Luna's Very First Bath ~ Any Tips & Recommendations Please!!

LilyRae

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So, Luna decided the toilet looked like a great little paddling pool!
:dancingblackcat:

My lovely little Luna, like any 6 month year old loves to get into mischief... His latest "brilliant" idea has left him smelling a little... Well off!
I also recently adopted him from a shelter and he came home with that smell (if anyone knows what I mean) and it just hasn't left him!




I would like this experience to be as easy and as non traumatic as possible... for myself just as much as Luna! He is a feisty little thing, with needle like claws and serious ninja skills! Do any of you kind people have any tips to avoid him slipping out of my grip, shredding me to pieces? I would like to keep both of my eyeballs intact, I expect some clawing of course though theres a limit!

He is very small for his age and I understand the importance of keeping him warm when bath time is done, though it has been a long while since i've had to bathe a kitten/cat and would really appreciate some opinions from those more experienced than I ~ Thank you all in advance and i'll keep you updated with how it all goes!
 

duckpond

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Good luck! i have none that like baths, some are worse than others, i dont do it often :)

main thing i found that works for me is run the bath water before you take them in the bathroom, the sound of running water drives mine crazy. plop them in, soap them up and i rinse with a big plastic cup. mine cannot stand running water, so i just make sure the water is deep enough, and i use as little cat shampoo as possible, then rinse with the big cup. If you have a helper to hold the cat while you wash, it helps.

I have some big, thin, soft micro fiber towels, i use them for my hair, but they work great too dry a cat. Mine will not deal with the blow dryer. so i use one towel to soak up the water right as i get them out, then a dry towel to swaddle them in and dry some more. Then they run, and then i brush them. :) i have no big tips, just dive in, do it as quick as possible, and keep your sense of humor :bliss:
 

ArchyCat

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Or a rubber bath mat for the tub floor. Good luck. The few times I've had to bath cats I've used Johnson & Johnson unsented baby shampoo. You might try some form of leather work gloves to protect your hands and wrists from claws and teeth. Good luck!
 
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LilyRae

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:purr:
Thank you all for the helpful tips and advice, wish me luck!! I believe i'm the one who is nervous as I really hate to frighten little Luna - she has had such a horrific start to life.
But it must be done, I can't live with a toilet scented cat any longer!!
She is already in position so I think she agrees!:

Also, A ArchyCat I am using Rufus & Coco 2in1 Oatmeal Wash - as it's soap free and natural, contains aloe vera and oatmeal extract and all that good stuff, leather gloves are exactly what I need though I will have to make do with (thick) pink dishwashing gloves!!
:bigeyes:
Anyway, I must be off!! I shall tell you all how it goes with my little maniac, and I so appreciate all the advice on such a mundane type question! So Thank you all again xx
 

JamesCalifornia

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~ HA ! I have about 20 Lunas ...
We have always used baby shampoo with conditioner . Rinse well with warm water and if possible a hair dryer as you brush .
Don't forget to feed a special treat afterwards ! ` :winkcat:
 
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LilyRae

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LilyRae LilyRae - Please be certain that Luna is rinsed completely. Saponins - the active natural steroid found in aloe vera, soapwort, Quillaja bark and cetera, which, by foaming action, is intended to, "replace soap," - will be varyingly toxic to cats:

Aloe
.
Thank you so much for this information - I knew about aloe vera plants being toxic and to not keep them around, but my mind obviously blanked when buying this... It says it is also for cats and the main reason I got it was because it is gentle and soap free (I can't handle soap based products myself so prefer to avoid them in general).


I will use a very small amount and make sure he is completely rinsed out. I think i'll be getting a new product for next time! Obviously i've been putting the bath off today, though it will be happening tonight as it has now been discovered that not only does Luna enjoy swimming in toilets, he also has a tail coated in dried poop!
:dancingblackcat:
I shall report back soon enough and will hopefully be showing off a (pleasant smelling) shiny, clean Luna! Thanks again to you all - there has been some great advice and in the future I like the idea of using Baby shampoo&conditioner.
xxx
 

ArchyCat

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So, updates, please! Is Luna now clean and order free? Did LilyRae survive unscathed? If not how scathed was she?
 

1CatOverTheLine

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That last post from LilyRae was Sunday evening...maybe they'll release her from the hospital soon?

:wink:
So, updates, please! Is Luna now clean and order free? Did LilyRae survive unscathed? If not how scathed was she?
LAL LAL and A ArchyCat - LilyRae LilyRae 's profile indicates that she's in Sydney, and the Daily Telegraph there ran an article about 36 hours ago on the desperate need for blood donors:

We’re for Sydney | Daily Telegraph

Hopefully she didn't break the (blood) bank.

;)
.
 
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susanm9006

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If you have an shower with a door, you can wash your cat with minimal stress to either of you. You just need as sponge, a couple of buckets of warm water and some pet shampoo. Something about being in an enclosed space with no place to run and not being held down helps keep the cat calm while you use the sponge to wet her down and to rinse her after shampooing. No pouring water, just use the sponge to squeeze water over the cat.

I have used this on my cat and a couple of fosters who came in stinky condition and never a fuss with any of them.
 
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LilyRae

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Well, I can finally change my bedsheets & I have a lovely kitten who smells fresh!

Bath time was a few days delayed as my other two decided to have their own personal drama. One sick kitty & one grumpy lady who think she can revert back to a stray with benefits! (Will probably be asking about that second one on this site as it's driving me crazy at this point)

Luna was quite good. He loved the water - which surprised me at first, though he does play in his water bowls and the sink! What he
didn't like was when I put on the shampoo and then had to rinse it off. Actually he didn't when I touched him in the water at all!
...Thats when things got distressing, mainly myself not satans minion!

After I had finished I let him just decide and get out in his own time as he had a great aim for my general eye area. I dried him off and reluctantly gave him a treat for being a "good boy".

I'm in the market for a good spray or dry shampoo for those smelly days. Any recommendations? And here is the not so toilet scented Luna!!

Thanks everyone so much for your helpful advice and ideas
Xxx
 
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