I noticed my cat kinda smells bad, and all the carpets smell like bad cat, and whenever the vacuum cleaner runs it blasts out hot bad cat smell. I thought maybe it's time to wash the cat. The smell isn't as bad as the cat releasing its anal glands, but it's kind of a subtle wet dog smell that he has. I don't have a bathtub so thinking of washing him in the shower but I think it might be hard.
Anyway, does anyone here not wash their cats?
Our cat goes in mud, gets cobless pegs in it and is extremely fluffy.
Also we are in a high tick area.
We wash ours in these circumstances.
I have a long hair cat that gets oily/funky every 3-6 months despite daily grooming. I use a gentle pet shampoo and just take him in the shower as my boy didn't tolerate being in the laundry tub. Do a good brushing the day of or day before. Make sure to have everything ready before hand (have some treats too). My boy is happy for me to hold him under the shower head but if that's scary you can use a bucket and a cup to gently scoop water over cat. Warm water, not hot. Don't get their face or ears wet. Be efficient - an extra set of hands can be helpful. Keep the room warm. Having a microfibre towel dries them faster. You can use a hair dryer on low speed/low heat if they tolerate it (hold about 30cm away). When halfway dry gently brush to help fluff the fur and help dry time (also reduces fur they lick and the hairball that comes later). I have bathed all my cats in the past if they needed it and only had one cat that was a terror. Some good YouTube videos from groomers out there. Good luck!
Same here - the long hair near the ass gets feces in it and then cat stinks like poo until you wash the hair.
I keep the fur up his backside trimmed. Cheap electric razor with a guard on does the trick
Smelly cat = sick cat.
We had a cat that had quite a bad wound, wasn't obvious at all initially but once it had ripped off all the hair around it, it smelled quite badly. If it's rotten smelling, definitely see a vet - they can hide quite bad injuries.
Cats clean themselves with their tongue. Gross. No wonder so many people are allergic to them.
Thank you for the insight on how cats clean themselves, science will be sure to award you for this great observation.
I remember working at a vet clinic for work experience. Some dogs and cats stayed for a few days for observation. I had to wash them and give them a flea drench. Dogs were easy to wash. I tried a cat, that was easy enough. Tried to save time and do two at once. Big mistake. Really hard to control them.
I love the logic of "hmmm, washing 1 cat is really hard. I know, if I wash two at once then it'll save a lot of time!"
Some ideas I've just got to try! Live and learn.
I used to show cats, which meant frequent bathing. The best advice I can offer is this - clip all claws first.
We have had 2 foster cats for around 3 months and they used to smell bad but once we started feeding them cat food made from raw meat, they started to smell less. Our actual pet cat has been eating the raw meat cat food for a lot longer and his fur smells a lot nicer. The raw meat cat food is a slightly more expensive but their poo smells a lot less and their fur looks a lot better, which the vets told us is a sign of healthy diet.
Ladies, do you wash your cats?
Maybe it's dead! :-)
I've been able to wash a young cat under 12 months in the sink, if the water is very warm they don't get stressed (cats are 1 degree warmer than us). This was a cat that wasn't very cat-like though (never landed on her feet, couldn't get the hang of grooming herself).
I read this as "do you wash your car" read the post, was confused, voted anyway, i do wash my car. Then it struck me haha
We bathe our cat once a season and lovingly call it "washing the (profanity)". Feline isn't a fan of it to start with but gets used to it quickly.
If you've got a long-haired cat, you'll realise how tiny and skinny they really are while bathing.
Wipe your cat daily with a wet microfibre cloth to get rid of hair and dander as well as smell
I have washed my cats throughout the years and find that if you introduce them to washing when they are very young they are OK with it as they get older. They give you a look as if they would much rather be doing something else and can't wait for the bath to finish but they endure it. I haven't tried on an already adult cat that hasn't had the initiation to bathing when they were a kitten though
so is "cat" a code word for something else? take a shower perhaps
Washing your cat will depend on its hair. Is it long hair or short hair?
I really suggest getting something like a Furminator to remove a lot of excess hair and that will give the cat more time to clean itself in areas that might smell.
Could also get a second cat to clean the first cat on top of that.
