Cat Baths are not safe
Kelley C McGee
You should not even bathe your cat because bathing cats washes off
natural oils that the cats need to live , and besides they bathe themselves!!
Therefore bathing your cat is not nessesary.
--
Kelley C McGee
b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
Scott Dexter & Kristen Brainard
I must disagree. While as a general rule, cats clean themselves, there
are some cases that warrant a bath, such as skin infections, severe flea
problems etc. There are plenty of good shampoos for cats. Look for one
that has oils like coconut, or that say "conditioning" When in doubt,
ask your vet. That's what we did. Good luck :)
Kristen
(Zookeeper)
Samantha Lane
Even when your cat is covered in runny pooh 'cause she got the runs
at the cattery and then poohed herself in the carrier on the way home?
I don't think so.
And what about the cat who gets engine oil between her shoulder baldes
which she can't clean off?
Samantha
Kelley C McGee <b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us> wrote in article
<557vsp$1...@nntp.seflin.lib.fl.us>...
Susan Mudgett aka little gator
: Kelley C McGee wrote:
: >
: > You should not even bathe your cat because bathing cats washes off
: > natural oils that the cats need to live
people used to believe that about human hair, and no one's died from
shampooing, have they?
Bathing a cat too frequently may be harmful but won't kill the
cat. The natural oils are being constantly regenerated and are not
essential to life.
Rich Coad & StacyScott
Tracy Bell wrote:
>
> True, if the cat is clean (no fleas etc). Otherwise they must be washed
> for their own health. Use a shampoo bought from the vet.
>
> Kelley C McGee <b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us> wrote in article
> <557vsp$1...@nntp.seflin.lib.fl.us>...
> >themselves!!
> >Therefore bathing your cat is not nessesary.
Well, not always true, even in the absence of obvious problems
like fleas or crankcase oil. I have an older female cat with
almost no teeth who can't groom herself very well; even though
she doesn't get dirty, and is regularly combed, she needs a
bath now and then, as otherwise her coat seems to become down-
right greasy.
Nor do you have to get a good shampoo from the vet. Most of
the larger pet supplies shops will have a wide range of cat
shampoos available. I use colloidal oatmeal shampoo on my
two, since it doesn't seem to irritate their skins as much
as others. For a flea shampoo, if and when I need it, I use
one of the ones with pyrethrins as the active ingredient, in
a mild base, and I wash it off thoroughly. As pyrethrins de-
grade very quickly, they are considered very safe for cats,
even when left in their environment (I would never leave an
insecticidal poison of any kind *on* a cat, which is why
I don't use flea collars -- I'm now trying "Advantage.")
But as for cats keeping themselves clean, phooey. Many
years ago when I lived in a building which had a large
back yard and I could safely allow the cats out now and
then, one of my beloved kitties found the very old corpse
of a raven, rolled ecstatically in it for awhile, and then
kindly brought it to me so I could join in the treat. Having
seen that, I have absolutely no illusions about the fastidi-
ousness of cats.
Stacy Scott
Tracy Bell
True, if the cat is clean (no fleas etc). Otherwise they must be washed
for their own health. Use a shampoo bought from the vet.
Kelley C McGee <b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us> wrote in article
<557vsp$1...@nntp.seflin.lib.fl.us>...
> You should not even bathe your cat because bathing cats washes off
> natural oils that the cats need to live , and besides they bathe
themselves!!
> Therefore bathing your cat is not nessesary.
>
>
Priya Kumar Bradfield
On 30 Oct 1996 16:31:21 GMT, b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
(Kelley C McGee) wrote:
> You should not even bathe your cat because bathing cats washes off
>natural oils that the cats need to live , and besides they bathe themselves!!
>Therefore bathing your cat is not nessesary.
>Kelley C McGee
>b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
This is not entirely true. Skin irritations sometimes can only be
cured by bathing the kitties with special shampoo. Like when a cat
has ringworms (like my poor Shadow right now). It definately isn't
needed as much as a d*g, but sometime you need to.
