hi this is dr. Karen Becker and I'm
making a video today at my practice
about the topic of bathing a cat now
some of you are just watching this video
because you think it's kind of amusing
bathing a cat is actually hugely
stressful for the cat and of course most
kidneys don't enjoy having a bath though
you get the rare cutie and Menken or
cuties that for whatever reason don't
mind water but even kitties that don't
mind water just like a lot of dogs that
love water they don't necessarily like a
bath so all that to say this video is by
popular demand however it is important
that you take some precautions because
if you're kidding even though most
docile wonderful kitties if your kitty
becomes angry or stress bad things can
happen so I do recommend that if you're
going to try to bathe their kitty that
you bring in an assistant so I'm asking
my lovely assistant the best tech in the
world Ashley to join me today she's
going to help me bathe my kitty so we
selected one of our rescue kitties his
name is Enzo but we call him Squishy
because he's very squishy he came
through our trap neuter release program
you'll see he has a matched ear that's
how we mark kitties when they're under
anesthesia when we neuter them that we
know that when they're back out and
feral that they have already been
trapped and we so if they're in a trap
again we can just remove these them so
and so Cade in Christmas time last year
just before Christmas last year through
our traveler release program he was
feral the women that lovingly trapped
these kitty said you know he's really a
young kitty about six months of age they
do have a coyote problem they were very
nervous he would be consumed by coyotes
so he was not totally feral we opted to
keep him there for several months in
domesticate him he domesticated
beautifully he was at the clinic for
three months and my husband actually
decided it was terrible that kitty spend
New Year's Eve alone so on New Year's
Eve my husband came and picked him up at
the clinic and he's been at my house
ever since we call those types of
kitties foster failures so Enzo is going
to be our kitty of choice today for
bathing I've never attempted to mate
Enzo and I think this is a pretty good
demo because you
be able to see firsthand what happens
when you attempt to make their cats
there are some reasons why you would be
their kitty like why they have whatever
maybe might have to begin with a lot of
cats don't have the best of hygiene
despite the kept the fact that kitty
should groom themselves regularly a lot
of kitties just don't so they're greasy
a lot of kitties that have weight
problems can only groom themselves where
they can reach so the back half of them
becomes matted they can have excessive
flaking even skin infections a lot of
kitties that don't grow effectively need
to have regular baths some kitties are
prone to dermatitis and they get
secondary skin infections all reasons
why you would potentially need to
intermittently bathe your cat so I'm
going to give you a demo today on how to
do that I will tell you before you
actually put the cat in the tub because
this is going to be stressful to you and
your cat I recommend you get everything
set up beforehand none of my cats have
been declawed so all of my cats have
their claws we're going to end to a nail
trim first we're going to get the
bathtub all set up first to get
everything all ready to go even get the
water temperature regulated before we
would put n2 in the tub the goal is to
get him in get invade and get him out as
soon as possible to help decrease the
stress on the animal so I also have that
flower essences the brain I'm using
today is spirit essence I'm using a
blend called scaredy-cat if you have a
kitty that you're nervous about what his
or her response to betta bathing I
recommend that you use Bach flower
essences there are a lot of different
types of blends of different Vodka
senses you can use Rescue Remedy I'm
using scaredy cat or what this does is
just help to reduce his anxiety about
the procedure
so Enzo squishy
when you patiently all dayy have - this
is no boy you're not coming mop we're
going to give you a petty and then we're
going to bathe you and those very very
good for nail trims so people say why
are you doing a trim before you would be
the cat well because any of you that
have seen angry upset kitties know that
kitties will win an argument so the goal
is to keep his stress level low but if
he does decide to flip out on us we can
reduce how much trauma we'll have to our
bodies by doing a quick pedicure nice
jobs in the is a good boy hmm good boy
good job
I know you cuddle with Ashley there's a
good baby
you almost done Google and you are being
a good boy Mac sir
you do a good job of shutting those up
mom's couch probably hmm so we put a
little scaredy-cat I use black essences
really liberally I applied them I pet
the kitty with them I also apply them to
my fingers and put them just on the
