Just a thought... How many of you's do bath your cats?

I do every week.

nope..haven't really ventured to do that...
although..when Jim was running a bath for himself my sabrina checked out the tub....

Smudge has been checking out the bath, but im a bit to scared to put her in it lol Do you use cat shampoo?

I haven't bathed my Princess yet. She is short-haired, indoor-only cat, and therefore less likely to get into anything sticky or mucky.

If my kitty ever needs a bath, I will likely do one of the following:

1) Wear protective gear from top to toe, in order to avoid being bitten or scratched; or

2) Pay a professional groomer to bathe kitty for me (the most appealing of these two options).;)

I think the short answer most people would give is No, but then it depends. Show cats get bathed regularly, so do many white cats (mine occasionally) and some cats just seem to get into things they shouldn't and can't keep themselves clean. Most cats, mot of the time, keep themselves clean, but sometimes it gets beyond them, or they get something dangerous on their fur. Sick or old cats may need help and like mahy things it is good if they are already used tot he procedure as it is less traumatic. Always use a PH neutral shampoo - a special pet shampoo is best of all. And rinse it off really well and keep the cat warm till it is dry.

The only one of our cats that has ever had a bath is Elliott.
He only got the bath because he's white and I drop a whole boat load of spaghetti sauce on him...it wasn't hot he didn't get burned.

Believe me, I looked like I'd been in a knife fight...I don't plan on bathing a cat EVER again:lol3:

I had to bathe Ginger just once - after she literally sat her fuzzy britches in some spilled dish soap on the sink. :rolleyes:

She was very cooperative during her emergency bath in the bathroom sink, if extremely unhappy. :lol3:

I will not bathe my cats in general, however, as I do not show them and they are indoor only, so I see no point in it.

i bath the kittens every once in awhile, especially puffy, she likes to use the litter box as a bed for some odd reason. i give tiger a bath sometimes too.

I bath my cats every so often- when they need it. I start from very young so they get use to it. Otherwise it is almost impossible to bath a cat. I have tried bathing a cat who had never been in a bath before and lets just say that it didn't go too well.

Mine get a bath once a year, they are indoor cats so they dont get very dirty. One time they got fleas, im sure they appreciated the flea dirt being washed away. Plus that stuff goes on your furniture and bed too.

I have had show cats for more then 25 yrs - have washed all of them (and some that were not shown). No big deal to me - can wash just about any cat/personality if necessary.

Charlie gets a bath the day before the show. But I think on the months he's not going to a show, we will give him a bath anyway. He loves them :)

It depends on the cat. My Alley was indoor/outdoor longhair but she never matted, and kept herself very clean. She had maybe 2 baths in her life.

Riley, however, is indoor only longhair and he gets a bath every other month or so. He just seems to get dirty no matter what :lol3: and has issues now and then with poo sticking to his fur in back. I keep it trimmed but he still needs an emergency bath now and then.

The only one of our cats that has ever had a bath is Elliott.
He only got the bath because he's white and I drop a whole boat load of spaghetti sauce on him...it wasn't hot he didn't get burned. That's one of those moments that probably wish you'd taken a picture of. :lol3:


If I have to. Sure, people think cats can keep themselves clean but the inevitable always happens - they get into something, get covered in mud, get ringworm...
Before I said "enough" with letting Sho outside (lasted about 4-5 months) he made sure to get into a few messes, mud and ringworm mostly. He's also been less than graceful in the litter box and planted his whole back foot in poo.
Tomas has only had spot cleanings from getting food or poo on him, the entire time he tries to convince anyone within earshot that we're attempting to murder him and struggles a lot. Not looking forward to his full bath day.

