The trick to giving a cat a bath without getting shredded is to simply cater to their behavior and go with the flow.
Okay, let's revise our words of wisdom - This article will attempt to address the following obstacles when bathing a cat:
When the faucet starts running, so do cats!
If the water temperature isn’t perfect, then don’t expect cats to be perfectly fine with that.
If you feel like bath time is taking too long, then how do you think a cat feels about tolerating you taking your sweet time.
When bath time is over, you’d better roll out the red carpet for their exit from the bath tub.
But cats can bathe themselves! Why bother?
When given appropriately, bathing a cat can be beneficial for both cats and humans. Providing baths in addition to proper grooming for cats can help remove loose hair and dander, resulting in reduced shedding. Reduced shedding can then decrease the frequency of hairball formation. Baths can also help remove germs, odors, and pests from a cat’s fur.
Bath time may also be helpful when introducing a new cat into the home. Since cats may rely on their sense of smell to determine if another cat is part of their tribe, scent swapping and other methods are often used to help cats accept a new cat into the home. If I were to transition a new cat into my home, I would add “bathing the new cat with the resident cat’s shampoo” to my list of techniques in hopes of speeding the process of helping the resident cat become comfortable with the scent of the new cat (by making the new cat smell as similarly as possible to the resident cat). However, a combination of techniques are typically utilized for best results to help resident cats become accustomed to a new cat entering the home. For more information on introducing new cats into the home, you can refer to YouTube instructional videos and online articles such as those in the website links below:
Another reason for bathing your cat – Have you ever seen poopy butt? If you haven’t, you probably don’t have a fluffy, long-haired cat. As the cat mom of Smokey the Himalayan cat and Phoebe the Persian cat, I’ve seen a series of poopy-mess events that have taught me how to drop everything and quickly give a cat a bath. With each poopsie-related bath time, I became wiser and sneakier. However, it can be difficult to avoid insulting a cat’s intelligence. As a young kitten, Smokey got a case of poopy butt when his auntie was babysitting him. She placed him in the kitchen sink and turned the faucet on to give him a bath only to be reprimanded by Smokey as he pulled the faucet handle down to turn the water off. This process was repeated a few times during the poopy butt wash, so be cautious and never underestimate what a cat can do.
Near the end of this article, we will discuss tips for giving your cat a bath in the kitchen sink.
Even though Smokey seemed to accept the kitchen sink as an appropriate bath time spot, Phoebe reaches for her human when she’s in the sink. As a result, I’ve learned to take a different approach when giving a cat a bath. (You can scroll down to the Instructions section to watch.) This article will discuss Phoebe’s bath time routine and additional tips to make cat baths a little easier.
How to give a cat a bath that caters to cattitude
Prepare the area
If you plan to stand up while holding the cat in the bathtub after you have bathed the cat, the following items may be needed to reduce the chances of slipping while you and the cat are exiting the bathtub:
Rubber bath mat (for bathtub floor surface)
Non slip bath rug (to help prevent slipping on the bathroom floor when stepping out of the bathtub)
Setting up the area to ease your cat's exit from the bathtub
If standing up and stepping out of a bathtub while holding a cat doesn’t seem comfortable for you (as it can be a hazard), the following options help provide slip-resistant ways for a cat to walk out of the bathtub on their own when bath time is over. Allow your cat to practice getting out of the bathtub beforehand to ensure that the setup you choose is appropriate for your cat. Always keep the safety of you and your cat in mind and modify the options presented in this article as necessary for your situation.
Option #1. Set up a small table and pet stairs next to the bathtub
If the table that you plan to use seems too smooth and slippery for a cat, you can place a yoga mat, pet food mat, or other slip-resistant surface to reduce the risk of your cat slipping.
Option #2. Place an ottoman and non-slip bath rugs next to the bathtub
For smaller bathrooms, you may need a smaller option. An ottoman can provide an extra step to help ease your cat’s journey from the bathtub. Keeping a non-slip bath rug next to the bathtub and ottoman can help prevent your cat from slipping on slick floor surfaces.
Prepare yourself
(optional...not all cats will shred you to pieces)
Caution: Protective gear may be more of a hindrance than a convenience when working with mellow cats who don’t mind getting a bath. Also, the awkward look of protective gear on a human may be frightening to a cat, so use good judgment when deciding what is best for your situation. If you decide to use protective gear, make sure that your cat is accustomed to seeing you wear the items that you plan to use during bath time. Keep in mind that your cat may have the ability to bite through or rip off protective equipment from humans.
A protective shield can help encourage cats to dig their claws into the protective guard rather than the human who is holding the cat. If you don’t feel it’s necessary to go to this extreme option, but want some form of protection from the cat’s nails, draping a towel across yourself can be used to provide a thinner barrier.
