Any Tips for Bathing you Savannah?

[Hericane]

Hello

I have only bathed Spencer once, when we first brought him home. I know he was not a huge fan of it, but he was a lot smaller then and we managed. I have been sort of hand washing him with a wet wash cloth, but I would like to get him in the tub again for a thorough cleaning.

Now, he seems very curious about water, however, he has fallen in the shower a few times and freaked out when he got wet! So I am concerned that even though he is curious, he is probably going to freak out when we get him in the tub.

I guess I am looking for some tips from everyone on how to bath their Savannah that is the least stressful for all of us

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Why are you wanting to bathe your Savannah regularly? Are there specific allergy issues? Else most SV owners I don't think regularly bathe their Savannahs...they're kinda self-cleaning like most short-haired cats....

If you want to have a cat used to bathing, then starting young and continuing on a regular basis would be the best bet.

I tend to bathe any of my cats that go to shows when they return, I don't find them too hard, but I use a handheld shower in my bathtub with nice warm water...I think this is likely the easiest scenario. Having someone to help restrain them while you concentrate on wetting, shampooing and rinsing likely helps too

 

[admin]

And worst scenario if you MUST bathe your Savannah cat? Yesterday I ran a sink of warm water because Taj was rolling in the dirt outside...then I took a washcloth with kitten shampoo, soaped him up, rinsed off the washcloth and then began rinsing him from the clean sink of warm water...he is a big boy and I was alone, so closed the bathroom door, put towels down all over the floor and let him stand on the towels while I did this This way I did not have to wrestle with him...and now is a clean savannah kitty!

 

[Kronos]

I do like the idea of getting your cat used to being bathed so that if and when you ever need to wash them, they are ok with it.

With that said, when Solo was young, I gave him 2 or 3 baths in his first year of life and he was fab. Since then he has had 1 more bath, and is due for another. Being a long haired cat, I plan on bathing him once a year. It helps with the shedding, and sometimes he gets poop stuck to his back legs and then he just overall is stinky.

I have given Kronos 1 bath so far in the sink, and he was surprisingly ok with it. He is a submissive cat so all I need to do is scruff him and he goes limp and calm. Honestly I don't see a need for bathing him at all though, with his short hair, and his tendency to groom constantly, I doubt he will ever need one.

 

[admin]

I do like the idea of getting your cat used to being bathed so that if and when you ever need to wash them, they are ok with it.

With that said, when Solo was young, I gave him 2 or 3 baths in his first year of life and he was fab. Since then he has had 1 more bath, and is due for another. Being a long haired cat, I plan on bathing him once a year. It helps with the shedding, and sometimes he gets poop stuck to his back legs and then he just overall is stinky.

I have given Kronos 1 bath so far in the sink, and he was surprisingly ok with it. He is a submissive cat so all I need to do is scruff him and he goes limp and calm. Honestly I don't see a need for bathing him at all though, with his short hair, and his tendency to groom constantly, I doubt he will ever need one.

he probably won't Alicia, unless you take him out...Zuri has always hated baths, even though she was bathed quite a bit, since I started showing her at 4 months old...Taj is much better...he is a boy after all, so much less demanding in general Uh-oh..is that gender discrimination? but I love her to death!!!

 

[Trish Allearz]

I bathe before and after shows... I just make them deal with it- they are usually pretty okay. I've also bathed the F1s-they are better then some Sphynxes at baths!

 

[WitchyWoman]

I bathe mine 2x yr just for spite. I find it easier to use a laundry sink or kitchen sink. It's easier to keep them from escaping and I think the smaller enclosure makes them feel safer. I have the shampoo, towels, brush & blow dryer laid out ahead of time and within easy reach. I don't fill the sink with water but use the faucet sprayer. They just resign themselves to the process after a minute or two of trying to escape. Yep, I blow dry my cats. They enjoy it so much that when I'm drying my hair, I have to fight them off. One of them loves to hair the warm air blown in his face.

 

[Hericane]

Why are you wanting to bathe your Savannah regularly? Are there specific allergy issues? Else most SV owners I don't think regularly bathe their Savannahs...they're kinda self-cleaning like most short-haired cats....

If you want to have a cat used to bathing, then starting young and continuing on a regular basis would be the best bet.

I tend to bathe any of my cats that go to shows when they return, I don't find them too hard, but I use a handheld shower in my bathtub with nice warm water...I think this is likely the easiest scenario. Having someone to help restrain them while you concentrate on wetting, shampooing and rinsing likely helps too

I usually try to bath my other cats like once per year. They don't like it much. With Spence if he has gotten a bit dirty I have just washed him off with a washcloth. With him being so much bigger than my other cats (and still growing) it's seems a bit daunting.