What a sweet cat! Fingers crossed for a peaceful vet trip.he’s pretty settled in he sleeps with me in bed and has too be touching me at all times when we sleep. As I’m typing this he’s curled in my arm grooming himself. We do 10 min play sessions. Then he follows me around my apartment while I do chores. So far he’s attached to my ankle today when I went to the bathroom he sat across from me in his litter box and used it. He has a check up at the vet on Monday so I guess I’ll out then how much he really trusts me
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Bathing
- Thread starter MysticPisces
- Start Date
We've had Casper for almost four years.
The only bath we ever gave him is when he came home from the vet after being treated for megacolon. His hind end was all covered in poop after getting several enemas.
I gave him a bath when he came home so that he wouldn't spread it all over the house. Even then, I only washed his hind end with Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap. His front end stayed mostly dry.
Casper cried the whole time and, after I dried him off, he ran away and hid under the bed.
Even though he didn't like taking a bath, I know that he appreciated having a clean bum, afterward.
Besides that, the only time I have ever given any cat a bath was to get rid of fleas.
The only bath we ever gave him is when he came home from the vet after being treated for megacolon. His hind end was all covered in poop after getting several enemas.
I gave him a bath when he came home so that he wouldn't spread it all over the house. Even then, I only washed his hind end with Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap. His front end stayed mostly dry.
Casper cried the whole time and, after I dried him off, he ran away and hid under the bed.
Even though he didn't like taking a bath, I know that he appreciated having a clean bum, afterward.
Besides that, the only time I have ever given any cat a bath was to get rid of fleas.
In general, cats that are short haired will not need to be bathed unless they get something in their fur that is clearly toxic or may be difficult to remove by other means. If you feel you'd like to freshen up a cat, perhaps you notice some left over poo for instance, there are cat safe wipes available which you can use. They are great for removing dust and dander too but should not be used near eyes, mouth or ear areas.
Long hair cats can benefit from a bath at times - unfortunately they are occasionally prone to having poo cling to their britches and if you don't notice it in time, it can crust over and it's difficult to remove once that happens. Some long hair breeds need to be bathed as part of their general grooming routine; Persians and Maine Coons for instance due to the type of coats they have.
We've had to bath both our short and long haired cats a couple of times because of soiling incidences. Both behaved quite well considering we had no idea if they had ever been in a bath before. They even tolerated being blown out. We now have a Maine Coon kitten who we not yet bathed as her fur isn't long enough to worry about needing it; we've been using the wipes for her so far but eventually we'll begin a routine (we're waiting until after she's spayed this week and recovered from that).
If you decide to bath your kitten be sure to look up how to do it properly so that you minimize the stress for both of you. Making it a calm, relaxing routine is very important. Have everything on hand before you start and if he seems too stressed, it's ok to quickly rinse and dry him off and let him go.
Last, no regular soap. Either get some made specifically for cats or you can use something mild like baby shampoo or Dawn. I used the baby shampoo previously with good results (don't use too much) although for our new kitten I'll be purchasing a dedicated cat shampoo.
Long hair cats can benefit from a bath at times - unfortunately they are occasionally prone to having poo cling to their britches and if you don't notice it in time, it can crust over and it's difficult to remove once that happens. Some long hair breeds need to be bathed as part of their general grooming routine; Persians and Maine Coons for instance due to the type of coats they have.
We've had to bath both our short and long haired cats a couple of times because of soiling incidences. Both behaved quite well considering we had no idea if they had ever been in a bath before. They even tolerated being blown out. We now have a Maine Coon kitten who we not yet bathed as her fur isn't long enough to worry about needing it; we've been using the wipes for her so far but eventually we'll begin a routine (we're waiting until after she's spayed this week and recovered from that).
If you decide to bath your kitten be sure to look up how to do it properly so that you minimize the stress for both of you. Making it a calm, relaxing routine is very important. Have everything on hand before you start and if he seems too stressed, it's ok to quickly rinse and dry him off and let him go.
Last, no regular soap. Either get some made specifically for cats or you can use something mild like baby shampoo or Dawn. I used the baby shampoo previously with good results (don't use too much) although for our new kitten I'll be purchasing a dedicated cat shampoo.
My boy is 2 I've never given him a bath. I did wash his brother when he had a bad case of diarrhoea because he had long fur it was not pretty 
I use Oatmeal shampoo on my Theo. Found at Petco.
I washed my cat Maggie because her first vet visit,3 months old,she pooped in the carrier. A cat I rescued, Coco's brother at 5 weeks old, was crawling on me while I was using the toilet and one of his legs fell in so he got bathe. Otherwise they never get bathed.
Only bathe them if they are dirty or have fleas. I honestly think that bathing him will impact your relationship with him and impact his trust in you. Cats are not like dogs, they don't need regular baths
Theo is due for a bath again. He can't go without one due to his long, fluffy fur. He purrs while I lather him up in the sink. He has gotten baths since he was about 3 weeks old so he is very used to it. The oatmeal shampoo is soothing too.
On another note, Theodore has always fought with me when I try combing his belly and back legs. I have had him for one year now and he has gradually gotten better to where he, this morning, didn't nail me at all. He has been getting better about it over time. If he ever has a messy butt, he gives me no problems at all. He knows I am helping him.
It takes time but, he is developing into such a joy to care for. He trusts me.
On another note, Theodore has always fought with me when I try combing his belly and back legs. I have had him for one year now and he has gradually gotten better to where he, this morning, didn't nail me at all. He has been getting better about it over time. If he ever has a messy butt, he gives me no problems at all. He knows I am helping him.
It takes time but, he is developing into such a joy to care for. He trusts me.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #29
I doubt it impacts trust. I’ve bathed my first cat much to his dismay he never trusted me any less he’d be grumpy and off to himself after the bath but once he was dry and fluffy again he’d back in my lap or in my face like nothing ever happened. I’ve given Orion a couple wipe downs in the sink with a wet rag and while I was showering he fell in the tub and got wet and while it terrified him he never once left me or hid or acted any differently with me. He’s the definition of clingy and I’d know instantly if something was wrong. He still demands to be everywhere I am and the shower incident hasn’t stopped him from jumping on to the tub and sitting in between the curtains waiting for me to finish.
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When necessary I use baby shampoo. Cats can sometimes become a real mess of they go outside. 
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Save the bath for when they get poo or food on themselves. Because that’s gonna happen a lot.
Unless you fancy getting what my cat gives me for the next two days after a bath, skunk eye
Unless you fancy getting what my cat gives me for the next two days after a bath, skunk eye
Well, I just gave Theodore a bath and he is SO frisky now! He is racing around and when he comes towards me he does the sideways run with back arched and tail up. LOL He most definitely feels good after his bath. He is so used to being bathed that he is no problem at all. He stands in the sink for me while I lather and rinse him. He snuggles up tight against me when I blow dry him. He has been getting bathed since he was 3 weeks old and the breeder bathed him every 2-4 weeks. I let him go about 6 weeks. When he starts to get matts, it's time for a bath. The comb glides right thru his coat after he is bathed and blown dry.