I've had to wash cats before (elderly cats that could no longer wash themselves and had matted and unkempt fur, cats that got into things in the environment that were issues, cats that had ringworm and needed treatment).
Some tips (my method):
- wear clothes (protective, jumpsuits or work clothes are best) yourself and wash them afterwards. They/you will get sopping.
- prep the stuff quietly before you find the cat then close yourself and cat in bathroom.
- get a spray bottle and put an animal safe (get a specific one for cats - they are really sensitive to many things and lick themselves so ingest at least traces!) shampoo in it with some warm water, slowly squeeze trigger with tip against cat's fur to apply (not fast) and then work in gently with small flannel or (clean and of known provenance!) cloth.
- don't get water or detergent in cat's ears or eyes.
- rinse cat off with warm water in a tub or bucket and gently poured from a little cup (not from any height, straight against fur).
- hold the cat in your arms and talk to them through the whole experience. Apologise gently but keep despair etc out of voice. It's a regular thing just one you understand it won't like. Sorry kitty, but it's ok, nice warm water, will be over soon, did you see the [local sporting team] game [sports person] was in great form!
- make sure the cat is very well rinsed off after. Detergents are not good for them and they will lick what part of themselves they can.
- dry cat off with two towels (one for most of water, the second for rest of water once first is sopping wet).
- Dine brand creamy treats after. The prawn is my cat's favourite.
Good luck to you and your kitty(s)!
If possible it is also a good idea to clip their claws before bathing them, you can do this a day or two before so they aren't worked up prior to bath time.
HOW TO WASH THE CAT
Thoroughly clean the toilet.
Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water and have both
lids up.
Find the cat and soothe him while you carry him toward the bathroom.
In one smooth movement put the cat in the toilet and close both lids.
The cat will self-agitate to make ample suds. (You may need to stand on
the lid so that he cannot escape.) Never mind the noises that come from
your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his
paws will be reaching out for anything they can find.
Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "Power Wash" and
Rinse", which I have found to be quite effective.
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
Poll is
Q Not wash your cat?
A: No
So if you vote no you do wash your cat
Results so far are the overwhelming majority wash their cat
Gotta love it when the title and the description ask opposite questions
My cat doesn’t have a nose. How does it smell? Terrible!
"cats no like water".
I thought this was common knowledge I have know every since I was told by someone as a kid.
For example if you need to teach your cat not to do something like jump up on the table, you fill up one of those spray bottles with water and you spray them every time they do it they absolutely hate it so they will stop.
When my cat jumps on my desk I make a PSHHH noise until it jumps down.
You pee on your cat!?
Only once a year for rego.
I thought the OP’s posed question was a euphemism and was going to offer some helpful suggestions on point, then I saw the thread comments are about actual cats…
Thought this was for cars, need a new thread for that
"Grab 'em by the cat!"
I found that the gentle cycle in the washing machine does the trick.
All I know is some pusssy smell better than the others
You must be fun at party.
I shower my 2 cats every 4-5 months. They dont smell but their fur became less silky over time (dont know the word sorry haha). We feed them Hill's dry food. A bit hard to get them to shower but it is manageable. Hardest part would be blow dry. Take a good 2-3 hrs in total to blow dry 2 cats (ragdoll and british short hair).
I used to wash mine.
They hated the water… so I had to put on super thick clothes (like a ski jacket) and carry the cat into the shower with me (nice warm water). It was so funny.
I swear by the time when I wet their head, they'd had given up… water would get into their mouth and in defeated cartoon style, they'd spit it out.
Yes, but he's a Sphynx and needs bathing. ;)
Please no.
Yes. Probably about once a month. He's pretty strong though and screams throughout. I usually get my arms clawed to some degree even though I clip his claws.
Yeah we used to wash ours every now and then. Esp in summer and when fleas were about. I used fidos: https://www.petzoo.com.au/fidos-pyrethrin-shampoo-250ml/
He'd complain etc but after he get initially wet they for whatever reason start walking funny and slowed down. We had a yard that turned to sand in the drought, he was white, and was a magnet for fleas. If we didn't keep on top of it we had to go to the vet and he got a steroid shot to stop scratching and biting the area.
