Why is it so hard for me to give my cat a bath?

Cats generally do not like water as they clean themselves by licking their hair. But just like you, I like to bath my cat so I found that you can buy a mesh bag in the laundry dept. at Wal Mart. It has a zipper and you can put your cat in it and zip it up and bath your cat so much easier. THe mesh material allows you to soap the cat up and rinse it easily.

I know there can be valid reasons to bathe a cat - if it has fleas for example. This is what i used to do with my older cat who was not so fussy about bathing (he sort of grew to like it):

In the bath tub, run some warm (not hot water) to a depth of about 3 inches. Cover the bathroom floor with towels and have extra towels handy. Prepare to get wet yourself. Place a plastic cup near the tub. Use a mild shampoo, like one you would use for children or a cat shampoo. Have it all ready. Open your shampoo bottle.

Go get your kitty and bring her in, shutting the door. You should talk to her with encouragement the whole time. Place her gently in the tub, always holding on to either both front feet or both back feet. Gently massage the warm water into her fur, but never the eyes. Shampoo her until she is all frothy and rinse many times with the cup with the bath water. Avoid her eyes, but be sure to get her belly and feet. you can reach under her. Make sure all shampoo is out and bring her out right away. Towel dry her as much as you can, then release her for a run and a shake out. Put some dry towels out so she can dry and lick herself. Praise her a lot and tell her how beautiful she is. Cats aren't stupid. They understand you. Each time you do it right it should get little easier.

I had one hellion though who would rip up my arms with her claws for a bath or meds. A long sleeved shirt might be just the thing.

Cats don't generally like to be bathed. Also, they had enzymes in their saliva that keep them clean. All they really need is to have the loose and dead hair brushed off. The really only reason to bathe your cat is if it has fleas and that should only be done a couple times a month. If a cat is bathed more than that, it can dry out the cat's skin and cause it to lose more hair, and make it's skin itchy....which causes scratching, that tears up the skin and leaves sores....also, the dead skin (dander), is a common allergen to alot of people.

Cats do not like to be submerged in water. If you must bathe your cat, pour the water over the cat - do not dip it into the tub. They also make special clothes to bathe your cat with rather than using soap and water.

I think it's because you're putting it in water, instead of putting water on it.

My daughter started giving our cat baths when it was a kitten, but she used a hand-held shampoo attachment with low water pressure. If you don't start as a kitten, I don't know if it will adapt to getting baths.

(Bathing your cat is a good idea if you're allergic to cat dander.)

Cats hate water! Most vets say to not give your kitties a bath...they need the natural oils in their skin to be healthy.

All cat's hate water unless you train them to like it by giving them bath's counstally through out their life.

cats hate water, and are very clean animals. They bathe themselves with their tongue and paws. If you really feel you must bathe your cat, you may have to have someone hold it down while you bathe it. It will be totally pissed at you for a while.

You're not trying hard enough. If you forcefully hold the cat completely underwater for 5 minutes, he or she will eventually quit struggling and you'll have no problem finishing the bath then.

Cats as a rule do not like baths. They lick themselves clean several times a day. You will notice that they're never smelly as dogs are.

Why don't stop trying altogether?