inside of his ear tips you can give back
essences or flower essences in general
or Lee of course too but I find that
they work just as well because they are
an alcohol tincture they work just as
well topically so I put a little bit oh
he's purring
that's working well isn't it ends huh
nice job okay I want to go with the tub
ready Ashley's going to stay here with
our patient and we'll move along okay so
now I'm in the bathing area of my
hospital I have a luxury of having a
raised tub obviously you probably will
be bathing your cat in your kitchen sink
it's easy it's good economically for
your back I do recommend that you put
something down in your bathing tub to
help provide a non-skid surface for the
kitty I'm just going to use a towel I'm
going to get the water lukewarm I don't
want it cold shocking and I also don't
want it too hot so I'm going to get
their water temperature perfect for him
I'll get the towel nice and wet frame I
also have my dry towel ready to go when
you're picking a shampoo fur cap pretty
important that you pick a cap from the
shampoo and what I mean by that is we
don't want any type of sense I don't
want any type of additives I don't want
any type of sulfates whatsoever in the
shampoos I would prefer it to be organic
obviously incredibly gentle mild and
most importantly approved for kitties so
I don't recommend even bland human
shampoos I get nervous about I prefer no
sense
totally chemical free coconut oil
basically possible and pH balanced for
kitties okay my water temperatures
perfect good I have my shampoo I'm going
to go get my patient the reason that a
lovely assistant is nicely warranted if
you can bathe your kitty on your own but
if you don't know your cat's response if
your cat flips out let your cap go your
cat will shred you or bite you
if your cat becomes distressed without
kitties of course if they fearing for
their lives or this being for their
safety they'll flip out on you so we
don't know if Enzo he's ever made that's
what you can flip out a lessons will
just bolt on the top and then that see
in the back however we're hoping that
use cooperative part of the reason that
it assistance or a helper and you can
get a kid or spouse or a friend to help
is that just having calming hands on the
kitty during this process is going to
help so you have basically a holder and
then you have a bather okay actually
we're going to put MZ in the tub and
we're going to put him headfirst and a
she's going to hold and I'm just going
to get endzone good job sir this is
weird look how good you're being huh
you're being very good sir you are being
very good I'm going to just turn the
water pressure up just a little sir
good job now just as with dogs we don't
recommend that you bathe the dog's head
before the kitty - good job we're almost
done with this part I'm getting us a wet
from the back of his neck down to his
tail good job Polly you are being good
I'm going to apply this all organic
kitty specific cap shampoo and you're
doing such a good job we're just going
to lather you up sir and then you're
doing a great job if you have a kitty
who has really really long hair you
might want to consider diluting your
shampoo with water first Enzo is fairly
short hair so I'm able just to put the
shampoo directly on the skin nice jab
look like a boy you're being then she's
a good boy
if you have a really long coated kitty
diluting your shampoo with water than
pouring the solution over will help get
the shampoo down into the Kitty's dense
fur more easily you're doing a nice job
if just cooperating aren't you huh are
being great
you're being very good we're just gonna
add a little
a moisture and a little water champagne
moving around good job sir good job
you're being great legs ah
wash your bottom wash your tail you're
being really good yes you are I'm glad
you didn't flip out
I am I glad and these are being a very
cooperative boy hmm I know we're almost
up so what's important when you're
rinsing is that you are getting rid of
all of your shampoo because obviously in
a transition pool remaining on the skin
could be kind of irritant to the kitty
you're going to make sure you're rinsing
belly rinsing neck of course down
armpits belly very important and then
we've just going to bring him out good
job sir and tell him up look sir would a
good boy well I will tell you that that
was wildly successful and I didn't
necessarily anticipate that I hope that
your cat baths goes easily as this one
most importantly you'll never do
anything to your kitty that your kitty
doesn't want them and so I don't think
love the back the mating process but he
was not aggressive or hostile towards it
so we'll drag him off I will not use a
blow dryer with him I think that the
sound will freak him out I'll use a
series of towels and hold him cuddle him
in a warm environment until he's totally
dry and I wish you the best of luck with
your kitty bathing process
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