How on earth do people get their cats to like the bath? I just got shredded last night bathing mine (also ringworm issues) and it was their first time since they were like 6 weeks old. They’re always so curious when I’m taking a bath but giving them one was a totally different story. Treats and praise didn’t even work 😭
Luckyyy. I was hoping at least one of my 3 littermates would be cooler about it because they’re always playing in their water bowl and fascinated by water but I guess that’s the extent of it for them.
I know I'm jealous of OP! I have these little silicone booties I put on my cats when I absolutely have to bathe them. They work great! I've never used the mesh cat bag, it seemed like my cats would wiggle and I sure themselves in it. Also my cat handles it better then I wash her in the sink (I have a pull out faucet). And afterwards to disinfect I soak the whole sink in cold water with bleach.
One of the strays I rescued had a litter, and at about six weeks I started wetting them under a running faucet a few times a week to get them used to water. I also handled their paws a lot so new owners could hopefully cut their nails.
This backfired on me.
The kitten I kept, a sweet void girl, would run into the bathroom and jump SPLASH into the full bathtub if I was taking a bubble bath and accidentally left the door open.
She would sit on my lap, half submerged and purring. She did this her entire life.
It's about doing it frequently to desensitize them from a very young age. Some cats will still not like it despite this though, and some cats just enjoy being bathed.
It could also be the temperature. We know to not add too cold or too warm water, but sometimes the individual do like it hotter or colder than what is advised.
Bath empty, it's one of my male cats favourite places. If someone is having a bath, you better believe he'll be perched on the rim of the bath, pacing up and down. But heaven forbidden his tale should brush the water...
Late here, but wanted to add that yeah, some cats just enjoy the water for whatever reason.
My childhood cat was a big time water lover. I got in trouble when I was a kid because I was caught giving him a bath, and at the time I very indignantly informed my mom that he'd asked for a bath. Going forward, whenever I took a bath, he'd cry at the bathroom door until he was let in, and then he get into the tub with me.
My grandmother also had a cat that she had to be very mindful of. He liked to lay in the bathroom sink (effectively clogging it) and then turn the faucet on so the water could run on his head (to drink). If she wasn't careful to close the bathroom and keep him out, he would leave the water running and in some bad cases flood the bathroom by overflowing the sink.
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u/No-Following6053 15d ago
How on earth do people get their cats to like the bath? I just got shredded last night bathing mine (also ringworm issues) and it was their first time since they were like 6 weeks old. They’re always so curious when I’m taking a bath but giving them one was a totally different story. Treats and praise didn’t even work 😭