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Deep Pencil - the musings of Morgan Bell

 
If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it did it really make a sound? If i post a blog and nobody reads it was there really any point? You have entered the random thinking space of Morgan Bell . . . These are my musings . . . things about my life written off the top of my head . . . written in an informal disjointed style almost completely devoid of punctuation, this is where i flesh out writing ideas, discuss my life, and generally be self indulgent . . . it is also the bargain bin for articles which do not fit in with the film or arts themes of my other blogs . . . so have a wander around my mind, have a laugh, have a think, be nice, and humour me!

do cats really need baths?

May 14th 2008 15:36
cat bath


cats generally just wash themselves with their tongues, they are little self-cleansing units who i would never in a million years stick in a bath and pour water on . . . they HATE water, they would claw your eyes out to stay away from water . . . well all of the ones ive met anyway!

cat bath


i was recently sent a forwarded email containing ten pics of people trying to bathe their cats . . . the poor little creatures all have these terrified expressions on their faces, some of them desperately clinging on to the taps to try and save themselves . . . they all generally look pissed off or frightened . . . so i thought, why would anyone do this to their cat?

other than to take funny photos for joke email circulation . . .

cat bath





REASONS TO BATHE A CAT
- if the cat is infested with fleas, medicated shampoos can help repel fleas
- if the cat has been bombarded with ticks
- if the cat is especially dirty or has been exposed to toxic or hamful substances
- if the cat has miliary dermatitis, seborrhea, etc.
- if the cat needs a special shampoo treatment from the vet
- to reduce parasite infections and increase general cleanliness of the coat
- to make life easier on those who are allergic to cats
- to make your cat familiar and comfortable with being bathed from a young age should they require it later in life
- to make your cat presentable for a cat show

cat bath


HOW TO BATHE A CAT
- brush the cats fur with a comb to remove knots and matting and debris
- clip the cats claws to avoid being scratched
- place cotton balls in the cats ears
- apply ophthalmic ointment to protect the cats eyes eg: eye drops from vet, baby oil, olive oil
- place a towel or rubber mat in the bottom of the bath to prevent the cat slipping
- make sure the air-temperature in the bathroom is warm (bathed cats can, and will, contract pneumonia, as they are easily chilled, keep them indoors in the warm family for 12 hours after bath)
- pour luke warm water just deep enough to cover the cats paws (4-5 inches)
- once the cat is placed in the bath keep the door closed until finished
- you may want to apply a non-toxic "wetting agent" like Shaklee's Basic H to reduce surface tension making it easier to soak the coat
- avoid wetting the cats head or using sprays around their face
- gentle pour water over cats body with a cup
- if your can has a greasy coat use a de-greaser like Fast Orange
- if you need to wash the head use a "tear-free" shampoo and apply careful with a washcloth, no pouring water on the face
- dilute all shampoos before use
- rinse thoroughly to remove all chemicals
- blot dry with a towl, dont rub
- use a hairdryer on a cool setting for long-haired cats that dont mind the sound



cat bath


If your cat absolutely cannot tolerate being wet, try using a waterless or powder shampoo, pre-moistened bath towelettes for pets, which have recently become available, or give your cat a 'sponge bath' with a damp towel.


cat bath


Do not bathe your cat too often; it dries out the special oils in its skin that keeps its fur nice and shiny/healthy.


cat bath

cat bath


and as a basic rule of thumb if your cat is freaking out and not enjoying it STOP!
dont be a meanie . . . only bathe a cat if it is relaxed and comfortable!

cat bath

cat bath
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Comments
34 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Jason King

May 14th 2008 20:23
I had to wash Dark once. After I moved from Slurry back to Manly and he poohed all over himself in the travel thing because he just freaked out. I couldn't really let him lick all that off. I showered and took him in with me. Goddamn scarier than jumping in a cage with a blood thirsty tiger. He nearly killed me. I do like the pics though. LOL

Comment by Irene

May 14th 2008 20:37
Most cats are clean, but in some cases, yes, you really have to bathe them. Like Jason's example, I had a cat that pooed on herself because she was in a carrier. Yuck.

Another cat we had was the laziest cat ever...he didn't even groom himself half as much as normal cats. As a result, his fur became all matted, even with our brushings, and we had to trim some of the stuff at the back and give him a bath (cause if he wasn't grooming, he probably wasn't cleaning!).

