"barking pumpkin" wrote in message
. ..
Lamey The Cable Guy wrote:
Some people have the misconception that cats never have to be bathed.

Well, unless they have a serious mess, I guess I'm under that
misconception too.

Actually, it is a good idea to bathe cats, at least short-hair varieties.

But most people don't do it right. I fill a double sink with warm water,
before I bring the cat in. The sound of running water spooks them.

Then I put a small towel or rubber mat in the bottom; cats need to feel
like they can get traction, or they freak out.

That somehow they "lick" themselves clean. Well contrary to this
popular belief, cats do NOT have some enzyme in their saliva that
resembles Tide (with or without bleach).

What makes you think your cat needs Tide?

You're right; Tide or other harsh detergents are hard on their skin.
Some pet shampoos are all right, but better yet is Oxyfresh Cleansing
Gele or Oxyfresh Pet Deodorizer. If you buy it at
http://www.acfacats.com/oxyfresh.htm you also benefit an association
that genuinely cares about cats. The Oxyfresh products are safe for
birds and cats; some household clearning products can kill them.

But cats DO, in fact, have an enzyme in their saliva that irritates or
causes allergic reactions for many people. It isn't like Tide, but it
is there. A couple of breeds have very little of it in their saliva,
and one (Siberian, a short hair cat) has none.

Cats, like their nemesis, the dog, do get dirty and have a variety of
odors, from smelling like the outhouse where you camped last year to
the same odor as your dog's breath.


Sorry, but my cat doesn't stink.


(Remember, your dog will try to
eat anything.)

So will my cat - I keep her away from things she shouldn't eat - and I
keep things she shouldn't eat away from her.

What do dogs have to do with my cat?


Now we all know that cats HATE water.

Actually, mine doesn't hate water.

Almost every morning, she jumps in the bathtub, often before I turn the
shower on. She doesn't want to get soaking wet, but she loves to sit in
it after it's done - she does get quite wet - but not soaking wet.

On the one occasion that I did have to bathe her (due to an excretory
problem when she was young and recently rescued from the streets, she
didn't seem to mind at all).

And we know that
giving the cat a sedative to ease this process of a bath is out of the
question.
....

card xii