2410 N. Highway 53
La Grange, KY 40031
GET DIRECTIONS »
Mon: 7:30am-6:00pm
Tue: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Wed: 8:00am- 12:00pm
Thu: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Fri: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Sat: 7:30am- 1:00pm

Countryside Animal Hospital

2410 N. Highway 53
La Grange, KY 40031
GET DIRECTIONS »

Office Hours

Mon: 7:30am-6:00pm
Tue: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Wed: 8:00am- 12:00pm
Thu: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Fri: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Sat: 7:30am- 1:00pm

Call Now!

502-222-4663

- Now accepting new patients
- Same day appointments

How to Bath your Cat and Survive Scratch-Free!

We all know that most cats like water as much as we like receiving a letter from the IRS! While they may spend hours grooming themselves to perfection, there are some circumstances that may mean that it is necessary to perform a thorough cleaning of your feline friend.

Cats can find being bathed extremely stressful which makes them far more likely to become defensive or even aggressive, hissing, raising their fur and even lashing out at you. However, with some preparation and patience you can bath your cat and survive scratch-free and the secret involves not so much a bath, but a shower instead!

Get Organized

Just like bathing a baby; bathing a cat requires everything that you need to be within arm’s reach. You should have:

  • A shower or bath with a handheld shower head.
  • Several towels to clean her off and help her dry.
  • Special cat shampoo and conditioner. These are available from most pet stores and your veterinarian will be able to advise if there is a particular brand that would be good for your feline friend. You should

    never

    use human shampoo or conditioner as is has a different PH level to the sort suitable for cats and could damage your pet’s hair or skin.

Pre-bathing Prep

Before you start you should brush your cat to remove any knots or tangles, particularly if she is a long-furred breed.

Set the water temperature to warm and have it running through the shower head at a medium level spray.

The Bathing Process

While talking to your cat and offering lots of reassurance and praise, gently place her into the shower tray or bath. Using a showerhead from above is significantly less stressful for your pet as she is far more likely to be used to being rained on than she is being lowered into 4 inches of tepid water!

Hold your cat in place by her scruff, or use a harness if you think she is going to be tricky to control. Begin washing her gently using soft confident strokes. Cats are very intuitive at picking up stress, so if you seem stressed she will be on edge too, and far more likely to lash out or try to make a run for it!

Apply small amounts of shampoo – she’s probably not as dirty as you think she is! Make sure you rinse clean and then repeat with the conditioner. Take care to avoid her eyes and nose.

Getting Dry

Once she is clean you should towel-dry your cat as much as possible. Some cats are petrified of hair dryers. If your feline friend isn’t then you could consider trying to dry her using a low heat and speed. You may need to confine her to a carrier in order to do this. Alternatively you could leave your cat in the warm bathroom until her coat is totally dry. The important thing is to ensure that she is thoroughly dried before going into other parts of the house. Damp cats can easily become chilled which can make them unwell, or in the case of kittens, particularly low body temperatures can be life-threatening.

That’s it! The secret to bathing your car and surviving scratch-free really lies in the fact that a well-prepared shower is the very best way to get your feline companion clean.

Schedule your appointment today!

Other Services

Pet owners need real solutions in improving the health of their four-legged friends. Pets are now living longer, and as they do, pets are becoming…

Our pets are a part of our family, and every responsible owner wants to ensure that their pets are in the very best of health. The majority of conditions that animals are susceptible to have…

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Location Info

Building Front La Grange KY Veterinarian
Countryside Animal Hospital
2410 N. Highway 53
La Grange, KY 40031
GET DIRECTIONS »
Office Hours
Mon: 7:30am-6:00pm
Tue: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Wed: 8:00am- 12:00pm
Thu: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Fri: 7:30am- 6:00pm
Sat: 7:30am- 1:00pm

Contact

Call Now!

