To bath the cat! Has been staying at a smokers house

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

He absolutely stinks! He's been looked after at a smokers house.

I'm considering:
Chucking lavender oil on back of his neck
Throwing something innocuous on him to make him wash himself: flour?

Bathing or showering probably a wash too far!
Ideas?

I washed a cat once because it had climbed up the chimney and was covered in soot. So was my lounge when it came down. I put some water in the bottom of a deep pedal bin so that it couldn't get out.

Aw Joffrey, bless you for giving him some comfort in his last few weeks

I am giggling to myself that op thinks wipes will instigate fighty playtime whilst ignoring the fact a bath may well be a declaration of all out war

You could give it a go but I'd be tempted to try spritzing him with a water/bicarbonate solution and seeing if that helps. It will fade pretty quickly though.

Don't use essential oil on him though, I don't think it's good for them if they ingest it and I'm sure lavender is one of the plants suggested to deter cats from your garden.

Just frebreeze him.

I guess it depends on his nature? I bathed one of my kittens as they had pooed themselves while cowering from next doors dog. She was ok, but still tried to scramble out, and it took 2 of us.

I wouldn't even try it with one of my older girls as she would take your arm off

Bicarbonate spritz sounds like the thing.

Actually he is the product of a kittenhood being dragged around by three small boys - so he pretty much lets you do anything with him. I think he might actually enjoy a bath in the right circumstances. He's kind of dusty and gritty too. This is the sort of cat that lets you dress it up or put it in a cardboard box and carry it around. I suspect it's only possible to have an animal this tolerant if you immerse it in child mayhem from birth

kingjoffrey that picture is brilliant!! He looks like a cool cat :)

If he licks off the bicarbonate, couldn't that make him poorly?

Re. flour - I have a hilarious video of ddog1 in the garden - she'd nicked a bag of flour off the worktop and eaten some of it - and flour+dog slobber=glue, so she was trying to get rid of a mouthful of glue!

I had to bathe my Thai Blue Point after he knocked a bottle of white spirit onto himself (they are talented) and it wasn't pretty, although he didn't fight much as he had tasted some of the white spirit. I have bathed rescue cats though which have fought - you need another person, and a hand towel to wrap around the end you're not washing. Both ends will fight you. Change ends and wrap new end in towel. It's crucial to immobilise the back legs (kindly) and I think most of the ciggy smell will come off easily enough, you should be able to live with it while it fades at least.

KingJoffrey - what a beautiful cat! I adore a ginger tom, and he was a cracker.

Talcum powder is fine. Pouf it onto your hands first then rub into cat. regularly used by many cat and dog groomers till better products came onto the market pet specific.

KingJoffrey thank you! That has made my day, both the awesome ginger cat in the bath and knowing he was cared for in his last few weeks.

Had to shower mine once as she came in all covered in some sort of oil. Got in shower cubicle with her and turned shower on- massive mistake. She climbed up me and clawed me to pieces.

All worked out in the end though once she realised it was just like rain.

How To Bathe a Cat.

Thoroughly clean the toilet. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape).

CAUTION!!!!!

Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for any purchase they can find.

Flush the toilet three or four times.

Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.

Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself.

Sincerely,

The DOG

The only time I had to do it (gloss paint on cat's coat) I used the kitchen sink ... much more controllable as it's nearer your own natural height

Close all doors and windows and make sure house is warm. Run 2 or 3 inches of warm water into sink, insert cat and use a cup to pour it gently over her (saves the shock of using big squirty things) Pour a little shampoo along back and lather up. Rinse off using cup, the same way as you wet the fur in the first place, then wrap large towel around cat - it won't dry completely, but cat will run off into a safe warm place and groom / dry out by itself

It worked for me, anyway - and mine's a vicious, rancorous little shit

Washing himself!
Not that I wasn't tempted to put water in the bucket he's sitting in

Mine quite likes having a shower every now and then. I get in the shower cubicle with him and shampoo him and rinse him off.

You need plenty of TCP and Elastoplast - for your arms afterwards

Talc and flour are ridiculous and potentially cruel suggestions. Don't put crap like that on your cat.

If you really have to - bath it. However, I suggest you just get over it for a day or two - it will soon pass.

Rub him over with a clean damp towel? Have done this before and was enough without all the dunking and blood loss.

And oh...good luck!

My cat had fleas. My vet told me it would be fine to bath him. The ungrateful moggy didn't tear me from limb to limb but he did piss on my lap afterwards. The vet spoke with forked tongue.

I was about to suggest clean damp towel too! No need for full on bath unless they're actually dirty.

Like my poor little sausage- covered in anti-climb paint from the twatty neighbour's garden!

Awww cataline

I felt so sorry for her that I ended up just getting in the shower with her- fully clothed. She's usually the scratchiest, bitiest, fightiest cat in the world but she just let me wash her until all the paint was gone. DH had to practically hold me back from going round to the neighbour's house!

Ah the poor poppet