10 days old

[Alizaren]

I think I am going to go throw Bari in the tub and see what happens...

[Eowyn]

Some people say cats never have to be bathed. They say cats lick themselves clean. They say cats have a special enzyme of some sort in their saliva that works like New, Improved Wisk - dislodging the dirt where it hides and whisking it away.

I've spent most of my life believing this folklore. Like most blind believers, I've been able to discount all the facts to the contrary - the kitty odors that lurk in the corners of the garage and dirt smudges that cling to the throw rug by the fireplace.

The time comes, however, when a man must face reality; when he must look squarely in the face of massive public sentiment to the contrary and announce: "This cat smells like a port-a-potty on a hot day in Juarez." When that day arrives at your house, as it has in mine, I have some advice you might consider as you place your feline friend under your arm and head for the bathtub:

* Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)

* Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face mask and a long-sleeve flak jacket.

* Prepare everything in advance. There is no time to go out for a towel when you have a cat digging a hole in your flak jacket. Draw the water. Make sure the bottle of kitty shampoo is inside the glass enclosure. Make sure the towel can be reached, even if you are lying on your back in the tepid water.

* Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule. If he does notice your garb, calmly explain that you are taking part in a product testing experiment for J.C. Penney. Cats are gullible that way!)

* Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life. Cats have no handles when wet. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more that two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record is -- for cats -- three latherings, so don't expect too much.)

* Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared to what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psycho-ceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine. You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But, at least now he smells a lot better.

[Inspiration]

And any other kitties in the house will laugh at and shun him for approximately 1 year.

[Calibretto]

My grandpa taught me how to wash cats.




He'd put them in a pillowcase and throw them in the river.



I don't know where they went but I'm sure they were clean when they got there.

[Alizaren]

*giggles*

I really did have to wash a cat once. I used to have a cat named Mouse. She was polydactyl (however ya spell it) meaning she had extra toes. Anyway, I had just moved into a new apartment and had the cat for only a couple weeks. I was into oil painting at the time and was working on this copy (my own rendition of a Master painter) of a Monet waterlilly painting so of course there was a lot of "sap green" and "ultramarine blue" used in the painting. These two colors, especially the green are known for staining. Well, it was a tiny apartment and oil paint takes a long time to dry, which is why I liked to use it as I could work on something for weeks and it would still be fairly wet and easy to blend/change. So I had put the painting on a really narrow shelf on my entertainment center. The shelf only had about 7" clearance between it and the next shelf above it so I thought that it would be fairly safe from cats.....boy was I wrong. Next thing I know Mouse is on the shelf crouching/standing ON MY PAINTING! Of course, she was new to me and skittish so I had to chase her a bit to catch her allowing her to do about three laps around the place before I finally was able to grab her. So I have two to three green-blue oil circles on the new champagne colored carpet, a cat that has green-blue feet and a semi-damaged painting. Had to haul the cat over to the kitchen sink (thank you Dawn, which really does get grease and oil paint out of your way) and throw the now clean but damp footed cat along with the other cat in the bathroom/laundry room combo so they can't get into any more mischief. Then off to the grocery store to get some rug cleaner. Thankfully the paint stain came out and the cat dried off all before future hubby came home from work a couple hours later. Poor cat was so scared she didn't even think about scratching me. I came out relatively unscathed.

[Eowyn]

Almost 8 weeks now.

One more month and they go back to shelter to be adopted.

[Calibretto]

 You'll have to change you avatar.  I can't concentrate on your post with it playing. I get sidetracked.

[Hettar]

Me too, but don't you dare change it...I like the sidetrack 

[Alizaren]

Yeesh men are pigs! *giggles*

I love those kitties! The one on the left, that is kinda hanging off the cat condo and has the white spots on it back and face looks very similar to my "Jenga" cat. If I could have 4 kitties and ya weren't so far away....I'd snatch it up!

[Eowyn]

Here is Earl 2 days after having most of his teeth pulled.


and an older pic of one of the kittlers.

[Calibretto]

Scooby snack!

[Eowyn]

My latest foster.


Here is Earl now

[Alrich]

Eowyn those cats are so cute!

As for the fishing cat: Bengals do that too, awesome animals they are! my parents have three (all bengals) and they don't just meow, they make a whole array of different mews, meows, chortles and funny noises. Some love swimming, all of them love to fish. very intelligent and they have a pack instinct similar to dogs, but much smarter.

That cat bathing guide is hilarious. Though usually what I do is wrap my forearms in towels with rubberbands and pin them to the bathtub floor. then I use my other hand to wash em-- they hate it but if you can get em used to it as kittens they don't freak out as much-- same with nail trimming

anyway ill have to take some pics of my cats when I get home today and post em, hehe

[Eowyn]

Thats not a Bengal. It is a wild cat (please see above link) And my latest foster is a homicidal creature.  She's a darling kitten and a total purrbucket but...fingers, toes and dogs are not safe around her.

[Alizaren]

*points at the Bengal looking cat in avatar*

Bari (Jabari) is a Savannah F5, but he's mostly Bengal. He makes all those noises and is a general troublemaker. He pulls my pictures off the wall, opens my cabinets and cupboards and throws stuff out of them, chews cardboard, plays fetch, and is actually miraculously easy to train to do so something that he finds fun. (not so easy when it's something he dislikes). Odd thing is, he HATES my husband but I think that's just because he is a Mama's boy. I want to get him one of the "Cat Wheels" but they are super heavy and expensive. He seems curious about water, but no swimming yet. He does try and get his paws in the dishwater when I am doing dishes though.

We've thought about getting him a new "brother", a snow colored Bengal, but then we'd have 4 cats and that's kind of a lot for inside.

Eowyn - the new kitty looks like a "Dobby" to me.

- Ali