the tub and I scrub and rinse him off. We find it's easier to do if Jazz is facing the wall so he can't really see the door to the bathroom.

We also wear bathing suits. Because both of them splash. A lot.

We have started using a no-water cat shampoo, though, for in between baths. It wouldn't really help with a poo butt, but it does seem to get them clean from day to day grime. It's a foam shampoo that you rub all over them, towel them off, let it dry, then brush. And it smells minty fresh.

[cookaholicwife]

Whats the name of the no-water shampoo? I have another cat that I'm pretty sure would murder me if I tried to bathe her, but she could use a hint of minty freshness from time to time.

[Deleted]

This may not be the answer you want, but I'd be taking her to be groomed professionally. I would have just wiped her down without a full bath for today, but other than that, I'd take her to the professionals.

[msmerymac]

I also just go to the professionals. Our female persian will not stand to have her nails clipped (we adopted them at age 3, so they weren't used to it from kittenhood) and she's not really down with a lot of brushing, either. I try to furminate them when I get the chance, but every 3 months they go in for a bath, brushing, nail clipping, and "sanitary shave."