Comment by Mountain Fog

May 15th 2008 02:39
I've gotta say, those pictures are terrible....

those poor, poor animals!

and some people laugh at them when they are in such obvious distress.

horrible!

fog

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 04:29
hi Jason,
thats a good example of a need for a bath . . . i dont think i would be brave enough to jump in a shower with a cat! geez i would get sliced and diced!

hi Irene,
thanks for those examples, i honestly couldnt get my head around it when i saw the pics, i thought there must be some rational explanation!

hi Fog,
i was wondering if the baths really were for legitimate reasons then WHY did they have a camera handy??

Comment by Johnny Come Lately

May 15th 2008 04:32
My cat always loved baths because we did it from kitten stage. He also would swim in the pool sometimes, the total freak. That cat in the second photo has a look that says, I am going to kill you in your sleep human lol

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 04:59
hi Johnny,
really????
haha im amazed!
our cats are fascinated by running water but they would never submerge themselves in it, they get frightened when theyre wet . . . probably because theyre not used to it!
im always amazed how thin and scrawny cats look when theyre wet . . . its like looking at them without their clothes on, they seem so vulnerable!

Comment by Jason King

May 15th 2008 06:25
I actually remember reading a picture book (deep) a few years ago on cats and there is one breed of domestic cat that swims and actually loves water.
There's a breed of cat called the Turkish Van, however, that is known for actually liking water and swimming. What's interesting is the Turkish Van doesn't have the same undercoat as other cat breeds, and has more waterproof fur.
One of the two accepted breeds in Turkey, the Van Cat is now known in Britain as the Turkish Cat. Originating in the Lake Van area of southeastern Turkey, these cats have been domesticated for centuries (in fact for as long as the famous Saluki Hound); they are much loved and prized by the Turks for their exceptional character and unique colouring. Apart from their great capacity for affection and alert intelligence, their outstanding characteristic is their liking for water, not normally regarded as a feline attribute. They not only dabble in water and play with it, but have been known to enter ponds and even horse-troughs for a swim – they soon became famous as the 'swimming cats.

Comment by postmoderncritic

May 15th 2008 06:39
They look so miserable, don't they?

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 06:51
haha Jason - i want a swimming cat!

hi Epiphanie,
they certainly dont look happy do they? i think theres a few owners who are gunna be smothered in their sleep if they dont watch out!

Comment by Mountain Fog

May 15th 2008 07:04
its true...just looked up the Turkish Van...was going to post a photo of one swimming, but the owners all have hysterical copyright obsessions....very cute and fun cat, in fact, if I were to get another cat one day, I'd definitely look at this wonderful breed.

cheers

fog

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 07:36
the owners all have hysterical copyright obsessions

haha Fog you have a fantastic way with words!

now i REALLY want a swimming cat!

Comment by James Rickard

May 15th 2008 11:20
GREAT photographs!!!!! The really do a nice job of enhancing your post!

Comment by Cheryl J

May 15th 2008 11:27
They look so straggly and skinny! Great instructions about bathing them.

We had to bathe our cat after she was attacked by two dogs. When I beat the dogs away from her she was pretty cut up and so terrified she had pooed all over herself and then me. After we got back from the vet and she hid under a pillow for a few hours (that bedlinen needed a good bleaching) we had to clean her. It was very stressful and difficult and I think unnecessary unless it's a health issue, they're pretty good on cleaning themselves on the whole.

You have to GO HERE , she looks like she's loving the water!

Comment by Justicia

May 15th 2008 12:37
I know nothing about bathing cats as I've never owned one, but those poor cats don't look happy, do they!

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 12:38
hi James,
the pics were pretty much the catalyst for the whole post . . . i found the whole concept of wet cats very intriguing!
thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment!

hi Cheryl,
i think im lucky nothing really awful has happened to my cat that required washing her!
i thought i should put some info with the pics rather than just re-posting them just incase people thought i was endorsing dunking their cats in water willy nilly!
omg i cant believe how much that cat is enjoying hanging out in the bath . . . what a fantastic youtube video! thanks!

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 12:40
hi Justica,
ive always owned cats and never given one a bath, it seems like a strange thing to do!
from the pics it seems some cats are definately not too happy about the whole ordeal!
thanks for stopping in!

