getting cat pee off the cat?!

[spirite]

So Celia must have peed straight down on herself yesterday or the day before. At first, I thought she'd walked in a pee clump in the litter box and that she'd clean herself, but the smell didn't go away. I brushed the fur along the back of her hind legs, which is clearly where the stink is coming from. She smells awful. Since she hasn't cleaned herself yet, I don't see that happening. Should I give her a bath? If so, what should I use?

This may be related to another issue that I'll put in a separate thread.

Yuck.

[dollysmamma]

I had to bath my kitty recently I got a cat/kitten shampoo from the pet store I was going to use baby shampoo as it is very mild and I use it on my dogs but the vet thought that the real animal shampoo would be better I put a little in an old plastic beaker and diluted with water once the cat is wet pour on the shampoo solution was and rinse. Make sure the cat is thourghly dry and kept indoors in the warmth, ( I put a hot water bottle in her bed as well) Hope this helps

[Marcia]

When our Sam was so sick with loose stools, he'd often get poop all over his rear. We'd just plop him in the sink and use baby shampoo to wash him. He didn't like the partial bath, but appreciated being clean afterwards.

[Tomcats]

Yes, the sink is the way to go. Warm water will do it.

[cinderflower]

i third it. i probably wouldn't even use soap, but you can if you want. you'd think baby shampoo is mild but it's one of the harshest shampoos on the market. they make the ph higher so it doesn't sting in the eyes, and they put a lot of weird chemicals in it. if you can find a natural one that would probably be best if you feed the need to use soap.

[spirite]

Thanks everyone!

I first tried just warm water and a washcloth to wipe down her whole backside. That didn't seem to be helping, so I got out the pet wipes I'd bought. I went through about 15 of them, and I thought I got everything pretty thoroughly, but I think there is still a bit of stink. I may be imagining it though - I'm woozy from inhaling cat pee fumes. I'll sniff her again once she dries (she just will not clean herself).

If she still smells, my sinks are too shallow and small to get enough of her back end in without making a huge mess, but I think I can use a dishpan. Maybe I'll put the dishpan in the bathtub and resign myself to taking a bath too. I'll try without shampoo first. I couldn't believe how many pet shampoos there were at the pet store. Paul Mitchell makes an entire line!

When I gave my first cat a bath many years ago, I stupidly did not close the bathroom door. So I had a soaking wet cat running through my apartment and she would not let me near her to dry her. At least I know she got plenty of water that day.

[maggie23]

yeah, it might take 2 or 3 baths for you to get the smell out depending on how much both you AND your kitty can take in one session. my first try bathing our kitty who peed all over herself on a trip to the vet was not very successful. i used a handheld shower head in the bathtub and i sat in the tub, too, fully clothed! of course i got soaked. didn't have any kitty shampoo on that 1st try either, just washed her down gently with warm water from the sprayer as best as i could before her attempts to escape the tub became too much. the STRONG pee smell was gone, but i could definitely still smell remnants. the 2nd bath was a little better and i used the pet shampoo for sensitive skin supposedly. 3rd time was a charm, though. finally figured out she didn't really like the sprayer, so i just filled the tub with a couple inches of warm water, set her down and she seemed to be happy as a clam. i just cupped water in my hand and poured it on her and washed her that way. no scary sprayer anymore. and i just squatted behind her so i didn't get soaked this time. i also made sure the water was a little cooler than the 1st two times. i'm afraid i may have had it a bit too warm for her before. i forgot she's a little kitty and is probably a lot more sensitive to the heat than a human. they're not like us wanting long hot showers! so she stayed still for a good long time that 3rd time till she got bored, i think. then i let her out and dried her off.

good luck.

[Marcia]

If it's not near the eyes, try a little vinegar or tomato juice too. It helps to remove skunk smell, so it should remove urine smell. (some say it doesn't work, but I've heard otherwise). Worth a try.

[3furbabies]

I bathe my cats a few times a year or based on need. They are all use to it but hate it still. I would bath your cat in a laundry tub(if you have one) its deep enough that they can't easily escape and the tap is high up. Before I use to bathe them in the kitchen sink(at our old apartment ) which was awful cause they always managed to escape and tore up my arm and crawled down my back every time.

[3furbabies]

Ps. Whatever you do don't use dish soap, I did this the first time bc I had nothing and was in a panic(awful poop incident ) and it made my cats coat awful. I had to run out the next day and get cat shampoo which worked wonders.