Giving cats a bath possible
Cat bathing is the black hole of the feline continuum.
On one end is a purring creature, on the other, a flayer.
The majority of cats will lash out as soon as they read your mind, let alone see a sink or tub, and the episode goes thermonuclear when the cat hears actual water.
Nell Liquorman, a contributor to Animal Wellness magazine, gives tips in the February/March issue, and with a straight face, says the experience can be, while short of Zen, less than harrowing. She practices on her rescues, Howie, 16, and Zoe, 8.
Everyone knows cats that haven't been bathed in a decade. They seem fine. So why bother?
"Cats get dirty," she said in a phone chat from Crystal Beach, Fla. "Haven't you seen scroungy-looking cats? Even a cat in the house picks up things from the environment."
Proper bathing and brushing keeps cats healthier, she said. She advocates a strictly natural approach to cat care after inadvertently poisoning her beloved cat Thomas with a chemical-laced flea dip.
Cats groom themselves, yes, but with every lick, spread the potent Fel d1 allergen, which also goes airborne for a long while before it settles to the ground. Bathing tames the beast, said cat groomer Vania Velotta of Celebrity Pets in Akron, Ohio.
They also ingest a ton of dead hair, which can wrestle their intestines into knots. Aging, arthritic and fat cats, which is not necessarily redundant, can't reach all their places. They need help.
"What gets most people in trouble is that people are nervous about bathing the cat. Cats pick up on that," said Velotta. Liquorman warns to not "gang up" on the cat. The same calm family member should do the dirty deed, so to speak, each time.
Bathe cats on dry, not humid days, said Liquorman, so they dry quicker.
Rather than immersing the cat, put him in a sink or dish tub and use a sprayer or ladle of water to gently wet his bottom with warm water. No downpours! Let the cat put his paws on the edge of the sink to give him the illusion of control.
"Put a leash around his belly or around his neck," said Velotta, so the cat doesn't give you the slip. You can hold him by the scruff of the neck, as long as his weight is supported. Instead of pumping from a bottle and sudsing, have a little bowl of lightly sudsy water nearby, using a mild soap made especially for cats, and dip from it to save effort and time. Work quickly and talk sweetly to him.
"The best way to do it is the fastest way," said Velotta. Take it one step at a time. Brush your cat before you even think water. Most cats like to be brushed. Each session, go a little farther. The next time, introduce him to the sound of nearby water
