Folks who are new to kitty guardianship often ask if bathing a cat is necessary, and if so, how often should they be bathed?
In this writer’s opinion, since cats come equipped with perfect grooming tools – teeth and a rough tongue – their instinctual drive to keep their coats clean and shiny, makes bathing a cat necessary only when they have gotten into something that’s really sticky or smelly.
This said there are a few feline breeds that require bathing on a regular basis. For example, the Sphynx lacks a sufficient hair coat to absorb the oils on their skin.
These kitties need to be bathed at least once a week to prevent their pores from being clogged which can lead to major skin irritations. And the oil on their skin attracts dirt. They can become smelly and sticky. The attraction of the hairless coat no longer appeals in quite the same way. They are relatively high maintenance cat companions.
Some feline experts recommend that Persians should be groomed daily, and should be bathed fairly regularly to keep them clean and sweet-smelling. Also, they need their faces cleaned regularly because of tear duct overflow fur to blocked tear ducks. This causes staining under the eye down the side of the nose on both sides. Additionally, to keep their coats in top condition, show cats are often bathed prior to competition.
In case the situation arises where a kitty is in need of a bath, what are some of the steps a feline guardian can take to make bath-time a lot easier and less stressful for both the kitty and for themselves?
Timing is everything: The best time to give a cat a bath is when the kitty is feeling relaxed and mellow. Some people recommend playing with their cats before bathing them to tire them. Purrsonally I disagree. Even though a cat can get off a lot of excess energy during an intense interactive play session, sometimes they can actually get over-stimulated; preferring to continue the game.
Trimming kitty’s nails before bathing them is extremely wise. Brushing their coat, thoroughly to remove any excessive hair or mats is also helpful. To prevent kitty from getting water into their sensitive ears (only if they willingly accept this step without becoming agitated) gently place a cotton ball into their ears.
To prevent kitty from slipping and to give her security and extra confidence, place a rubber mat in the bottom of the tub or sink where kitty will be bathed. Fill the tub or sink with only three or four inches of lukewarm water. Using a hand-held spray hose, or an unbreakable cup or plastic pitcher, gently and methodically wet the kitty down; taking extra care not to get water into the cat’s nose, ears or eyes.
Only use a shampoo made for cats since human shampoo may be too harsh, drying out kitty’s skin. Start gently massaging the soap into the fur, working down from the head to the tail – in the same direction that the hair is growing. Be very careful not to get any lather into the kitty’s nose, eyes and ears. To clean the cat’s face, gently use a washcloth dampened with clean lukewarm water. Be sure to gently wash kitty’s nail-beds to remove any greasy grime.
Using the hose spray, pitcher or cup, carefully rinse kitty off with lukewarm water. Be sure that any traces of shampoo are rinsed away. Have a soft, (preferably cotton) towel ready in which to wrap up the cat. Some cats struggle energetically to get out of the towel. Work gently but quickly to get kitty as dry as possible. Some cats may even tolerate being blown dry with a hairdryer set on the lowest heat setting. With long-haired kitties check for any matted fur. Use a wide-tooth comb to carefully untangle any knots.
Following the bath be sure to keep kitty in a warm, draft-free area until she is thoroughly dry. To make bathing a more pleasant experience, reward her with her favorite treat. Using positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to help turn something that some cats may initially consider a negative experience into something that is no big deal.
Some cats take to bathing like a fish takes to water. In the video uploaded to YouTube by RitaTheCornishRex, apparently after some minor protestations, Rita ultimately does get into the “swim” of things!
When do you give your cat a bath? How does your cat react to bathing? Tell us about it in a comment. Note: this article was first published on March 19, 2014, over 8 years ago. It has been upgraded and republished today (date of post).
Jo
Photo credit: Flickr User Finn Frode — Finn used to be a regular contributor to PoC. Come back Finn! This is one of his posts.
Below are some articles on bathing cats.
Of course there are those cats who LOVE being in water. Many years ago I had the pleasure of being owned by a Burmese kitten, named Frodo. Frodo would literally jump into MY bath and sit on my tummy. He loved being in water- and he would also somehow sneak into the shower, and just sit there under the warm water-enjoying it running over his body.
But did you ever see a cat fall into a tub filled with an inch of water? We once had a cat that loved hanging out in the bathtub-dragged her toys into the tub and played with them there.
But on that fateful day (for her) she didn’t notice that the tub had not quite emptied completely, and jumped into the water. I will never forget her startled facial expression or that she rose out of the water straight up like a helicopter and did a 45 degree turn in the air-running under the bed like the devil himself was chasing her.
It took me almost 20 minutes to convince her to come out so I could thoroughly towel dry her. She was a tad more reluctuant to use the tub as a playground for several weeks.
I never bathed Nicky, nor any of the cats for that matter. My mom was upset when my sister bathed her cat. I know cats can get stinky due to things they get themselves into. Then they would need a bath. I do see how a Persian may need some help with bathing. I’m not against it, but I think we do the bathing to suit ourselves and not for the cat’s needs in most cases.
I remember once when we were looking after our ex-neighbour’s multitude of cats one, Larry, got his bum all yucky with diarrhoea and we had to put some water in the sink and hold his bum and tail in the water to get it off, but his body never went in the water, just the mucky bits at the business end. He was NOT impressed and it was the only time we ever saw him hiss. As a rule I would never dream of bathing a cat unless for a reason like that, or paint. The person who had Popsy before us should never have had a cat for many reasons and bathing her weekly was one of them.
DW, this is an excellent comment because you raise a subject that I had forgotten which is really an intermediate stage between not washing your cat at all and washing him in a bath or shower. And I totally agree that wiping down your cat in the same way that a cat’s tongue would do it is particularly useful for older cats, as you say, because they are unable to reach part of their coat that a younger cat can and they become, like people, a little dishevelled in old age. Thank you DW for your input on this.
Older cats sometimes need a helping hand when it comes to grooming. I’ve found that a warm damp wash cloth has a nice scratchy feel like a cat tongue. With gentle stroking of the fur, in a matter of a few strokes the fur feels soft and fluffy. Bigfoot loves it. His fur gets matted, and he doesn’t wash as well as he used to. He loves a washcloth rub. I think it brings back long lost memories of being washed by mama cat.
Marvin came home muddy and dirty (and pleased with himself I might add). I gave him a good brushing which he loves. I tried a wet cloth on him just for fun and he loved it. It isn’t as intrusive as a whole bath, and just washes the surface fur. Try it. It makes the coat shiny and soft in just a few strokes.
I have never submerged a cat in water. I would if I had to. But only for a reason similar to Michael’s paint story.
Spot on Michael, those people should never have been allowed to have a cat.