Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My kittens hate to be brushed and wiped with the wet towels. I have not tried yet bathing them but can imagine what a fight it will be in which I may loose my eyes or skin.

Any advice on how to get them used to regular brushing and cleaning?

Will they become easier as they grow up or it will get worse, I wonder.

The only time I have ever bathed mine was when they had a messy poop and it got on them from the litter box...

(hence why Alastair is no longer allowed to eat wet food)

Other than that...cats clean themselves and do a bang up job...and since you have two...they will even clean each other...

My advice...unless they are show cats and you are getting ready for judging or they got into something and stink...save yourself the agony and leave the bathing to them.

Good advice. Liat is almost 4 and never been bathed. I would bet she would throw a fit if I tried, but as long as she doesn't smell, all's well.

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Terry, confused human companion of Liat.

I have in fact bathed and brushed Sina before. The bathing came about because my indoor only cats somehow got fleas! She didn't like it, but luckily I didn't lose any skin!

Before Sina even came home I bought her a cute little brush... she really wouldn't let me use it. She thought it was a kind of cool toy though! Now that she is a bit older she lets me use a flea comb on her... she actually likes it and purrs the whole time! She'll only put up with it for a few minutes though, and then she's off running again.

One thing I would definitely suggest training your boys to allow you to do while their young is let you clip their nails. Both my girls are pretty good about it... and I think it really helped that when Sina was a baby I got her used to allowing me to do it.

Nail clipping here is a major event...with all degrees of cooperation ranging from Finster who is a cherub to wrestlemania with Bentley...

My two boys are so different in terms of their personality and docility. The natural mink is like a ragdoll, he is ready for anything: lets me clip his nails, lets me brush him, he wants to sleep in my lap, he rolls on the floor on his back under at my feet if I stand there for a second.

The blue point younger boy is a bandit. He does not like brushing, neil clipping is non-nogitable item for him. He like to cuddle from time to time and watch TV with me but his brother also needs to be arround for him to serve as a pillow .

Both of them follow me from one room to another. The blue point wants to get involved in everything I do - jumps up with a very competent face as if he was better at doing what i am doing and puts hsi furry paws everywhere. He is also more vocal one.

Wiping them with a damp cloth is not easy - non of them like it.

Now we are in a major training process - we need to learn to keep off the kitchen counter. One of them, I suspect the naughtier one, jumps on the counter but I never see it. I put sticky tape, vibration alarm, and waiting for results to occur.

Does anyoone have experience with a effective deterrent spray? I bought three different ones in Pet Smart but my kitties do not seem to care about that smell - they are still running like crazy on that sofa .

As you can see...in our house...the cats get to go wherever they want...but, good luck with that though...

My shorthair cats, abys and burmese, have always liked a very soft brush. I use a "kitty curry brush" which is a rubber brush with lots of soft nubs on it. A damp... not wet... wash cloth works if they get in to something sticky. I have always found that the earlier you start with the grooming routine, the better. A minute or two at a time to start and gradually they will adjust and allow for a longer session. Zoom Groom is another brand of fairly soft rubber brush that is popular. The one I used on kittens was a very soft bristled baby brush. If you suspect fleas, then a flea comb is excellent and will also help pull out loose undercoat. The large combs and brushes with the rubber tipped pins are better for longhaired cats.

>>My kittens hate to be brushed and wiped with the wet towels. I have not tried yet bathing them but can imagine what a fight it will be in which I may loose my eyes or skin.
>>
>>Any advice on how to get them used to regular brushing and cleaning?
>>
>>Will they become easier as they grow up or it will get worse, I wonder.
>>

Try this method: Brush then pet, brush then pet, repeat. Have the brush handy and when the kittens come seeking you for attention just hold it out and let them rub against it. When they tolerate being brushed give them an x-tra good treat they love but ONLY after they let you brush them. You want them to associate beiing brushed as a positive experience. Soon you will only have to pick the brush up and they will come running to it. As for bathing... Unless you're planning to show them or they get into something that won't come off any other way Tonks are very good at keeping themselves clean. If you want to wipe them down to help cut down on the shedding use a moist, almost dry, not wet, cloth. I know in PetSmart they have a kitty version of diaper wipes. Comes in the same kind of tub and they sell refills so you only have to buy the tub once. I carry one around to shows in case there's an 'oppsie' moment and someone needs a foot or tussie wiped. Hope this helps!
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PURRS!!!!
Tricia
Da-Katz Tonks
Siamese on valium/Burmese on speed!

Hi Tricia,

Thanks for the advice. I am actually doing that: first I pet them, then I put the brush on the floor and let them play with it, so that they do not consider it something scary. My younger boy is much more difficult to groom, the older one will let me brush him and he even enjoys it. The younger one is more difficult in everything: nail clipping, brushing, towel-cleaning .

Pet smart also sell waterless shampoos - a foam which you can clean your cat and then towel-dry. I tried it once but it was not very popular with them.

One more question - when my younger one start to resist and wants to set free and escape shall I let him go or keep him a bit tighter and let him learn to accept the grooming?

>>Hi Tricia,
>>
>>Thanks for the advice. I am actually doing that: first I pet them, then I put the brush on the floor and let them play with it, so that they do not consider it something scary. My younger boy is much more difficult to groom, the older one will let me brush him and he even enjoys it. The younger one is more difficult in everything: nail clipping, brushing, towel-cleaning .
>>
>>Pet smart also sell waterless shampoos - a foam which you can clean your cat and then towel-dry. I tried it once but it was not very popular with them.
>>
>>One more question - when my younger one start to resist and wants to set free and escape shall I let him go or keep him a bit tighter and let him learn to accept the grooming?

For your younger one, lure him to you with a tasty treat then give him a swipe with the brush, praise and make a fuss over him, then give him the treat. Again something you give ONLY when you brush so the brush = good things. For either of them when they show signs of having enough let them go. If you force them to stay when they don't want to it will turn the grooming session into something negitive which will make them avoid the brush all together. They shouldn't need any kind of bathing unless they get into something that can't be gotten rid of any other way. I only bath my cats a day or so before a show and since my cats LIKE to show they know bath time = show time and show tme = them getting LOTS of attention and baby food! If they're not being shown I tend not to bath at all. Hope this helps. Keep us up to date on you babies and how things work out for you
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PURRS!!!!
Tricia
Da-Katz Tonks
Siamese on valium/Burmese on speed!