Bathing cats is never easy, is it? To be honest, I take a day when I have absolutely no other plans, so I
can take my time... and if I need to, bathe a couple, take a break...
The lym dip adds the additional "burden" of smell. It stinks like rotton eggs, and stains clothing,
fingernails, jewelry... even the white fur on the cat may turn yellow. I'd wear those heavy latex
housecleaning/dishwashing gloves and old sweat clothes or PJ's. I didn't notice any affect on the walls..
I can't imagine that, unless you're putting the dip on the wall or they're shaking wet fur and splattering
the walls?
From what I've heard, most cats are cured after about 3 lym dips (one a week).
Since I had such a prolonged epidemic, the complication I ran into is that the lym dip is pretty harsh.
My vet said I could do it every week for 2 or 3 weeks, but then no more often than every other week. I
tried to keep them from licking at it... but of course, they'll ingest some and it can be hard on the liver
(just like any drug). It also seemed to dry their skin.
If you dip - you can shampoo or not. One option is to just take the dip (diluted according to bottle
directions) and get the cat real wet, all over, with it. Another option (which may work better) is to
shampoo the cat first, to get off any dry skin, and then do a lym dip rinse.
Tips that have *really* helped me:
* Make sure the water is nice and warm (but not hot). Think of what you'd want your bath water to be.
Cold (or hot) water just makes things a thousand times worse.
* If shampooing, dilute the shampoo first with *warm* water and put it in a container with a spout -
like an empty dishwashing soap container. That way, instead of having to get the cat wet first, then
apply shampoo, then try to lather and spread the shampo... you can just squirt the warm diluted soap
directly on them and lather. Much easier.
* eye ointment - apply a little eye ointment (like Paralube) in their eyes before bathing to protect their
eyes from splashes (don't want to sting their eyes with shampoo or lym dip)
* Have everything ready - the diluted soap, eye ointment, lots of towels, right at hand - especially if
you're by yourself, it's a nightmare if you need to get anything. I generally scruff/hold with one hand
and bathe with the other. Sometimes, I can bathe with both hands if I can kind of push down enough to
keep them from going anywhere. I actually got lucky, the cats never got away from me... worse that'd
happen is they'd either turn and start "climbing" me (my one bathing "war wound" is from that) or
they'd flail and spill the tub of water or lym dip. Another reason a bottle with a spout is nicer to use... if
it's knocked over, you'll have less of a mess.
* Get down on their level (or get them up to yours) - I've done baths in the bathtub (sometimes getting
in the tub with them, sometimes kneeling in front of the tub)... but the floor actually worked well, too...
I'd just put a flat pan, about an inch deep (I used the one from the bottom of a cage, but a washing
machine pan would work) on the floor and bathe them in it.
* Slow but sure - I generally try to take it slow and calm - unless they start to panic, at which point I
try to get it over with. Different cats are different - with Ralph, I started off using the pan, but he'd
start to panic and then I'd hold him in my lap for the rest of the bath. (So, I got really wet)