How To Wash A Stray Cat

[grayshark1956]

Okay, here goes...we have been feeding a beautiful stray cat that has been scratching itself, opened skin in several places, I tried to treat open areas. Tonight, daughter and I decide to give him a bath. So, first you get everyone out of the house with a cat allergy (oh, that would be me), then you put dogs in another room because they would like to eat the cat, then you bring the cat into your bathroom (prefill tub with soapy water), then wash and hope like crazy you don't get scratched or nipped, cats hate water. So, we gave him a bath and he purred afterwards, is now in my daughter's bedroom for the night, she thinks she found someone who will adopt him. Now, moments before his bath I was on the front porch, he ate, wanted to play, I put my hand near him while he was rolling in happiness, and he bit me. It was by accident, his way of playing. He also scratched me at the same time. I ran into the house, grabbed H202, then hand sanitizer then alcohol. I use all 3 and apply antibiotic ointment with bandage, smart move cleaning it so fast, but, I really hope I do not end up in ER again like I did with a bite from an infected rat! Had IV antibiotics for 5 days! IV didn't bother me, the thought of being infected did. Just wanted to share this lovely story, wish we could keep this particular cat, he is unusual and even talks. I hate to not see him anymore.

 

[PlecMama]

Kinda concerned that he bit you hard enough to require disinfecting - we had cats for decades and none of them ever bit and drew blood, not even by "accident", scratched yes, but my one bite came from a psycho ginger that started prowling our area. I don't think I'd leave it in with my kid.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Here are a couple of good methods on how to bathe a cat:

Following are instructions on the best way to bathe your cat:

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

4. 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: Don't get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out to grab anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

5. Flush the toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

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

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.


and the next method

Know that although the kitty cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, we recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)
Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. We recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.
Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)
Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have now begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.
Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)
Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg.
You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But at least now he smells a lot better.

Hope this at least made you smile. I personally do not have any tips on how to bathe a stray cat. I don't bathe mine as it scares the bejeezus out of me. He's evil. Sorry to hear you got bit. But I hope at least I made you smile

 

[Flute]

Haha, have read the first one before, but not the second one. Brilliant

My oldest cat has always been an absolute psycho and has bitten and drawn blood many many times over her 17 years of life. I don't know if I've just been very fortunate, but I never did anything to the bite or scratch other than run it under warm water for a few seconds. Never once had them become infected

Bathing cats is not fun >.< Our other cat is a long haired tabby, and used to be terrible at cleaning herself. I didn't know cats panted until I tried to bath her, thought I was giving her a heart attack or something and very quickly gave up!

 

[grayshark1956]

Kinda concerned that he bit you hard enough to require disinfecting - we had cats for decades and none of them ever bit and drew blood, not even by "accident", scratched yes, but my one bite came from a psycho ginger that started prowling our area. I don't think I'd leave it in with my kid.

Well, we've had cats here for years, most are too cautious to approach, this one is friendly, a japanese bobtail, he loves it here and was rolling and I reached out to pet him and he thought I wanted to play and started to sctrach and I don't think he meant to nip but he did. I disinfect even with a scratch because I am allergic and years ago was bitten by an infected rat, ended up getting IV antibiotic for 5 days because of it and that bite caused my hand and wrist to swell in less than 24 Hours. My kids are in college, and we have 2 dogs that don't mind if cat is in the house. The kids pet the cat and he loves it and loves to be carried.

The other night we gave it a bath, put frontline on him, several days later he returned with some remaining fleas. We then gave him a flea bath and found only about 5 dead fleas on him. I just found out who his owner is yesterday, Went to their house twice last night but they weren't home. Will go there again today. But, no I can't leave him in the house, my son is more allergic than I am.