502-222-4663

Our Team

Reviews

4.7
Based on 425 reviews
Chaz F.
Chaz F.
The staff at Countryside are so kind and take excellent care of our pets! They truly go above and beyond to make sure our pets are comfortable during... visits and help answer any questions we have.read more
mary W.
mary W.
Very reasonable surgical prices, kind compatonate staff. Truly cares about my senior dogs health and wellbeing! Just moved here from out of state... this is for sure my new vet!read more
James W.
James W.
Dr Rainey and his staff are always courteous and welcoming. Dr Rainey always takes the time to explain the processes when caring for our animals. We... use countryside for pet healthcare, baths, boarding, and teeth cleaning. They are great with all of our dogs!!read more
Ashley W.
Ashley W.
Bailey loves her new diet! It has stopped her stomach issues and she is thinner and full of life! She eats salmon, green beans and sweet potatoes!!... This makes sense now more than ever with everything I have seen with dogs sharing similar dna to humans.read more
Will F.
Will F.
10/10 would recommend to other pet owners. As a local business owner in La Grange I can appreciate a reliable place where my family and I can take... our pets. Reasonable pricing for our pets needs as well.read more
Heather D.
Heather D.
Dr. Rainey saved my kitty Bandit. No other vet has been as caring, attentive or professional and I've taken him to SIX vets in town. Most wouldn't... help him, tried to put him to sleep!!I will never go anywhere else with my fur babies Dr. Rainey is literally the best vet in the greater Louisville area. I'm always in and out on time as well and the prices are very affordable, especially because he accepts Care Credit. Thank you Dr. Rainey and his nice staff. LT Dan Bandit is able to eat and have his life back thanks to you!!!!!read more
Dona K.
Dona K.
Dr Rainey and staff are wonderful. My dog has had a recurrent ear infection, I have been to numerous vets and for the first time in a few years my... dog is infection free. Thank you Countryside!!!read more
Candice W.
Candice W.
We just moved to the area and hadn't established care with a vet yet. My English Bulldog had an urgent need to be seen and I brought her in to... Countryside Animal Hospital. Dr. Rainey was quick to assess that she needed emergent care at a vet hospital and recommended the best facility that could meet her needs quickly. Once released I took her back to help manage the chronic condition she was diagnosed with and couldn't be happier with his expertise! She is now doing well and his recommendations solved an issue that we didn't realize she had for years. I highly recommend Countryside Animal Hospital!read more
P M.
P M.
On vacation and my pup got bit by something, causing a lump and swelling. Office scheduled me quickly (next morning). Vet was kind and gentle with my... little girl. Gave her a shot of cortisone that helped. Office Staff was extremely friendly. Pricing was a bit higher than our usual vet, but much more reasonable than typical animal hospitals @$125. Would definitely go again for treatment if needed.read more
Melissa M.
Melissa M.
My kitten Martica is my emotional support cat and is very dear to me. He is 11mo. Old. Country side animal hospital has taken care of him for me all... his lil life. Very specific though he has been treated on 2 seperate occasion for illnesses once for a double severe ear infection..Dr. Rainey aka The Magic Man had him feeling better and healed in no time flat and helped us eliminate his allergen. Also more serious he was also treated for aspirations pneumonia w complications from meditation he recieved at blue pearl hospital after hours treatment Dr.Rainey kept him overnight gave him fluids and ran every necessary test gave him shots he could tolerate very well fixed his diet and saved Marticas life. He also provides safe cat treats cat toothpaste and brush and his shampoo right in the office for easy convenience. Magic Man aka Dr. Rainey and his staff..ms. Candy. Ms. Sophia and everyone there are the greatest! I would NEVER take my Martica anywhere but there i learned the hard way..but Dr.Rainey saved the day as always!!read more
Barbara G.
Barbara G.
We took our GS in for a second opinion and got more information than ever before. Dr Rainey gave us some herbal supplements along with a pain med... and it had worked wonders on our girl. She’s acting like her playful self again.read more
Joel W.
Joel W.
These guys are by far the best vet I have been to in my 30 years of having pets… they are EXTREMELY accommodating, and very reasonably priced… I... would DEFINITELY recommend them to anyone looking for a vet!!!read more
Patricia O.
Patricia O.
Dr. Rainey is wonderful!He is quality over quantity and was very present at our consultation for our dog's health.He explained what he would be... doing, why he had to do it, and how he came to the conclusions.He educated us so that we didn't require blind faith but we understood the what's, the why's, the when's and the how's.He gave clear instructions with a calm bedside manner.I thought the costs were a bit pricey but about the same as any other vet.He didn't try to upsale us on unnecessary things.This visit was thumbs up!A+read more