Priya
Get to know my kitties:
http://www.priya.com/kitties.html
Anthony S. Pelliccio
In article <1996Nov01.210...@Default.ibm.net>,
<dfo...@ibm.net> wrote:
>Bathing of cats is part of the normal process of preparing cats for show. Ask any breeder
>how many hours are spent bathing, drying and trading secrets. The cats are not harmed
>Does anyone really think that a show cat Persian would be as fluffy and beautiful without a
>bath.
I rarely bathe my cats. I can do without the scratches and bites all over
my upper body and I don't like that little cage contraption that I've seen
so the kitties get to keep themselves clean.
At one point I decided to splurge a bit and brought Random to a pet
grooming place. He's got relatively thick fur to begin with but when I
went to pick him up he looked like a fluff ball. It was just TOO comical.
Tony
S Brindley
In <557vsp$1...@nntp.seflin.lib.fl.us>
b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Kelley C McGee) writes:
>
> You should not even bathe your cat because bathing cats washes off
>natural oils that the cats need to live , and besides they bathe
themselves!!
>Therefore bathing your cat is not nessesary.
>
>Kelley C McGee
I would have to agree, though there are always special
circumstances...flea infestations, indoor/outdoor cats getting into
messy stuff, kittens with litter and poop stuck to fur.
It was recommended that I bathe my cats when they were new (from a
shelter) to wash any crud, fleas, etc. off. It was more traumatic for
me than for them. Do you know how pathetic a cat looks soaking wet,
eyes wide, ears back,shaking and panting in the corner of the
bathroom?? Meanwhile Im soaking wet, scratched, bleeding, and shaking
and panting in the opposite corner...
No thanks!!!
mps...@aol.com
I don't agree. I have given my cat a bath since he was a kitten. While
this doesn't rank up there with kitty treats or playtime, he sits still.
He doesn't bite, scratch, whine or run away. While cats do clean
themselves, an occasional bath (about once per month) helps them keep
clean, and reduces hairballs. (We also brush everyday)
I make sure the house is very, very warm and we are present while he is
drying.
I have had several owners of older cats verbally wish that they had
started bathing their cats at a young age. Older cats that loose teeth
have a hard time cleaning themselves, and because of the 'trauma' of
bathing to them, often spend their final years dirty.
Cat Fancy has several articles on this subject.
M. Valentine@uibk.ac.at M.Ross Valentine
brin...@netcom.ca(S Brindley) wrote:
>In <557vsp$1...@nntp.seflin.lib.fl.us>
>b068...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Kelley C McGee) writes:
>>
>> You should not even bathe your cat because bathing cats washes off
>>natural oils that the cats need to live , and besides they bathe
>themselves!!
>>Therefore bathing your cat is not nessesary.
>>
>
am unfortunatly allergic to them. Since my cat lives indoors,
and is in the flat all the time, I am especially prone to
"Paxton"'s dander. I started bathing him at a very ealy age,
and he actually likes it. I am extremly gentel with him, and
he does not, scratch, bite, try to run away etc.This has
worked out great, as I am MUCH less allergic to him because of
this. One thing of importence though, is that as mentioned
above, cats do have natural oils, so one should not use a
"Strong" soap or shampoo. Rather a very mild,natural, ph
balenced soap.Some household bathing products are not good for
animals in general. Just because a product smells good to
humans is not necessarily good for cats.
EvylCat
Cat baths..
I thought it was unhealthy to give cats baths.. but I found out (I forget
where, sorry!) that cats should be bathed about once a month. I was
surprised, especially when I was just trying to find out how often my
sister's dog needed to be bathed : )
Anyway, baths.. most cats hate them, but most cats need 'em. Maybe if you
start from kittenhood, it won't be so bad when they get older.. I wish I
had started that early!
I use baby shampoo on my cats.. although I don't know how wise a choice
that is.. any suggestions on what to use instead?
EvylCat
evy...@aol.com
Kevin
I have to bathe Calvin for showing, and I have used J&J Bay Shampoo and
Miracle Coat (can't miss it...jet-black bottle with a kangaroo logo).
Haven't decided which works better for coat condition yet...