My kitten got behind the radiator this morning and came out gray. I wet a towel to wipe off the bulk of the dust but some remains. I've heard it's not usually a good idea to bath a cat but I don't think she's going to lick this mess off herself...

It will not hurt him... just make sure not toget soap in the eyes, use a mild soap, and rinse, and rinse some more. Make sure you get all of the soap off or his skin could become flaky or irritated. He is not going to be happy about a bath, so get ready.

By the way, use a special shampoo for kittens. I was told by our persian cat breeder to use baby shampoo (no tears), and I used it for years without any problems, but someone told me recently that the ph is wrong for their skin.

Also, make sure the water temp is mild. Warm for you might be too hot for him. Feel it out, and make sure the temp doesn't change drastically in the middle of the process. You can use a blow dryer if you have to, but it depends on the kind of fur it has. If you can, use a couple of towels and/or a space heater.

I know what you're going through. One of my persians decided to take a fun trip into the fireplace (obviously when there wasn't a fire) to play in the ashes. This, by the way, immediately following his bath.

My persians were bathed from an early age, so they never seemed to mind baths later in life. I always sang to them - it seemed to calm them. Our siamese-lynx, however... I wouldn't have bathed her without a fight... she was frisky!