Giving a cat a bath is no easy task. I was told by the breeder of my Maine Coon cat that if I got her used to “it” early, I wouldn’t have many problems in that area. The operational key word there is “many,” for that is the approximate number of things that I have found can go wrong when a human being decides to bathe a cat.
First and foremost, do not let the cat know that he or she has been slated for a bath. Pretend the running water is for you even though the “tub” you may be using is way too small for a human. The cats won’t know unless you make them associate the running water with them. Avoid eye contact with your pet while running the water and try whistling to divert the issue. You might even try slipping some catnip in the water, but do so at your own risk.
After the water is ready, try talking softly to the cat, telling him or her how great the water feels and wouldn’t he or she like a nice little dip. This probably won’t work so you might want to prepare yourself for a swift grab around the animal with the cat’s face away from you.
I have had no luck with this and other approaches, and have since fallen the way of commercial groomers who for a price, will deal with this issue. The only time I ever had any success in bathing a cat was once years back when I didn’t mean to. My white Persian kitten was walking along the edge of the tub while I was having a bubble bath. She slipped and fell inside and, needless to say, ruined both my bath and her good time. (It took me a while to find her because the suds were white and so was she, but her yellow eyes kept popping up at the other end of the tub. She was also sudsy for some time to come.)
So, all I can say, about giving your cat a bath yourself is:
GOOD LUCK!