 

[grayshark1956]

Haha, have read the first one before, but not the second one. Brilliant

My oldest cat has always been an absolute psycho and has bitten and drawn blood many many times over her 17 years of life. I don't know if I've just been very fortunate, but I never did anything to the bite or scratch other than run it under warm water for a few seconds. Never once had them become infected

Bathing cats is not fun >.< Our other cat is a long haired tabby, and used to be terrible at cleaning herself. I didn't know cats panted until I tried to bath her, thought I was giving her a heart attack or something and very quickly gave up!

I love cats! But could never have one because I'm allergic to them. We have 2 dogs and they are alot easier to bathe. But your story is funny about a psycho cat, maybe it is since its bitten you so often. Cats hate water, and I guess a bath just scares the daylights out of them!

Haha, have read the first one before, but not the second one. Brilliant

My oldest cat has always been an absolute psycho and has bitten and drawn blood many many times over her 17 years of life. I don't know if I've just been very fortunate, but I never did anything to the bite or scratch other than run it under warm water for a few seconds. Never once had them become infected

Bathing cats is not fun >.< Our other cat is a long haired tabby, and used to be terrible at cleaning herself. I didn't know cats panted until I tried to bath her, thought I was giving her a heart attack or something and very quickly gave up!

I love cats! But could never have one because I'm allergic to them. We have 2 dogs and they are alot easier to bathe. But your story is funny about a psycho cat, maybe it is since its bitten you so often. Cats hate water, and I guess a bath just scares the daylights out of them!

Have to fix my sentence: I meant to say your story is funny about a psycho cat, maybe because it has bitten you so often. I just got up and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

 

[grayshark1956]

Here are a couple of good methods on how to bathe a cat:

Following are instructions on the best way to bathe your cat:

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.

2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.

3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

4. 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: Don't get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out to grab anything they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.

5. Flush the toilet 3 or 4 times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.

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

7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.

8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside where he will dry himself.


and the next method

Know that although the kitty cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, we recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)
Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. We recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.
Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)
Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have now begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.
Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)
Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg.
You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But at least now he smells a lot better.

Hope this at least made you smile. I personally do not have any tips on how to bathe a stray cat. I don't bathe mine as it scares the bejeezus out of me. He's evil. Sorry to hear you got bit. But I hope at least I made you smile

Yes, your entire story made me smile and was very interesting! Next time, I will rent a scuba diving wet suit and still wear rubber gloves! Did you really wash a cat in a toilet? Our cat was not angry, cats in general don't like water. I hope my stray does not injure me for life, the rat bite I was treated for years ago would have! That one gave me an infection that caused my hand and wrist to swell up in less than 24 hours, it required IV antibiotics for 5 days! Now that was a problem and reason for concern, and so I always disinfect any cat bite because I am allergic and because we have outdoor strays that come here for food. You never know where their feet have been! But your story was very good and funny! I love the part about cat being fixed to your leg and being psychoceramic! I am used to having dogs and have lived with 1 or 2 my entire life. Worst part about having a dog is euthanizing them when you have to, but doing that is when they're old, have health problems, and especially if they are in pain or any distress. Its still difficult and my sister and I both become extremely sad/emotional for days afterwards. My solution to that? I get another dog which almost immediately (not always) takes my mind off dog I just lost. Its actually my best way to deal with pet loss. Husband is the opposite, and says "Did you have to rush out and get another dog right away? Couldn't you have waited a month?" Waited a month? You must be joking! What do I gain by waiting a month? There are dogs at the pound hours away from being put down and he wonders why I want to get one? Even though I can't save them all, I feel better at least getting one! My sister does that, she is a retired teacher, has 4 dogs then took in 2 of my mom's dogs because she had to go into assisted living. My sister is single, no kids, loves dogs like me, and has time for them. She is a member of her humane society. So, my family takes dogs seriously and our dogs are family members, always will be. I could make a post on how to housebreak a dog or puppy, I've been thru it and have a method that works because it makes alot of sense and its easiest for a new dog/puppy. Hope to start it when I have more time. I'm glad you wrote and can write back if you have any questions about my reply. Gotta get more coffee! Later

 

[phoenixgsd]

hate to say it but if your daft enough to think you can actually bath a cat you think is a stray then more fool you

 

[daz4321]

If i leave the bathroom door open when taking a bath myself my cat joins me in the bath, just sits there in the water purring unless its too deep for her then she climbs onto my leg.