PetFusion gloves can help but may not be effective for aggressive cats. For a stronger (but pricier) option, Bitebuster pet grooming gloves may provide a thicker barrier.
A face shield can help protect your eyes and other parts of your face from getting scratched. Since bathrooms have the potential to get humid during bath time, a face shield with anti-fog safety glasses may be a better option than a face shield that can easily fog up.
If you feel like the above options will not stop your cat from ripping you to shreds, a cat-in-the-bag carrier may be helpful in keeping your cat secure and less likely to scratch you during bath time.
Bath supplies
Wash cloths (About 3 small wash cloths and 3 hand towels may work well. If you plan to swaddle your cat after the bath, you can include a large towel.)
One large bin or bucket (to contain warm water)
Two large plastic cups (One cup will be used for diluted shampoo. The other cup will be used to collect water from the bin and rinse shampoo from cat.)
Cat shampoo (Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Fragrance Free Pet Shampoo rinses quickly and doesn't contain strong fragrances that can be offensive to some cats)
Set up bath supplies
Place wash cloths within easy reach.
Fill the large bin or bucket with warm water. If you want to check the temperature, a floating thermometer can provide a way for you to measure the temperature of the water.
Pour a small amount (a few tablespoons) of shampoo into one of the cups, add warm water to the cup, and stir the water/shampoo mixture so that you have sudsy water (similarly to using dishwashing liquid when you wash dishes by hand).
Keep both cups and the large bin of warm water within easy reach.
Instructions
When you have all supplies and cat in the bathroom and are ready to begin, close the bathroom door to prevent the cat from escaping the area.
If needed, wear protective gear. Since Phoebe is a mellow cat, I wear a t-shirt and shorts (without protective gear), but expect to get tears in those clothes as there is always a chance that even mellow cats may snag clothing while clinging to their human during bath time.
With supplies within easy reach, I sit in the bathtub and hold Phoebe, allowing her to grip my shirt for security if she prefers. You can also drape a large towel over your shirt if you want an extra layer of protection without using protective gear.
Using the empty cup, collect warm water from the bin and pour it over the cat to test their tolerance for the bath. If your cat runs away and/or seems stressed, you may need to reconsider giving them a bath and gradually help them become accustomed to the bathtub and water. If they seem comfortable with water being poured on them, proceed to the next step.
Take the cup of diluted shampoo and pour a small amount on cat and massage the sudsy water into your cat’s hair. (You may use a wash cloth to do this.) Continue pouring the diluted shampoo on cat and bathe as needed.
To rinse, use the empty cup to collect warm water from the large bin and pour water on the cat until he or she is thoroughly rinsed. (Use wash cloths as needed.)
After cat is rinsed and free of shampoo residue, begin to towel dry your cat using wash cloths and hand towels as needed.
If your cat allows, you can also use a hair dryer to complete the drying process. Since Phoebe typically ran away from the hairdryer after bath time as a kitten, I used an extension cord with the hairdryer so that I could follow her around the apartment and dry her hair. I began by drying her hair for a brief period of time, then give her a treat and let her spend a few minutes away from the dryer. I would repeat the process a few times, but if she hid from the hairdryer, I would switch to towel drying and encourage her to play with some of her favorite toys. After her hair dried a little more during playtime, I would switch back to the hair dryer for a short amount of time to get most of her hair dried. As seen in the video below, providing a comfortable location helps.
Another option: Using the kitchen sink to bathe a cat
If using the bathtub isn’t feasible for your situation, the kitchen sink may be a better fit for bathing your cat. However, use caution as cats can get their nails caught in the outer rim of the kitchen sink if they try to escape from the sink. Also, the kitchen sink is slippery, so you will need to find a way to help keep your cat's feet from slipping in the sink.
Watch the nails
A precautionary measure when using the kitchen sink is to ensure that the outer rim is securely covered so that a cat’s nails can’t get into that tiny groove in the outer edges of the sink. Weatherseal tape can be used to cover the outer edge of the kitchen sink to reduce the chances that claws will grip or get stuck in the outer rim of the sink.
Provide stability
The kitchen sink is also slippery and contains a large drain that can be frightening to cats if they are standing in the kitchen sink and lose their footing by stepping into the drain area. To overcome both of these hurdles, you can place a silicone pet food mat in the sink to keep cats from slipping and to cover the drain area.
Reward your cat for tolerating human lifestyle practices
No matter which technique you use, don’t forget to pamper your cat afterwards…after all, they’ve tolerated your shenanigans and will need to look forward to the next bath session.
If you want to try something that may help your cat become more comfortable around water by associating water with play time, click the website link below:
If you're looking for an entertaining video that shows what can happen during cat bath, check out the video in the website link below: