Shady, my pet cat, with beautiful, long, gray fur somehow turns into a matted mess by the end of the winter months.
He looks small here, and his fur seems dark because he’s wet. Also, the photo needs more light. Shady would be embarrassed if he knew I showed him so humbled. I had to beg him to let me take the photo.
This is Shady’s second year to need a bath and trim. What a polite boy he is during his bath! He doesn’t scratch or bite me, although he lets me know he’d rather be somewhere else.
Now that the bath and fur trim is finished, it’s time for me to clean up the bathroom floor and the carpet where I trimmed him. He’s been licking his wet fur for half an hour. I just checked him, and he’s almost dry, and he purred when I stroke his clean coat of fur.
I include this previous photo of Shady with more light and dry fur. He’s a handsome cat, and he lights up my life with his yellow-green eyes and his gentle purr.
Cah4el's Blog 
what a name! shady – does your cat live up to the name?
LikeLike
He earned his name. Shady has a history. He was born in a home but thrust out to fend for himself for several months. My son was staying with me at the time this young vagabond cat was slinking around looking for free food late at night. My son found him and convinced me to take him in. He named him Slim Shady after a song by Eminem.
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your visit. Blessings to you, Sana…
LikeLike
Oh he is beautiful, Carol. How lucky for him that your son found him.
Have a wonderful week. xxx
LikeLike
How lucky for me, too. Shady is a great pet. Thank you for stopping by, Cindy. I appreciate your comment. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
We had a dog named Shady. This is because he was a deceitful and untrustworthy fellow. He was also a “cat burglar”
LikeLike
Shady’s life is very different from his beginning. He had the reputation of being the king of the huge complex where we lived. The neighbors that were night people said Shady fiercely fought and challenged the feral cats regularly. He came home with deadly scars until I decided his roaming days were over. It broke his heart. He preferred our hotel services more than walks around the complex on a leash.
Shortly after, we moved a thousand miles away. I took him out on his leash to check out new the courtyard. He knew right away that many cat fights awaited him to take over his new turf, all hopeless from the end of a leash. Shady made up his own mind to become an inside cat. We have a huge wall-sized, second story window. From their he stalks his treetop prey. He never gets slashed by adversaries. All his wounds have healed. You probably feel sorry for Shady to have lost his exciting pirate’s lifestyle. He has the best to eat, warmth, shelter, love and affection. He’s a happy boy.
Thanks for stopping and letting me tell about my Slim Shady. Blessings to you, Carl…
LikeLike
Shady is a beautiful cat. Bathing my own cats is not as easy – they “no like” the bath.
LikeLike
I tremble a little before I begin. Fortunately, although he doesn’t like it, Shady is polite. My granddaughter used to bathe all the kittens in the litter regularly. They succumbed to her will with pleasure. (I was amazed.) Perhaps it helps to start when they are very young. Shady was a “teenager” when we got him. I also had learned from my aunt how to safely give a cat a bath.
My honorary aunt was my grandmother’s sister and the age of my grandmother. We had a cat that needed a bath. The family were all visiting for a cookout. She offered to bathe the cat. I told her it was impossible, because I’d tried it myself, and the cat was terrified and dangerous. Nonsense, was her reply. Get me the water and the soap. I did. She took the cat by the scruff of his neck and the skin over his hips, plunged him into the water, and soaped him up still tightly clutching the skin over his neck. She dipped him up and down to rinse out the soap, and was finished in a few minutes. I never saw anything so comical. The cat never made a sound nor moved a muscle. I’m sure he thought he was as good as dead, yet he survived and was clean. I never attempted to give him a bath that way. I learned to believe my aunt, and I learned that sure hold on the scruff of the neck.
Thanks for visiting and for your comment. Blessings to you, Tracy…
LikeLike
He’s a handsome cat Carol. Makes me miss our old cat “Frankie”. He was named after Frank Sinatra because of his beautiful blue eyes. He was a junkyard kitten we brought home from our shop.
LikeLike
Named after Frank Sinatra. He’s one of my favorite singers. My mother played his music every night until she fell asleep. I’ll always have fond memories of Frank Sinatra, because he sang me to sleep in my childhood.
Blue eyed cats are very beautiful. A junkyard kitten. That has a nice ring to it. Cats make good pets. Thank you for stopping by and telling me about Frankie. Blessings to you, Jeanne…
LikeLike
I want to snuggle that fluffy kitty! My parents got me a cat when I was around three and wanted a pet. One of my dad’s cousins gave us what was supposed to be a tom. I had many cats, living in a rural area where they had free roaming capabilities–until I married my cat-allergic hubby. Thank you for sharing this sweet family member with us!
LikeLike
Lots of people are allergic to cats. It’s a good thing we are not. Shady sheds that long hair continually. I have to remove the cat hair before I sit on my favorite chair. Half the time I have to sit somewhere else, because Shady thinks it his chair.
Shady preferred his outside lifestyle like the cats you had. Life doesn’t always give us exactly what we want, but I think Shady is a happy cat anyway. I surely hope so.
Thank you for your visit and your comment. Blessings to you, Patti…
LikeLike
Beautiful cat, your Shady is! We had one cat that my parents had to give a bath after a flea-dip gone wrong. It didn’t go well at all. I’ve never tried to give a cat a bath since, and luckily, I haven’t needed to.
I’m glad Shady found you because he seems like a sweetie and such a good pet for you 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, Shady is a wonderful pet for us. We enjoy him a lot. Giving a cat a bath can be dangerous. I almost decided to get him a professional groom after seeing a photo of a cat bite that had become infected. (The lady was bitten, but not while bathing the cat. It was a small bite, but when infected, it required surgery!) But Shady was good when I bathed him the first two times, so I did it.
Thank you for your visit and your comment, Janna. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
My cats were always horrible when I bathed them! Yours is a good little kitty, and a pretty one, too!
LikeLike
I think it is normal for a cat to act horrible when given a bath. I’m very fortunate.
Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. Blessings to you, Suzi…
LikeLike
What a handsome boy! So cute.
LikeLike
Thank you, Laura. I appreciate your visit and comment. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
This is my first time reading your blog, Carol Ann. I am a blogger friend of Cindy Taylor. She ‘introduced’ me to you. Ok, with that out of the way – that IS one handsome cat (when he is clean)! 😉 It looks like two completely different animals – before and after 🙂
LikeLike
Welcome Liane! I appreciate your visit and your comment.
The photo I took at the top shows Shady when he was still wet. The lighting was bad for the camera, which made his fur look darker yet. The photo on the bottom was taken a few months earlier in the sunlight. Now that Shady is dry, he looks like he did in the bottom photo. Blessings to you, Liane…
LikeLike
He is a very handsome boy, indeed! He makes me miss my old cat Bear. The way you describe him during his bath sounds just like how Bear used to be with us. It’s nice to be reminded of how Bear was. Lovely post, Carol Ann!
LikeLike
Thank you, Dare Right. I appreciate your visit and your comment. Bear sounds like he was a wonderful pet. I understand how you must miss him. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
Shady is a handsome fellow. I love cats. My girl is 18, and like what happens to all elderly cats, is having some tummy problems and wobbles a bit.
My boy was 18 when he died last summer. I still miss him.
Give Shady a scratch for me.
LikeLike
I remember your post about your aging girl with her troubles. She is blessed to have you taking such wonderful care of her in her illness. I’m sorry to hear that you lost your boy. Thank you for stopping by and for your nice words about Shady. He’s my boy. Blessings to you, Patricia…
LikeLike
he is a fabulous looking creature. one of my kittens runs all around the toilet whenever i bathe him, the other one acts more like shady, she regularly complains but i dont have to chase her all around the toilet.
none of them have scratched me till now during bathing.
LikeLike
Thank you, Trisha. I can picture your little kitten running around the toilet to escape the inevitable. How cute. Thank you for sharing. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
he is a handsome cat.
how cute you write about him…
🙂
Bless your day.
LikeLike
Thank you, Jingle. I appreciate your taking time to stop by and for your comment. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
Oh Carol Ann, what a handsome boy Shady is!! I’m sure he does light up your life. God’s sweet little creatures give us so much unconditional love. Blessings to you, my friend.
LikeLike
Thank you, Bonnie. Yes, Shady is a blessing to me. His purr is music to my ears. Thank you for stopping by and for your comment today. Blessings…
LikeLike
Gorgeous, gorgeous cat!
🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, Val. I think he’s gorgeous, but I’m prejudiced. I appreciate your stopping by and your comment. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
He must be extra handsome after the bath and trim.
LikeLike
Shady looks handsome. But I cut out his matted fur. In about two weeks his new hair will cover up the places where I cut out his fur. Until then Shady has two patches on his rump.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
This reminds me of bathing mine every once in awhile. Thank heavens I did not have to trim her, too. She would have been even more mortified! 🙂
LikeLike
Shady has patches on him where I cut out the matted fur. I had to do it last year, too. It takes only about two weeks for his fur to come back enough that it won’t be noticeable.
Thank you for stopping by to visit and comment. Blessings to you, Leslie…
LikeLike
What a beautiful cat Carol Ann. He’s gorgeous! Ok, not so much in the wet photo 🙂
LikeLike
I have to agree. Shady looks very scraggly when wet. I enjoy stroking his soft, fluffy fur after his bath.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Blessings to you, Elizabeth…
LikeLike
Shady is beautiful, the same grey as my kitty. 🙂 You are a proud mama and for a very good reason. Thanks for sharing, Carol Ann.
LikeLike
Grey kitties are beautiful. I don’t see as many of them as other kinds. We have something in common, grey kitties. Thank you for stopping by, Laura. I appreciate your visit and your kind comment. Blessings to you…
LikeLike
He is such a handsome cat!
LikeLike
Thank you, Lilian. I appreciate your visit and your sweet comment. I think he’s the cat’s meow, but I’m prejudiced. He’s my purring boy. Shady has a muted purr. Over the years I’ve hear lots of purring cats. Even when he ramps it up when he’s really happy, it’s a quiet rumble. Shady trivia. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings to you…
LikeLike