There is no need to bathe your cat unless a little catastrophe has happened such as she fell into a paint pot or she has been ‘skunked’. There may be other occasions such as a flea treatment shampoo. However, I am not sure I like those. I think there are better ways to remove fleas.

Domestic cats should never be bathed by their owners. I should imagine that some cat breeders bathe their show cat to fluff up their coat and to polish her image but even then that’s not a good thing from the cat’s perspective. However, I have to add a note and say that some cats will like being bathed…:) 🙂

Cats spend a good part of every day grooming themselves. They are covering themselves with their scent. This is their identity (ID). Jackson Galaxy says their body scent is a “Raw Cat Staple”. He means that it is an essential part of the wild cat mentality lurking below the veneer of the domestic cat. Cat body scent is also a ‘source of serious mojo’. He means a cat’s scent is an important element in ensuring a domestic cat is content, relaxed and able to be himself because he feels comfortable in his skin and at home.

A sibling cat or a cat friend may well fail to recognise a bathed cat because she has lost her ID. Cats recognise other cats by their scent.

You can gently wet-wipe a cat if she is old and unable to groom herself properly and Jackson recommends a baby wipe, if needs must. Otherwise steer clear of bathing your cat. It ain’t natural unless the cat is a hairless one when once a week is necessary.