 

[grayshark1956]

hate to say it but if your daft enough to think you can actually bath a cat you think is a stray then more fool you

We have washed this cat twice, second time with flea shampoo. He is on front porch right now eating and I will put him in either the garage or basement tonight, its going to be a little cold. I've spent a few weeks trying to find its owner, all neighbors have seen this cat but to make a long story short, have not found the owner, probably never will. We will care for him because he is very unique, a Japanese Bobtail, he even talks! I would prefer to keep him, hopefully it will work out! Oh, and washing him was the best thing.

 

[grayshark1956]

If i leave the bathroom door open when taking a bath myself my cat joins me in the bath, just sits there in the water purring unless its too deep for her then she climbs onto my leg.

Oh, that's neat! I had one dog that would get in our tub, she loved a bath! I never had a dog that loved a bath so much, my sister has a dog who plays with the hose in the back yard but only when it is on, he likes getting wet. I just love dogs and teaching them words, letting them sleep on the bed, and having nice dinners with meat. They get treats every night after their walk. They follow me everywhere in the house, my sister's dogs do the same thing.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Neither of those stories are actually mind, just funny stuff I found online. I have only bathed one cat in my life, and my arms burned for days because of the scratches. But it was neccessary as he was infecested with fleas and I had to get him clean. My current cat is indoor only and I treat him with frontline. He keeps himself clean. I would not dare try to bathe him. I like my eyes too much.

 

[grayshark1956]

Neither of those stories are actually mind, just funny stuff I found online. I have only bathed one cat in my life, and my arms burned for days because of the scratches. But it was neccessary as he was infecested with fleas and I had to get him clean. My current cat is indoor only and I treat him with frontline. He keeps himself clean. I would not dare try to bathe him. I like my eyes too much.

Oh, okay, I thought your story was funny and the cat we are caring for is in our finished basement now, was here overnight. I don't think we will ever find his owner, my daughter wants to give him to a college friend who has an apartment but I would rather keep him. My dogs are used to him and my son can take an allergy pill ( he is allergic but less than I am because I think my age made it easier for me). But, I love this cat, no reason why we could not keep him except for allergies. There is no reason why he can't sleep in basement, my daughter is bossy especially with me, at 23 she thinks she is making all decisions, but she forgot she is moving out a few weeks and I own this house, not her. After she moves and my son is in college real full time and my husband adjusts to the idea of a cat, I will try and find one.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

My husband and son are both allergic to cats and dogs, but its a mild allergy. I take special care in cleaning the carpets and vacuuming everyday to ensure their comfort. The problem is, my husband and son also love pets which is why we chose to overcome allergies and have them. I can tell when I have forgotten to vacuum as my husband and son are sneezy messes! But we love our dog and cat

 

[grayshark1956]

My husband and son are both allergic to cats and dogs, but its a mild allergy. I take special care in cleaning the carpets and vacuuming everyday to ensure their comfort. The problem is, my husband and son also love pets which is why we chose to overcome allergies and have them. I can tell when I have forgotten to vacuum as my husband and son are sneezy messes! But we love our dog and cat

That's what I do, too. I love this cat so much I want to keep it and I won't be able to if my daughter's friend will take it. The girl does not have a job yet, but thinks she will get one soon. I wish she had thought about getting a job sooner which tells me there is a chance she can't adopt this cat. So, I hope she can't take this cat so I can keep it. My daughter is bossy with me about this and I don't appreciate her telling me the fate of this cat, its my house. Wish me luck that the cat will stay here! If so, I'm going to have a party!