Do you bath your cat?

[FloraWebb]

I never have done, but he has come home covered in dirty greasy grot which I don't think he'll be able to sort out himself.

So how do I do it? Tips please, and recommendations for shampoo perhaps?

I did once. Used puppy shampoo. Clip claws, wear something heavy and long sleeved, i wore a denim jacket. Have many towels ready, and close the doors and windows: cat fur is very absorbant and the cat will want to run, run away. Maybe if you have a pet crate or carrier for them to hide in after, that would be good.

I love Hakyult's advice.

I remember once being told to put the cat into a pillowcase with just the head out and wash them that way....well that worked a treat the pillowcase was shredded within about 10 seconds and this was a docile cat who had managed to fall into a cold chip pan full of oil and was merrily slithering across the kitchen floor.

It was a three man tag team to wash one bit at a time to get the worst of it off and leave him to sort the rest in his own good time (actually his brother cleaned him properly during the night!).

I have never attempted it since and nor would I, I value my life too much thanks. I have enough flashbacks over trying to get worming tablets into the sods I have had over the years, the day the worming pipette thingy that you could just drip on the back of the neck became available was one of the best days of my cat ownership.

The closest I've ever come to death was washing a cat. Two of us came out with scars and bites through to the bone. he got his claws into the bottom of my long sleeved t shirt and just kept climbing. My mate managed to pull him off when he got his claws in my neck and he turned round and bit her arm through to the bone.

The pillowcase brought back memories emotion. I read some 'helpful' advice about how to de-flea a cat.... get an old pillowcase, sprinkle the flea-powder inside it, put the cat (apart from the head) into the pillowcase and gently shake. My daughter helped to put the struggling cat in and I started to pat and shake the case. Clouds of flea-powder emerged through the fabric and we became so helpless with laughter that cat and pillow-case fell to the ground. Never again.

I'd like to throttle the bright spark that came up with that ideaeddie with the shredded remnants of the pillowcase. It's similar to the wrap the cat in a towel and press at the sides of his mouth and drop the tablet in advice....oh how we laughed as we were within and inch of losing our limbs to teeth and claws. Keeps the cat safely immobile, yeah righto!

The vet asked if one of our current cats would take tablet antibiotics - the look on our faces said it all. He is big (not fat) and was semi-feral, wrestling with him is like wrestling a giant octopus with knives for tentacles. The vet gave him a 14 day injection instead.

advice here!

I just squish any pills I have to give my cat into a little piece of cheese. She eats it so quick I don't think she notices there's a pill in there. Only thing that will work. Even wrapping them in ham/hiding in bits of chicken didn't work. I have never given her a bath, and unless she gets covered in something dangerous or toxic to her, I never will. She keeps herself spotless, only needs me to brush her (I use a flea comb) once a fortnight, or if she has a grotty tangle somewhere (ds has dripped ice cream on her etc). Good luck op!

I have to bath 2 of mine. Ones long haired and one is old and lazy and stinks. I do them once every 2 months ish.

I get everything prepped beforehand. And don't faff about. Just get them in, washed, out and wrapped up.

But that said, none of my cats scratch, ever, not even while being bathed.