The Best Way to Bathe a Cat

Cats are very clean animals. They meticulously clean themselves, and they don't love rolling in the mud like some dogs do. In fact, many cats stay inside all the time. In spite of this, sometimes it is just necessary to give kitty a bath. After years of cat bath battles, I have finally found a way to bathe a cat that does not end with my arms scratched up and my cat ticked off.

HOW BATH TIME USED TO BE

Previously, my husband and I would put off giving our cats a bath for many months, even if we knew they needed it, simply because it wasn't worth the fight. To accomplish this feat, we would usually put the cat in the bathtub, wet her down, soap her up, and then rinse her off. Sounds simple right? Well, if you have ever tried it this way, you know that it is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, this task usually took both us, one of us to hold the cat, and the other to do the wetting, washing, and rinsing. Kitty spent the whole time trying to climb out, and unfortunately she would usually succeed at least three times during the bath. A wet cat can be slippery and hard to hold, even with two hands, which pretty much meant that my bathroom always a complete mess by the time we finished. Plus, I could pretty much count of having to change clothes afterwards, since I would be soaked with water, soap, and cat hair. Also, when she did not succeed in getting out, her many attempts usually left both of our arms covered in scratches. I thought to myself… there must be a better way.

A BETTER WAY… SHOWER WITH THE CAT

There certainly is a better way. Unfortunately, this really only works if you have a shower with a glass door. One day when I was about the watch my cat knock the shampoo off the ledge of the bathtub, I quickly closed the shower door and then watched her try unsuccessfully to slide the shower door open. When I saw that this was not something she could easily do, a light bulb went off in my mind. All that I needed to do was put the cat in the shower and close the door!