I have three cats now, and have had many over the years, and have never given any of them a bath. Cats groom themselves and don’t need bathing on a regular basis unless they have some skin disease, or have gotten something on them that might be poisonous. Why do you want to bathe your cat?

Take off and nuke it from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.

does he really need bathed? my cat is indoor and outdoor and keeps himself unbelievably clean. we’ve never had any need to bathe him. you should just avoid the task altogether…animals know how to keep themselves clean and cats dont tend to get muddy and gross like dogs do.

Cats hate the sound of running water. Find a bucket and fill it with comfortably warm water. Hold the kitty by the scruff of the neck and support his hind end with your other hand. Slowly lower him into the warm water, giving him time to realize that it’s actually fairly comfortable. Lift him out of the bucket, soap sparingly, and then slowly and gently dunk him a few times to rinse. Towel dry thoroughly to avoid chilling. Never get his head, ears, or eyes wet.

This techniques works with a great number of kitties, but some cats will never tolerate a bath.

@grumpyfish That’s my favorite line!

That being said, a tranquilizer dart is probably the safest option. :-)

Try this!!

http://www.wikihow.com/Bathe-a-Cat

Good luck ;-)

You bathe your cat?

Fill the sink with water (make sure it’s a comfortable temp)put a towel in there so they have something to grip and use a cup to get them wet,shampoo with a cat shampoo,then rinse with a sprayer.I talk softly to my cats and give them treats after.They are very good with baths and also with getting their nails trimmed.
If they still get too wild,take them to a groomer.

@lucillelucillelucille @alldacatsmama5 @syz Why are you bathing your cats?

I don’t even like to touch cats much less bathe them

I found this method for giving a cat a pill. It may or may not be adaptable to baths. :-)

@grumpyfish Not bad, for a human.

I saw a million people asking why you bathe the cat,but no answer!

Occasionally I have to give my cat a flea dip. I have to grab her by the scruff of the neck, which in effect paralyzes them (but not 100%, and ya better not let go!) It’s best to have two people, one to hold on, the other to scrub.

By physical force if necessary.

@stump I work in the veterinary field and am often called upon to bathe cats that have been exposed to toxins or who’s owners have dosed them with canine products rather than feline.

@stump-I love adventure!;)
They don’t get baths very often.The last time was after they went boating and got all yucky.

@lucillelucillelucille Your CATS went boating??

Very, very quickly.

I also wonder. It sounds by your post that this is a regular thing. I’ve only bathed a cat that got oil on him. There’s no need to bathe cats otherwise and why put them through it?

@alldacatsmama5 you are a cruel cruel person.

You shouldn’t need to bathe your cat at all. You are causing it enopurmous mental distress. But if it has some medical skin condition that requires regular bathing, talk to your vet about a sedative.

@syz @lucillelucillelucille Okay, those are good reasons. I just don’t think it is good for a cat’s skin to bathe them unnecessarily.