Ragdoll Cat Forums

With Guin's first NSW show coming up on Saturday, we thought it was time to give our little one a show bath.

Pre-bath check:
front and back claws clipped: check
shampoo - check
towels - check
vinegar for rinsing - check
non-slip bath mat - check
hairdryer - check
warm water - check
plenty of hugs and kisses - check
post-bath treats: check
subject: calm

Easy, right? I mean how hard can it be to bathe a 5 month old kitten??...

Post-bath check:
Semi-dry cat: check
towels - soaked
bathroom - soaked
clothes - soaked
UNDERWEAR - soaked
vinegar rinse - who are they kidding??
front and back claws: evidence scratched across my neck
subject: smells like wet dog and hiding somewhere in the bed, probably making sure THAT's soaked too.
Merlin is also scratching at the bathroom door like hell, trying to come to her rescue...

Honestly, how do you guys do it?? Am I missing something? (maybe a piece of my neck haha). Ok, so I've made it sound very melodramatic... but I'm thinking the show bath may be out for little Guin from now on.

Just to wrap up, the little darling has forgiven us already, she's quite happily bathing herself now and is as affectionate as ever. What a little trooper

Some cats are a two person task. One to hold and control and the other to actually bathe. (The most important step is rinsing because you do not want to leave any residue.)

Yup, next time I will be enlisting some more troops to help! I'm pretty sure we got all the shampoo out, guaging by the amount of water in and around the bath

LOL Sorry I couldn't help but laugh, I remember the first time I bathed Jake....

If you have a heater that silently blows air, she would probably like being groomed in front of that rather then the hairdryer as that is very loud. And did you bath her with a nozzle or did you put her in the water? They prefer to have the water put on them and not them put in the water. I think those are the only tips I can think of, apart from that you just got to be lucky and get a cat that likes water I suppose.. they get better the more they are used to them too

Good Luck on Sunday :-)

Hence why I started a policy to show bath kittens 1 week after they settle in and are out of quarantine, then do it once a month or so until they develop a tolerance for it.

I have to sort of sit on George's head for the drying part. Did you remember to blow-dry her backwards?

Thanks Cloe, yes we had a laugh too... afterwards Unfortunately we don't have a nozzle, a good investment by the sounds of it! We had her in a shallow bath of water and poured it on her with a cup, I think you are right she didn't mind the pouring part as much as being lowered into the water. I might wait for the wounds to heal before trying it again tho

Yes that part I remembered Amanda! (blow drying her backwards). It still took a while tho? Pete helped hold her during that bit She camped out under the reverse-cycle air con afterwards, it was probably more effective than the humble Revlon

OMG Jo, you poor thing! I had to keep a death grip on Mocha's scruff while bathing him.. he is NOT a lightweight. He settled down and stopped fighting after a bit but it was no picnic. I'll be doing it again, since I can't keep his britches clean, and he is too heavy for me to carry to the groomers with my back injury.

Sounds like you are on the right track, good luck!!

Hehe thanks Kitty, we're going to need it! I wouldn't dream of trying to bath the boys after that fiasco! Hope your back is OK

Boy did this bring back memories! I showed my 2 Abys once as kittens (14 years ago). I don't remember all the details of their show bath...but I do remember getting in to the bathtub (when I say "in" - I mean submerged, just sitting in the water) with them to get the job done (one at a time). That DEFINITELY wasn't the plan but it was the only way my very unprofessional and unexperienced self could manage to do it.

We were considering getting in the tub with her too!! Or the shower... it's only when you bath them that you realise raggies have SO much hair! haha. Hopefully, with time, we can get her through the entire bath procedure without being mauled