Cats bad. cats cant be trusted, get a dog.
No but my cat washes me whether I like it or not.
That's unhygienic
Try feeding it churu while you shower it.
I do not wash my cat
I have a pure bred seal point Ragdoll and I swear she actually smells nice.
She doesn't smell neutral she literally smells like she's got the smallest amount of perfume or something on I've never been able to understand it either
title
Do You Wash Your Cat?
poll
Anyway, does anyone here not wash their cats?
I was doing free house sitting but had to manage a cat.
Every night that stupid creature kept waking me up around 3 am wanting to come in.
So since I hate disrupted sleep I kept on throwing the can into the pool.
The cat never had an issue getting out and remained friendly. But it NEVER smelt again!!
I only wash them if they escaped outdoors (they are indoor cats but like to sneak past ppl as they leave). Or if they fell into the loo.
Don't use bathtub, keep them inside the shower where they can't escape. Best if you have detachable shower head
Super tip for how to blow dry a cat: flip a laundry basket over them and blow away! I can wash my cats, they tolerate it (while meowing like being murdered) but they absolutely go bonker at the hair drier. A cat rescue lady showed me this trick and it makes my life much easier. Yes, they still growl and cry and try to claw their way out, just press the basket down and get it done!
Also ALWAYS clip their claws before a bath. I generally do a spring bath when it get warmer after winter, and a later summer bath before it gets cold. I use pet wipes if necessary throughout the year.
Absolutely but after clipping their nails. Yes cats do keep themselves "clean" but you can only do so much wiping yourself with a cat spit and a paw. The fur is much softer and not gritty, even for an indoor cat.
If the cat stinks then wash it, obviously…
If it doesn't stink then no worries.
Wash my cat maybe 3 times a year, helps to keep them a bit cleaner and get all of the stuck fur out
Cat was getting too many hairballs. So washing helps and then combing. Had a bottle of Rufus & co shampoo that lasted years. Washed the cat on sunny days using a bucket in the shower. Then towel drying and letting it out in the sun. Also found waterless shampoos if that is too hard.
I wish more cat people were self aware at how much their houses stink
Dogs smell. Cats don't.
As long as you are replacing their litter you will never smell a house with cats.
toxoplasmosis fried your brain
You didn't mention if your cat goes outside or not. Our cat is always inside and while the thought has crossed my mind about giving her a wash it was never because of any smells or anything. It's reassuring to see that most don't wash their cats though.. I'd end up very shredded by her nails in the process I'd imagine.
He's allowed in the backyard once a day. He got out the front door once recently and I chased him around the neighbourhood, finally caught up while trying to climb a tree.
I did buy cat nail clippers because he liked sitting in me and kneading me, but haven't been game enough to use them.
How old is your cat? If it's a kitten is very easy to get them used to nail clippers.
Mine gets stressed, so husband gives him snacks while I trim his nails. While eating he doesn't care about nail cutting.
I think he's about eight years old maybe. It's hard to tell for sure because he was from the shelter.
It the cat smells that bad you should take it to the vet, it's not normal. Cats usually clean themselves well.
When my older cat with long hair needed a haircut I'd just get the whole service, wash, dry, nail clip, lion cut.
Your cat may get very anxious if you try to wash him and he's not used to it. Likely, you will get scratched or bitten. Definitely not on a shower, try a sink.
A fresh smelling (profanity) is a happy (profanity).
edit: Apparently my commonly substituted word for a young cat is now profanity? lol
edit again: As an avid gardener I think I might go tend to my (profanity) willows. ha ha ha, awesome.
My dad's favourite Tom Jones song was "Hey You (profanity) Cat". The Bond girl in Goldfinger was called (profanity) Galore. Sometimes when a boil gets infected it can get a bit (profanity).
Such filth !!! lol :-)
The poll here is tricky, last question is the opposite of the question at the subject, which one should I be answering for?
PS: cat owner - we wash her once a couple of months.
How to clean 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 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.
Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "powerwash" and "rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.
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.
Do you also realise your house smells shit too?
check out jackson galaxy videos on tips to wash your cat. He or she will NOT like it, but you can get through it together. specially if you have a partner to assist.
Correct.