Jackie M.
Jackie M.
Our Lab was in such bad shape from allergies that we thought we were going to lose him. Dr. Rainey was wonderful and gave us practical advice to get... his allergies under control. Since then Countryside has worked with us to make sure he is in optimal health, including getting his weight down. Everyone there has been so kind. Countryside really knows animals and their prices are reasonable.read more
Brian K.
Brian K.
Our lab was attacked by a pit at Morgan Park. 3" laceration, torn ACL. We went unscheduled to Dr Rainey. They took us right in. He made a rapid... accessment. Printed out details and estimate of what he may have to do. We agreed with his judgement left our lab over nite. Next day Doc calls. "Looks like minor surgery on the wound, pain pills and antibiotic, he should be fine." He was a new dog to us! Not only was Doc Rainey accurate with his diagnosis but he did exactly what he said he would do and charged exactly what he estimated it to be. So refreshing to have such an experienced vet with integrity. Great caring staff as well, thank you! Brian, Val & Lakerread more
Mary Jo D.
Mary Jo D.
My dog is very anxious. The staff did well with him and our visit went better than I expected. Dr. Rainey and the rest of the staff are very kind and... take the time to listen to any concerns.read more
Timothy S.
Timothy S.
Great staff, who were kind, patient and skilled in working with our dog—he gets very anxious during visits to the vet. Doctor took the time to fully... explain all options for treatment and was very up front about costs for all procedures.read more
Carrie M.
Carrie M.
Dr. Rainey and his staff are very caring and knowledgeable. Sophie was always happy to go to her appointments. They took very good care of Sophie and... she had a dental surgery & everything went well the staff is very nice and accommodating and Dr. Rainey is very knowledgeable. Their prices can’t be beat! I highly recommend Dr. Rainey and Countryside animal hospitalread more
Glisseal !
Glisseal !
Very expensive. Nice people but they insist that every dog needs certain things and you know very well none of your previous dogs never needed it.... Location is very convient.read more
Christina G
Christina G
We are so thankful to Dr. Rainey and the care his giving to our baby Jasper. We found out he had kidney failure and Dr. Rainey is doing everything so... we can keep him around a little bit longer. He and his team are wonderful and really care about our fur babies! We are thankful for the care he's given both our boys Mr. Lu and Jasper!read more
Rosemary G.
Rosemary G.
Dr. Rainey has correctly diagnosed our cat, Diva, with two different conditions this year alone. He has given Diva the proper treatment and she's... responded very well. We are so fortunate that he is able to be Divas doctor, and the staff there has treated her so well. We won't go anywhere else.read more
Larry V.
Larry V.
We took our new Barbet puppy for his first Veterinarian visit this week, which was awesome. The staff was friendly, and Dr. Rainey shared much good... information about puppy health. It has a small-town country feel, and I love that!! I look forward to having them care for my new Barbet, Moses, for a long time. Thanks to everyone at Countryside for making us feel comfortable.read more
L.W. M.
L.W. M.
Dr. Rainey is a gift to animals and the people who are their companions. One of the last of the non-corporate veterinarians, his knowledge and... empathy determine he is one of the best we have worked with as stray/feral cat collectors in our neighborhood.It is a long drive for us to take our cats, but we will gladly make it for his care. His staff are friendly and accommodating, always finding a way to fit us in on short notice.We are blessed to have Dr Rainey and Countryside as our cats healthcare provider.Lem and Maura Masonread more
Sonya G.
Sonya G.
All of my pets receive excellent care at Countryside Animal Hospital. I love having a very experienced vet so I know my pets’ care is in good hands.... I also love the staff who always make me feel very welcomed when I enter with my pets. Their infectious smiles and caring natures make you feel like you are family. I highly recommend this vet for all of your pets’ care and needs!read more
Cassandra P.
Cassandra P.
Dr. Rainey and his staff are always so nice and sweet. Very caring and they treat my fur babies like there own. Highly Recommend them. You can't... find any better vet than them. I lost my Companion of 13 years (Snuggles) and they were so supportive and sent there sympathy. ❤️ I truly can't put there practice into words. Absolutely love this Place and all the Staffread more
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