# A bit urgent - bathing a kitten



## londonkittens (Sep 24, 2013)

So, following on from my kittens playing in the litter tray thread, we've had a serious poo incident this evening. 

I've got kitten wipes, and I've done my best to get it all out, but his fluffy white fur is still a bit brown and he's a bit whiffy :-( I think it's bath time. I'll nip to the vet first thing for a suitable shampoo, but how would you go about it? With my previous adult cats it was the bath with a few inches of lukewarm water, a cup to wet them down and a towel to wrap them in. I'm thinking similar with the kitten, but in the kitchen sink. He's so tiny, only 8 weeks. But needs must.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Make sure your house is nice and warm first, as they will chill really quickly.

I do my adults in the bath with a shower, and I also do bigger kittens that way, but at his age, I simply fill the sink up and lower the kitten in. Remove all unnecessary items from the sink as kittens grab hold of things and pull them in with them. clip claws before the bath as they will try to climb you. make sure all the soap is rinsed out, as it really aggravates their little skins if left in. If you have baby shampoo, this will be fine for a one off bath.


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## londonkittens (Sep 24, 2013)

Thanks Carly. Not how I had planned to spend the morning ;-)


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

Not sure it helps but I always put a thin towel in the bottom of the sink so they cannot slip around and feel unsure.


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

I always make sure I have warm towels to hand - in fact I have them in the dryer while I bathe the cat/kitten so they're nice and toasty. I just love the way kittens melt into the warm towels after a bath :001_wub:


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Always use *hot* water for bathing cats and especially when bathing kittens. If you use water of the same temperature you would use for your own bath you can't go far wrong. Cats have a higher body temperature than humans, and what feels "tepid" to us feels nasty and cold to them.

I echo the advice given to make the room toasty warm and to use towels you have warmed on the radiator or towel rail. Your aim should be for the kitten not to shiver after her bath. If she does start shivering then you must warm her up with more hot towels, or she could get badly chilled.

If you want to avoid bathing her you could use a No-Rinse shampoo. I use an unscented one for my long-haired cat when he has the occasional poo problems on his breeches.

This is the one I use, and it is very effective:

RING 5 QUICK CLEAN --- Purrsonal Touch


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Ring 5 is great stuff.


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## tincan (Aug 30, 2012)

RING 5 QUICK CLEAN --- Purrsonal Touch


That site looks really good CM , thanks  have bookmarked and shall peruse later ......


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

If you're after pet shampoos etc, have a look at beautifulpets.co.uk
Really amazing shop!


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## londonkittens (Sep 24, 2013)

Thanks all for the brilliant tips. The vets didn't have any shampoo for sale and I'm not within easy reach of a pet shop so I used a flannel and warm water with a tiny dot of diluted baby shampoo just on the offending area, then well rinsed and wrapped in a warm towel. He wasn't at all bothered and had a nap in the towel 

I'm going to order some shampoo online so I have it in for future. I'll check out that Ring 5 too


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Fairy liquid is safe to use, I believe, as I know it has been used by breeders,or cat owners anyway


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

It is indeed safe, but needs to be followed up with other products as, if used on its own, it destroys the coat.


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