I've washed worse cats, though. Try washing grease and used motor oil off of a cat that absolutely hates you and has never had a bath before! Amazingly she didn't manage to bite me. The bath didn't improve her opinion of me either. :lol3:

I wash my cat about 4 times a year.
We are getting ready to do one.
I like to do it when shedding season is
going helps on getting all her fur away.
She has very dense fur.
She has a greasy back end and dandruff
so that helps this as well.
Does she like it, nope. I get as wet as she
does, yes. It gets easier as time goes on.
If I could use a good kitty wipe I probably
would cut it down to 2 times a year.
But I used one of those things and she
had a bad reaction to it.
Overall, it is not really necessary though,
they keep themselves clean.
They dont smell like wet dogs ever,:lol3: thank god.

My siamese I don't bath. I do give them a wet wash cloth clean off now and then though. But my Persians I do bathe they seem to like it and the long fur really does need it with a good detangler..

I bathe, condition and blow dry my cats. Right now Maxx gets bathed once a week because he will be shown in April. Peaches doesn't get bathed as often. But it helps so much with shedding and allergies.

I've never bathed a cat in my life.

If one were to get into something that needed to be cleaned off, sure. But otherwise, as far as I know, there is no reason to. Mine are all short hairs btw.

I bathe my cat every now and then. I do this primarily because I am allergic to cats and feel it helps, at least according to my allergist, and also because she is very overweight and can't reach all of her areas to clean herself. I always start bathing when they are small so that they are used to it when it comes time. I also use a method of tying the cat up so that it doesn't choke them (learned from working at vet clinics/groomers). This way they know that struggling gets them no where and they just sit still the entire time, crying loudly of course! :lol3:

Hardly ever.

Keli is 11 years old, she's had one bath, about 10 1/2 years ago :) She was covered in fleas and dried blood.

Jinxy got out of the house about 5 years ago (longest day of my life, the boys had broken a window in the basement I didn't know about), and I gave him a bath after capturing him again, just b/c I'm so very allergic to poison ivy.

Bandit got a bath about a year ago b/c I had changed her food, and her skin got just terrible and flaky from it.

So, all in all, never on a regular basis, only if really necessary.

Smudge has been checking out the bath, but im a bit to scared to put her in it lol Do you use cat shampoo?

Yes. I use cat shampoo :) My cat has been bathed since she was a kitten, so she is used to it. She doesn't mind a bit. I wouldn't do it as often if I didn't have to, but I own a breed that baths all the time are what you do.

Every month! I get hives from their dander :anon: But bathing them once a month solves the problem.

I bathe Macho every 2-3 weeks , he sits in the tub looking at me meowing that's all LOL

Mine are bathed once a month before shows, I still bathed them after the end of show season.

I bathe my cat every now and then. I do this primarily because I am allergic to cats and feel it helps, at least according to my allergist, and also because she is very overweight and can't reach all of her areas to clean herself. I always start bathing when they are small so that they are used to it when it comes time. I also use a method of tying the cat up so that it doesn't choke them (learned from working at vet clinics/groomers). This way they know that struggling gets them no where and they just sit still the entire time, crying loudly of course! :lol3:

Your allergist is correct! It does help tons with allergies. The dander produced by the cat licking and licking is so sticky that really only bathing and cleaning the home regularly are the only real effective ways of controlling allergies somewhat. There are other things that help some. But they just aren't quite as effective! :)

I wouldn't say my cats love being bathed. But they pretty much just sit there now. They'll get a little anxious if I take too long and try to jump out. But a gentle hand on the chest stops them and they sit like good little soldiers again! :lol:

Show home here but even the non show cats get bathed at the very minimum every two months...the Persian gets bathed every 2-3 weeks.

our Himalayen gets bathed about every month but the others only get bathed when they need it.

Nope, I use kitty wipes

I bathe Alice occasionally. She has longer hair with a thick undercoat, when I added occasional baths to regular combing it seemed to cut down a lot on shedding. Patches has short hair, I've never given him a bath, I don't see any reason to. I use Earthbath pet shampoo.

Our older cat, Sneakers, sometimes gets icky stuff in her hind-end fur, or her fur gets dandruffy or greasy. We bathe her whenever she needs it.

The two kittens in the house, Church (rescued shorthair) and "Roxy" (Maine Coon) are both going to be show cats. Church has been to one show so far and they are both going to another show next weekend. They are to be bathed before every show.

