How do I get my cat to give himself a bath?

Are you sure what he’s got all over himself is something you want him to lick off?

Well, he licks off his poop, so how much worse can it be?

Something inorganic and indigestible?

He either like water of he doesn’t.
But you should try and see how well he will endure the water… I remember I gave my cats baths from a young age [ small baths ] just to make them feel comfortable around water. Then I had a cat who jumped into the bath when it was full [ but this one was one in a million ^^ ].

Try and see how he acts in water .. if he dislikes it then don’t try it again.

In any case at some point he’ll lick himself so don’t be that concerned.

@Hibernate Oh, no, I’ve given him baths before. He doesn’t like it. I can, but it’s a pain in the butt for me and seemingly traumatizing for him.

Then get a towel, put some water on it and gently clean the fur [ maybe this won’t be such a pain for him ].

No, he’s very on top of knowing when I’m doing that, and running away.

Then you have to wait for the cat to clean by itself :)

You can also get some wipes like these, though there are a lot of different brands, and give your cat a little help and head start in getting some of that stuff off of himself.

@lillycoyote Do you know if they are better at cleaning that just paper towel and water, or baby wipes?

@MyNewtBoobs have you tried brushing the dirt out? Our cat came home with motor oil all over his back the other day, he had been sitting under someone’s clapped out old 1970’s Volvo, brushing seemed to get the majority of it out and then it was fine a couple days later.

@MyNewtBoobs Those things and baby wipes are probably about the same though I don’t know if there is anything in baby wipes that are problematic for an animal and these things are made for animals. Also, a paper towel and water is just that. No cleaning agents. Water is fine if it works, you might want to start with that but it’s just water. I rarely use them but sometimes water just doesn’t cut it.

@RareDenver I did. It didn’t really do much (and a lot of it was in his paws, which aren’t as brushable but just as likely to get my clean sheets all dirty).

Update: I caved and gave him a bath. I had forgotten how much he can give me a run for my money. And now, I’ll be sleeping with one eye open.

@MyNewtBoobs Wow. That’s brave. I have had cats my whole life, except for now, I have a dog now, as of 6 weeks ago, but I have never in my life given a cat a bath.

@lillycoyote It’s not an easy task. Normally, I put him in his kennel and squirt some shampoo on him and then use my shower hose to rinse it all off. This time, I tried the “holding the scruff of his neck” tactic. Can’t say it was really better, but I was hoping it’d be less traumatic for him.

There are foam shampoos that don’t require water sold at the pet store.Or….you could try bathing them with the help of another person.
I am able to give my two cats baths.They are very good if I lay a towel in the sink,fill it with alittle warm water,use a cup to get them wet,shampoo them up then spray them gently clean.
I wrap them in a towel to soak up the excess water and give them a treat.My eyeballs are still intact and they still love me.
:)