How to Wash a Big Cat

Some cats are agreeable to being washed and cooperate. In such a case all you need is the proper cat shampoo and a container large enough for the cat plus a good sized towel to dry kitty off. But there are some cats that hate water and resist your efforts to have a clean shiny well groomed pet. This was the situation with my Persian-Maine Coon cat mix. He was a real beauty and weighed a lot. Plus he was very large (not fat) but long and with a kind of gray tuxedo motif. His fur was long and fluffy. His face wasn't the pushed in Persian type, but an exquisitely formed large cat face with expressive sea green eyes. Muff had ideas of his own. As soon as we entered the bathroom he sensed the water even before being able to see it. Immediate yowls of discontent warned me that this wasn't going to be easy. My first attempt to get him into the tub failed miserably. He struggled and wriggled, claws flying around as he tried to grab onto something. I dropped him on the bathmat. He raced out the door and crawled under the bed where he felt nice and safe. He didn't emerge till feeding time. I discussed the problem with my twin sister and we made a plan. Everything was readied in advance and we drilled each step of the procedure. We didn't want to give Muff a hard time but long haired cats can get pretty scruffy if not washed and groomed. The next day we were prepared. This was going to take two persons. We dressed in blue jeans,high rubber boots, long sleeve shirts and we both wore a pair of those long rubber gloves for washing dishes that came up to our elbows. I put Muff in my arms and gently scratched him behind his ears while telling him what a good kitty he was. I walked him into the bathroom (The tub was already filled with nice warm water).I held his front end and my sister the back. In he went. Meow! Sis held him down firmly but gently as I made sure to get his fur fully wet. I grabbed hold of the shampoo (already in place on the tub corner). applied it to Muff and rubbed it into a foam. Meanwhile I could feel and hear his paws and claws scraping against the tub bottom as he tried to escape, but my sis held on. After he was washed she pushed him down further so all but his head was above water. I ran my hands through his fur till the soap was fully rinsed out. I got out of the tub and grabbed a large bath towel and my sister picked him up and placed him inside. Before he knew it he was enveloped in the towel and getting dried. I put him on the floor and opened the towel. He was out of the bathroom like a racehorse out of the gate. He disappeared into a "hidey-hole" somewhere but eventually came out again at feeding time. His coat was squeaky clean and shiny and he had groomed himself perfectly. Muff looked fantastic. And he was purring and happy to see us. We were still friends. is not easy. I recently found a product that works wonders with resistant felines. It's called Vet's Best Dry Clean Water-less Cat Bath. If all else fails, you can always pack up your cat in its carrier and take him to professional cat groomers.