I bath my cat with pet shampoo and give her a hair cut (trim the chest, underside, and butt area) once a month. She's an indoor cat, so it's not like she gets really dirty, but it helps with allergies, flying cat hair, and knots.

She HATES it, but I have glass shower doors and a hand-shower to make it an easier process.

Pepper gets a bath every week. We use gentle shampoo and then conditioner. Then she gets an allergy protectant rinse. My husband is allergic. This helps a lot though, and Pepper doesn't mind. In fact, if we go more than a week without bathing her, she takes it upon herself to jump in the shower with us and get all wet. :lol3:

I bathe my cat every now and then. I do this primarily because I am allergic to cats and feel it helps, at least according to my allergist, and also because she is very overweight and can't reach all of her areas to clean herself. I always start bathing when they are small so that they are used to it when it comes time. I also use a method of tying the cat up so that it doesn't choke them (learned from working at vet clinics/groomers). This way they know that struggling gets them no where and they just sit still the entire time, crying loudly of course! :lol3:

Same here. It's not a routine/regular thing, but occasionally Bijou gets into something outside and rolls in the flower beds so needs some "assistance". I agree that getting them used to the occasional bath when young can help in the future should something happen that they need a bath.

Jack got a bath the day after we brought him home because he was covered in flea dirt and fleas. About 3 months later he got another bath cuz he was looking a little greasy. We intend on giving a bath every 3 months or so (or before my sister in law comes because she is allergic and I don't want her to suffer when she's here).

As some may have read my "bathtub" post in "whats up pussycat" Jack loves water so baths are pretty easy--we scruff him but he doesnt' struggle at all. He also gets blowdried afterwards.

Leslie

If Jack's a shorthair, blow drying the coat can make it too dry. Better to let shorthair cats air dry in a room with no drafts :)

Nope, I never have to bathe Lucy Belle yet. I only dip her paws in warm water a few times a week. And she throws a fit everytime. I can't imagine having to actually bathe her. I might have to wear a hazmat suit for that.:lol3:

My 2 solid white girls get baths every month. Molly is mostly white & gets them every few months. Otherwise, the others get them as needed. Bea, the LH foster gets them regularly because she doesn't groom herslef much at all.

Jack is a longhair.

Leslie

Smudge got bathed when she was a tiny baby because she would literally stand in her wet food while she ate, and had no idea how to clean herself.

Otherwise, my girls are indoor, and clean, so I have no need to bathe them.

Smudge got bathed when she was a tiny baby because she would literally stand in her wet food while she ate, and had no idea how to clean herself.It's cute but so messy when baby kittens eat wet food - or wet food + kmr if younger. They always get it all over their faces, heads, paws, siblings heads (from fighting over food), and you if you're not careful. :lol3:

I have had cats for 35 years and never once would I ever have thought to put them through the trauma of a bath! My cousins cat had a heart attack and died after being bathed. My cat did get oil on his paws once and I tried standing him in a sink with half an inch of water, the wailing the scratching, the trauma was horrendous. You can always wash them down with a warm wet flannel and a nice rub down with a soft towel.

For most cats, I would say no, it isn't necessary. I do occasionally bathe one of mine who is mostly white and not very meticulous about grooming - we're talking 2 or 3 baths a year, not weekly or even monthly. I clip her nails before the bath, give her a towel to stand on so she won't slip, and use a very mild, plain soap. It doesn't have to be traumatic. :)

....... It doesn't have to be traumatic. :)

I agree. Often cats will pick up on our own stress so if we don't get all stressed out before the bath, the cat is more likely to stay calm as well. It's sort of like that old expression that if you already expect the worst, then that's what will happen.

