How to give a cat a bath (by Kat)

Sky, our oldest and dearest cat, at least dearest cat to me, needed a bath.

Why? Although he's the meanest cat in the whole dang world, whenever we're gone for more than a day the other cats kick him out of the house. He hangs out under an old carriage house kitty corner from our house. I believe it must have had a coal-burning stove at one point, or was at least used to store the coal for the adjoining home. Whichever the case may be, he will let us coax him out, carry him home, and then he shares the coal dust with the rest of the house.

I should mention that this cat scared the vet so bad she peed her pants.

Really.

Second scariest animal she's ever had in her office, she said. And this gal works on rodeo animals (think world-class bulls), strays, and a husband who scares the bejeezus out of me, so there you go.

I should mention that her digression that brought this on was simply entering the exam room and approaching the table. Let's just say his teeth weren't examined, his temperature never, uh, probed, and his prodigious gut never palpated.

But he's my sweet little snoogums and I luvvy wuvvy duvvy him. All 30+ pounds of him.

But seriously, when you need a bath you need a bath.

So!

Before...


Close up of his fur, although it's still hard to see just how dirty he is!

Everything laid out.

Easing him into the water...

Doing his best meerkat impersonation...

Help! A peeping tom!

You can just see Cloudy, out on the potting bench, laughing his head off

Rinsing

I told him he was too heavy for me to keep holding up,
so he just sat politely after that...
what a weirdo!
I mean what a sweet little luvvy duvvy!

Rinsing over, squeezing out the water

Gross, but better here in the sink than on the couch or in my bed!

Like Eeyore, Sky seems to be missing a tail

Shiny!

Nay, positively glowing!

And thanks to Mr. Boom who (unknowingly) allowed Chirp chirp to use his camera to document the process!