How to give kittens a bath

[MandyFl0ss]

Kittens are now 12 weeks old, they've been with us for 2 weeks. When they get close they stink a little bit. I'd like to give them a bath. How do I go about this or is it a bad idea?

[Fluffycloudland77]

I wouldn't bother, a quick rub over with a damp flannel should be enough.

Usually mum would lick them.

[Hassled]

You don't need to be giving kittens a bath and it really won't be fun for you or them. They usually know to clean themselves - did they leave their mother very early?

[SuburbanRhonda]

I'm not surprised they don't know how to clean themselves if they were taken from their mother at 10 weeks

[TroysMammy]

Most kittens leave their mothers at 8 weeks old.

[NeedACleverNN]

I had to do it for Toots after a bad bout of diarrhoea. I found the kitten sink a bit easier and a nice firm grip. Quick wash with pet friendly shampoo and into a warm towel. Prepare yourself for any scratched or psychoness.

Unfortunately surburan not everyone follows the 12 week guidelines. A lot of places still allow their kittens to leave at 6-8 weeks.

[putthehamsterbackinitscage]

You could try to get them to play in some shallow trips water ?? If they see it as fun it might not be too bad.... Otherwise look out for claws

My cats (now 4 yo) were less than 6 weeks when they came to us so didn't have the luxury of Mum teaching them to wash ....

We had a few days where they paddled in food etc and had to be washed in the sink but other than that, a damp cloth or unscented baby wipe did the trick, plus wrapping up warm and getting them dry

they actually got to quite like the hairdryer too but I wouldn't wash them as they got bigger.... They learned to wash themselves and each other gradually and we all stopped smelling of cat food after a few weeks

[MyBreadIsEggy]

One of my cats used to roll in the litter tray when he was a kitten....so had lots of baths!
Warm water, baby shampoo and firm grip by the scruff. As he got older he decided he liked water and used to jump in the bath tub while I was in the shower the furry little pervert

[Fluffycloudland77]

8 weeks isn't always a bad thing though. Their weaned at that age and pooing on their own.

[MandyFl0ss]

My kittens come from an abandoned litter of five. Someone found them in their garden when they were just born and took them to the rescue centre where I got them from. This of course suggests that the owner of the pregnant cat abandoned the litter in a random garden. The rescue centre bottle fed them and allowed them come to us at 8 weeks instead of 13 because they were better off with us than at the rescue. They are thriving. I can see them grooming themselves but they are not doing a thorough job of their rears and they smell a bit.

[NeedACleverNN]

8 weeks is ok but it's been proven in the last 4 weeks with mum, she is still teaching them behaviour they have yet to learn

[RubbishMantra]

It's probably the bum area that smells. My kitten came to me at 13 weeks, but he hadn't learned to clean his 'intimate area'. I just gave him a quick swipe with an H2O baby wipe, until he got the hang of it.

[MandyFl0ss]

Some kittens have no mum!