Thread: So Walking and Bathing MC's?

Maxwell gets in the shower with me & plays with the shampoo bottle. If you make it a fun game they tend to enjoy it more. When he(or madame Darcie-lu) need a good fur clean I fill the bath about 6" with warm water & I play with them in the water whilst washing them at the same time. Darce likes to drink the water whilst Welly throws it all over the bathroom. Its all good fun. We tried walking both of them on the harness. Darcie kept lying down & didn't like it, but Welly plods along quite nicely( he does like rolling it round himself)

I take Ginger in the back yard with a harness and a leash, although I do no think I would ever say I "walk" her. She love to lay in the grass and chase bugs. As far as the bathing goes, she tolerates it, but I can not say she actually enjoys getting a bath. She gives me the "Look" for about two hours afterwords or until her fur dries whichever comes first. I bathe her at least once a month, I like how she smells and a good brushing makes her so soft to cuddle.

It took my fiancee and I to bathe Leo, we got the water warm, put him in the tub, then put a stopper in the drain and let it start filling up a few inches. Got his coat nice and wet, applied shampoo, rinsed, dried with a towel, then introduced him to the hair dryer. He wasn't happy about the bath, but he didn't bite or use claws, basically 1 of us held him gently while the other bathed him, we switched back and forth depending on who was in the optimal position. We'll keep giving him monthly baths if needed and hopefully over time he will just accept them.

We put a harness on him so that we could open the door and see what he would do since he insists on going to the door most anytime someone is near or coming through the door. If he were to dash we wanted him on the leash. He's not used to the harness, he lays down and rolls over hoping it will disappear. We hope that putting the harness on him for a little while daily will get him used to that as well.

Neevie doesn't like to bathe, but she doesn't struggle wildly like my Charlotte (RIP) used to. I guess if I got her used to it she'd come to enjoy it, but I havne't really seen the use of it...
I also have tried to get her used to the leash but so far without success - again, she doesn't struggle but she just stays there and doesn't move.

Thanks for the advice guys its all greatly appreciated. So would you say a bath once a month is enough? I can do one once a week when they are young to get them used to it if you think that might help and when and hopefully if they don't mind it switch to monthly washes.

I'll go nice and slow on the walking front I think and see if they take to it. If they don't its not a big deal it would have just been nice as they get to go outside and play instead of being in the house or cattery.

I love my girl, but I really think male MCs are so much more laid back and easy going. Such gentle giants! Even if they don't "walk" they like to lay and roll in the grass, eat a few bugs and such! I think that cats keep themselves clean so we could get along without a bath, but as they get older their coats require more and more maintenance, that's when you say "dang I should have gotten her (him) used to a bath" hahaha

yes I agree with Donna, it is not really useful to bathe them, just may generally be a good idea to get them used to the water, can make for some great games later on...
also I see Neevie suffers from the heat and she would probably dunk herself in water if I had got her used to it, and would as a result be less crabby when it is so hot ;-)

Good advice Alekto thanks. I will be having weekly baths I think but just to play in the water no washing or anything, just play time hehe :D

I have only ever given my show cats the full works but all of them have had their trousers showered down occasionally,leads to a lot easier life if/when those delectable pantaloons have a bit of an accident in them,makes life a lot easier if they will either stand with their front feet up on the side in the utility room sink & let you swill down or even better stand in the bath & let the shower head take the strain,China RIP,Bruce or Pansy P have ever had to suffer the full indignity but Bruce does luv playing with water be it in their water dish,bath or kitchen tap......
With walking Bruce has a harness & is quite happy to wander where he wants to go but the safest thing I have discovered especially for the likes of Shimba or Welly who go into reverse is the Mynwood jacket,S would always lay flat in the harness but quite likes to show off when wearing his jacket although as yet Bruce is the only one to actually put it to very good use,he used to go walkies in the woods when we had a half way stop visiting brother,don't know who were the most bemused,dogs or their owners....!!!!