My kitty won't clean himself!

YellowLioness · 02-01-2005, 05:33 PM

What's up with that? Nakie-bird's fur gets all oily and stuff. He NEVER cleans himself while our other kitten, Orion, is fastitious and fluffy.
Ok, take this behavior--

YL loves on little Orion. Little Or then cleans himself.
YL loves on Nakie-bird. Nakie does not clean himself.

YL feeds kitties, both eat heartily.
Or immediately washes his face.
Naked goes and takes a nap.

I mean, I really can't bathe Naked because he's 15 pounds of wet fury in the bathtub-- what do you suggest? Sedatives?

Is there anyway that I can encourage him to bathe himself? I've tried brushing his fur, not bathing him for months, bathing him every month... I don't know what to do!

I mean...he's not like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown...yet...

Duke · 02-01-2005, 09:36 PM

Put kitty to sleep and use him to string your tennis raquet. ;-)

darkangelism · 02-01-2005, 09:42 PM

Thats wrong

Duke · 02-01-2005, 09:43 PM

Have you ever hit with a well strung tennis raquet?

Star · 02-01-2005, 11:31 PM

duke! behave and get those stringing the kitty thoughts out of your head! :P

I don't think there is anything you can do to make a cat wash himself. Cats are born to wash themselves...maybe he's getting old?

Duke · 02-01-2005, 11:32 PM

Cats hate water, maybe if you throw him in the tub every 20 minutes or so he'll get the idea.

Merika · 02-02-2005, 07:06 AM

That's ODD behavior for a kitten. It's possible he had a hairball prob once and it scared him. Maybe you could try brushing out the loose hair each day for him...or checking one of the cat websites....or see a vet.

YellowLioness · 02-02-2005, 12:20 PM

I think I'm just going to sedate him, and bathe him once a month.

Nothing is wrong with him, he's been to the vet with in the last few months- his nose is cold, and he eats just fine. His bowel movements are normal.

He appears healthy in every other way. Hrmm.

Fayebelle · 02-03-2005, 09:37 AM

use a damp washcloth to pet him- he'll start drying to lick at the cloth and catch on to bathing himself

also sprinkling him w/catnip can stimulate him to bath OR Or to bath him (like Cay did for Buddha) Our kitties have bath/play time w/each other- like a well groomed wrestling match

Merika · 02-03-2005, 09:46 AM

Great ideas Fayebelle!! I tried to find a link about kittens who didn't like to lick their own fur....but couldn't find any. The question could be posted in one of the kitten/cat forums though.

Duke · 02-05-2005, 01:28 PM

Using a damp washcloth is a great idea.

YellowLioness · 02-07-2005, 03:54 PM

hrmmm...I'll try that.

Hopefully he won't flip out at the feel of water.

Duke · 02-07-2005, 07:27 PM

If I were a kitty I'd clean myself, over and over again.

Merika · 02-07-2005, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duke

If I were a kitty I'd clean myself, over and over again.

Hopefully not choking on a hair ball in the process. :P