Feral Cat Taming Video 8 -The Full Bath

Please use caution and be responsible when working with feral cats. I strongly suggest you consult your vet before attempting to tame and invite a feral cat into your home. Not all feral cats will become as friendly as this one did, each cat is an individual and results will vary.

In this video I am giving him a full bath. I bathe all my cats, but this one especially needed a deep cleaning. He has been outside for over 6 years and has collected a lot of gunk on his fur. It's possible he's been hiding under cars and might have oil, antifreeze, or other unhealthy things on him. Cats regularly groom themselves, so the fewer toxins he ingests the better.

I'm using a spray attachment on the showerhead. You can get these at hardware stores and other home supply stores, or online. The hose is too short to reach the bottom of the tub, so washing his feet and his belly is very difficult without the step stool that he's sitting on. I also have a leash that I knotted and clipped on him so he can't jump out of the tub. It can't tighten around his neck, so he's safe if he pulls on it. He's not exactly impressed, but he's cooperating. When I first turned the water on he tried to get away because he's afraid of the sound, but as soon as I started washing him he calmed down.

If you plan to bathe your cat, I suggest the following items:
1. Spray hose attachment for the shower head
2. Towel or mat on the bottom of the tub (if the hose reaches down far enough) or something for the cat to sit on so you can bathe them without their feet slipping
3. Cat safe shampoo. I make my own. If you're unable to make your own shampoo from scratch, I strongly recommend ordering handmade soap from Etsy or somewhere else. Many people make pet safe soap, the stuff from the store (even tearless puppy shampoo) made my cats itch like crazy.
4. A brush with round-tipped bristles or a brush made specifically for bathing long-hair dogs. They look like an oval or rectangular chunk of rubber or silicone with long, rubbery spikes. This helps work the shampoo into the fur so you get them very clean very fast. The shorter the bathing time, the more successful you'll be (and the less stressed the cat will be)
5. Washcloth for washing their face. Most cats won't tolerate running water in their face (this one did. I had to wash his face since he was filthy. Also found a cactus spine in his eyebrow).
6. Some kind of restraint if you don't have a 2nd person to help or if your cat is fighting the bath. I know some people feel that if the cat really doesn't want to do something, we shouldn't force them. But sometimes a bath is very necessary, like in the case of feral cats who are filthy and covered in who-knows-what.
7. A mat or towel on the floor as well, it's going to get slippery.
8. Dry towels within reach. Once you're done bathing the cat, gently squeee the water from them and wrap them in a towel. Don't let them get cold or simply run around the house soaking wet, they'll pick up dirt and make a huge mess, and they'll be cold, unhappy, and their fur may not dry properly.
9. If your cat tolerates it, you can dry them with a hair dryer. Only use one that has variable speeds and a temperature control. Use no heat and the lowest speed.
10. Treats for before and after the bath. Bathing should be a positive experience for the cat whenever possible.

Bathing tips:
Before bathing, always trim the cat's claws. This will prevent unnecessary scratches and will make it easier to bathe them.
Start washing them on the back end and work your way forward. Wash their face last since this is the most stressful for them and you want that part over quick and the bath done. If you wash their face first you might get them all worked up and the rest of the bath will be that much more stressful and difficult.
Whenn drying them with the hair dryer, use no heat and the lowest speed, and start at the back end and wrok your way forward. Use a brush to brush their fur out wherever the air is blowing on them and they will be dry in just a few minutes. You can also towel dry them but this takes much longer. Be sure that they are dry everywhere, check their armpits and tummy. If their fur doesn't dry out completely it can cause skin problems.
Wipe the insides of their ears out with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. This will help dry the ears out and will clean up any gunk that might have collected in there.

Видео Feral Cat Taming Video 8 -The Full Bath канала ErilynRose