Update: bathing the cat

[MissMillie]

Original thread: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181135903

Al gave Happy the bath. Amazingly enough, I didn't know this bath was in progress until Al asked me to help him w/ the rinse. Al told me that Happy seemed very nervous at first but he didn't claw or bite (and he wasn't screaming either because I didn't even know that the bath was taking place). Then he (Al) turned it into a play/game and Happy settled down and decided to play along. (I told Al he is the "cat whisperer.&quot

All of this is good news. But there is bad news... the cat shampoo Al purchased was for hairball control rather than flea control. So we may have to do this again. Thankfully, Happy's good nature makes that easier than we expected.

Anyway, yesterday, all 4 dogs did get a flea bath (and the flea soap bottle says that it kills fleas for 10 days), and all of their bedding got washed. The furniture was vacuumed and was sprayed with flea killer. There are a few other items (our sheets, some blankets, etc) that still need to be washed. Al says he'll get happy the good flea/tic killer today.

If the dogs are treated, and all the furniture and bedding is treated, and Happy gets treated, the fleas shouldn't be able to find a host and they should die.

[Phoenix61]

1. If you have carpets and for their bedding

Diatomaceous earth works great. You can get it at pet supply stores. It works by acting like little razor blades that slice the skin of the flea larva so they dry out and die. All natural and non toxic. Lasts until you wash/steam clean the carpet. I wouldn't use outside as it also kills earth worms.

[lark]

2. Wow, Happy sure is an amazing cat!

Ours scream and yowl from the moment we close the shower door until they get out and are being dried. Funny story - when our daughter was in high school, my husband was washing our big male cat when she walked in the door. She heard him screaming, and yelled to me - "Mom, dad's killing Basil". She immediately dropped her books and tore into the back (before I could tell her it's ok) where she saw Basil in the shower, making a huge racket but in no way being hurt, despite the sound. We still tease her about that to this day. Basil still hates showers, but now that he's an old guy, no longer sounds like he's dying.