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Giving a Cat a flea bath

Konekodemon

Konekodemon

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    My two cats are full of fleas. I've tried everything to get them off but nothing works. Only thing I haven't tried is a flea dip. My cats HATE water and will scratch and fight me if I try to bathe them. Is there a way I can get my cats used to being given a bath? One of them is 4 years old and the other is 9 years old. They've never been in water before at all.
     
    Caite-chan

    Caite-chan

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    Ooooo the joys of trying to give a cat a bath without it sounding like you're trying to kill them....lol. The best way is to start them as early as possible when they are still kittens but in this case you might want to try filling the bathtub up just enough to cover their paws. Always, always talk to them and tell them you're trying to make them feel better.

    You might want to try using Dawn dish soap on them and try to let it sit on them for a few minutes. When I worked in the dog grooming as a bather we used it all the time on the dogs. It's cheaper and safer and did the job just as well as the expensive harsh stuff.

    I know this will sound a little weird but I have found this to help is for a lack of a better way to put it "take a bath with the cat." I had one cat who would climb into the shower with me...lol.
     
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    Sun

    Sun

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    Caite-chan said:
    Ooooo the joys of trying to give a cat a bath without it sounding like you're trying to kill them....lol. The best way is to start them as early as possible when they are still kittens but in this case you might want to try filling the bathtub up just enough to cover their paws. Always, always talk to them and tell them you're trying to make them feel better.

    You might want to try using Dawn dish soap on them and try to let it sit on them for a few minutes. When I worked in the dog grooming as a bather we used it all the time on the dogs. It's cheaper and safer and did the job just as well as the expensive harsh stuff.

    I know this will sound a little weird but I have found this to help is for a lack of a better way to put it "take a bath with the cat." I had one cat who would climb into the shower with me...lol.
    Click to expand...

    This is so true, my little rascal is totally fine with baths since he's been brought up that way. {XD}

    As for the op, have you thought on spraying your cats with flea sprays? :) But be sure to make a thorough research before using! For example the ingredients, customer feedback and so on.
     
    Konekodemon

    Konekodemon

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    No, they won't let me. Can't even hold them down they claw me up badly and get away. And I'm asking about bathing not spraying.
     
    Caite-chan

    Caite-chan

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    You may have to wear rubber gloves when giving them a bath. I know I would have to do the same at work with some of the stuff because I was a bit sensitive but I didn't have to use it very often. If not you might want to try calling the vets office and see what they say.
     
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    SeleneHime

    SeleneHime

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    • I'm plenty experienced with giving kittens flea baths, but yours are adults, so that'll complicate things. Even though you mentioned a bleach sensitivity, I'd still recommend using Dawn and a sturdy set of gloves. Maybe recruit a family member or friend to help you with the claws (and trimming them before the bath will help).

    Usually, it takes about two Dawn baths to get rid of the fleas, and as long as your living space isn't also infested, you should be good until you get actual flea treatment to back up the baths.
     
    Sun

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    Caite-chan said:
    You may have to wear rubber gloves when giving them a bath. I know I would have to do the same at work with some of the stuff because I was a bit sensitive but I didn't have to use it very often. If not you might want to try calling the vets office and see what they say.
    Click to expand...
    This. The ideal way is asking the professionals.

    As it's impossible to bath an adult cat who hadn't ever bath as a kitten before.
     
    Caite-chan

    Caite-chan

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    It's not impossible...just really, really, really hard and it will sound like you are trying to kill them...Lol.
     
    Sun

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    Caite-chan said:
    It's not impossible...just really, really, really hard and it will sound like you are trying to kill them...Lol.
    Click to expand...

    Well it's either the owner get slayed or the cat. Lol

    Unless the owner's gonna force their way. XD

    But really, I suggest on turning to the professionals for the cats and the owner's sake!
     
    Caite-chan

    Caite-chan

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    I've done older cats it's just a matter of keeping them calm and talking to them. You don't want them to think water is a bad thing. I had a dog once who was like I'm not getting in the tub for all the treats in the world. But I finally got him in by talking in a calm voice and letting him know that it won't hurt him.
     
    Sun

    Sun

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    True. Did you put on any protective gears back then? Like thick clothes and so on?
     
    Witchcraft

    Witchcraft

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    Fleas are the worst.
    The first thing you should use is Capstar on them. They are ingestible tablets that make your cats blood toxic to fleas, but it runs through their system in a day. So it only kills adult fleas on their body.
    On the day you give them Capstar, get flea carpet powder and follow the directions & vaccum it up (if you have carpeting, that is.) You also need to wash any material your cats sleep on frequently (they will have laid eggs in those areas.)
    Then the following day, put Advantage on them. The fleas that were still larvae when the Capstar was working to kill off the fleas will eventually hatch and the Advantage will kill them (Advantage is the stuff you put on the back of their necks, it lasts about three weeks.)
    And no, using both Capstar and Advantage won't "overdose" your cats, the pesticides operate in different ways.
    Most "flea dip" is just a normal shampoo with heavier surfactant content and some weak ass pyrethrin pesticide in it. It's probably no more effective than dishsoap, which will help drown a few adults and loosen some eggs off of their fur.

    Whatever you do, don't use Hartz cat flea liquid. It uses an incredibly harsh and not very effective pesticide. Some cats develop nausea and vomiting, seizures and some even die from it (you can find horror stories all over the internet.)
    Also, never use essential oils. There's some dummies on the internet who just say to put tea tree oil on your cat to kill fleas.. But it's not good for your cats organs.

    Stay strong, fleas are an absolute menace and won't go down without a fight and expensive flea treatment.
     
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