Comment by AmyHuang

May 15th 2008 12:43
I have to admit those photos ARE hilarious and so cute!
I don't bath my cat. No way. She does keep herself beautifully clean and so I will never need to wash her. They are great when it comes to independence!

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 12:50
hi Amy,
some of the facial expressions cats make are just gorgeous, even under pressure, you can imagine if they had human voices they would be saying "this really isnt funny you know, i insist you put me down this instant!"
i wouldnt bathe my cat mostly for self-preservation, i think she would freak out and rip me to shreds!

Comment by Cheryl J

May 15th 2008 13:56
It is a truly scary thing to do and you need at least three people to ensure you don't look like you been sliced and diced when you come out the other side. There is nothing quite as sharp as pusscat claws.

The one clinging to the tap is cracking me up "Nooooooooo DO NOT WANT!!"

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 15th 2008 14:17
hey Cheryl,
thats funny because on the email they came in the caption was "No, no, no, no.....NOOOO!!!!"
so similar!

Comment by RubySoho

May 15th 2008 15:05
That cat in the second photo has a look that says, I am going to kill you in your sleep human lo
l

Johnny do you mean the grey cat with the green eyes? It's hysterical. How unimpressed does it look?

Comment by OnlineWriter

May 16th 2008 03:09
I believe all cats should have baths. At your nearest volcano....

I've had the privilege of not only bathing cats but even shaving them. You think it's hard to bathe one, try flipping the switch on a pair of buzzers near them. They end up looking like the tasmanian devil from looney tunes.

Just a spinning ball of fur and claws and I'm allergic.

Not My Cat (what I named him) sleeps with me every night for some reason. That bastard lol.

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 16th 2008 03:29
hi OnlineWriter,
awwww a volcano? haha nasty
Not My Cat must love you despite your allergies and love of the shaving buzzer! (no really, what is the story behind the shaving?)

Comment by Catherine

May 16th 2008 05:41
oh the poor cats. I know some friends who bathe their felines, but gosh after seeing those pics, I would have trouble inflicting that upon some poor pussycat.

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 16th 2008 05:48
hi Catherine,
thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment!
yeah bathing a cat is a foreign concept to me too!
i think my cat would look similar to the ones pictured if i ever tried to put her in the bath, but maybe if they were used to it from a young age they wouldnt find it so scary?
on youtube i saw cats swimming in the ocean and a backyard pool and aone cat even scuba diving! haha
i think theyre probably the minority though!

Comment by OnlineWriter

May 16th 2008 06:13
Oh, he doesn't get shaved but our other cat does. It has super long hair and gets nasty dreadlocks if you don't buzz it once in a while. I don't do it on the lowest setting.
I did once and it was pretty funny looking. It was a naked cat with a fuzzy tail and a crew cut.

The dreadlocks show up so fast, once the cat looked like it had two tails.

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 16th 2008 06:31
OnlineWriter
ahh i see, a shaggy dreadlock cat . . . i hope he has a knitted tea-cosey hat and a guitar!

Comment by Jarrah

May 16th 2008 08:27
Funnily enough, I had to edit an article on bathing your cat yesterday!
Apparently the long-haired versions do need bathing from time to time.

That first photo is awesome.

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 16th 2008 09:00
hi Jarrah,
thats an interesting coincidence!
it must be some new trend ive been blissfully ignorant to . . . well i have only had short-haired cats!
the first photo looks really arty and professional hey

Comment by Anonymous

May 16th 2008 09:55
Catherine

thats so sad the way they look but it was very interesting

Comment by OnlineWriter

May 16th 2008 13:56
Oh man! I never thought of that. I bet I could cut a hacky-sack open and put it on his head.

I'll find one in Jamaican colors!

Odd...two random blogs and you are on both of them.

Comment by Morgan Bell

May 16th 2008 14:13
Anonymous,
sad and interesting: a great summary!

OnlineWriter
haha hacky sack!
what was the other random blog im on?
im EVERYWHERE on orble! haha

Comment by Neems

May 17th 2008 11:19
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA oh my god these are the most hilarious pictures I've ever seen! I've fallen off the couch. Those poor moggies!

Thanks for providing the fit of giggles!


Comment by Morgan Bell

May 17th 2008 11:24
hi Neems,
thanks for stopping in and having a laugh . . . they sure are some soggy moggies!

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