I bathed rocco since he was a little kitty kitty
when we got him desexed he came home from the vets covered with Fleas so we bathed him in flea shampoo
and we also got flea treatments to put on the back of his neck

he actually didnt mind being bathed.. id shower him (with my bikinis on of course) and he'd just lay over my shoulder

we showerd him not long ago.. he whinges a little now but he bares it..
:lol3:

My mother had a long-haired white cat in college that she bathed weekly. But I've only bathed a few cats, usually because they were covered in fleas. I know a few tricks, but I can't say any of them will get you out unscathed.

don't bathe unless something happens - they are inside only cats

Phoebe has learned to endure the occasional washing after a messy litter incident - she has long hair and things just get caught there - she mostly just squirms and squeaks a little while I gently wash her - afterwards, I think she's grateful to me :)

They've actually had one bath since they were little - and, Simon was hissing at the others - they just didn't smell right to him -- poor Simon, his nose knows something is different ... so, I resist bathing them unless it is called for - they get an occasional wet facecloth scrubbing, but, other than that - it's up to them :)

I've had to bathe Oscar twice, when he's come in smelling of tomcat. One of the horrible little critters by my house keep spraying all over our garden, all over Oscar's territory - even in the little tent we bought him for when it starts to rain but we've gone out and can't let him in. Anyway, my method has been to put him in the shower cubicle and shut the door, without the shower on. Let him sniff around a bit, then get in with him, put the shower on (it's a removable head so it's not soaking him) and give him a soak with a wet flannel then rinse it off. He's never happy, but he's not scratched me, not once. But he is quite chilled out in general. We take him to the vet and he just sits on the table like it's a couch. When he was neutered, the vet gave him back to us and he even found it in him to give her a little kitty kiss on her nose! Apparently all the nurses fell in love with him :heart:
But you can get pet wipes for general muckiness. A godsend in my humble opinion!

I started bathing dave when he was a baby so he could get used to it from a young age.

He has always been a bit of a doofus cat and a bit slower than the rest of the litter and I think this may be a reason he never made much effort cleaning himself.

I used to bath him maybe once a month roughly.

As soon as he got to just over a year old, it seemed to click with him about cleaning him self properly and I never had to do it so often, maybe once every couple of months or so, when he had been out in the rain and stuff.

I was always been very concious of how dirty he looks/smells as when I visit friends with cats who never get bathed, they look greasy and are not nice to stroke at all.

Cleo has been bathed twice and liked it. Seldon loves water but I only wipe him down occasionally. Bathing Mary is an exercise in torture. So she gets it rarely.

I bath them at least once a month or at most once a week :clap: I think the only time when they hate me is doing this bath thing and send them for boarding ( when I'm on vacation ) :lol3:

I give Monster a bath about every 3 months. hes longhaired, so i think it really helps him out, since he grooms himself ALL the time & he is constantly losing hair, so it cuts back how much hair he is swallowing. but sometimes, hes known to get into things, like once he went down into the basement & someone here had a thing of oil down there that he got into & got it all over him. so he gets bathed on those occasions too. ive been giving him baths since he was really little, when he was litter training still & sometimes would step in his poo while trying to cover it up. i kept up with the baths, & he got used to it, but still doesnt like it. he still tries to get away, & then when its over he grabs onto my shoulder & hugs me, and wont let go. plus, thats the only time he will allow me to clip his nails. i dunno y but he usually will stay in my arms for a while after getting a bath.

With Mittens, I havent had her that long, maybe a couple of months. she is shorthaired, so i dont think she needs to be bathed very often. i kno she has had baths before, bc my boss used to give her baths.

I have bathed my moms cat before, several times. she was very mean & HATED it.

i've been wondering is I should since we adopted both our cats (one from SPCA and the other from petsave) and the one from petsave has dandruff so it was a question i was going to ask maybe you guys can give me some advice?

I've bathed both of mine in exceptional circumstances. Carter when he soiled himself in his carrier coming back from the vet, and Lorelei to calm down severe flea allergy dermatitis.

I don't intend to be repeating this regularly though - the entire time I bathed Lorelei, she was yelling at the top of her lungs and Carter was crying outside the bathroom door because he was so worried about her. Which was cute...but man, what a stressful experience for the three of us. At least I figured out that as long as Lorelei could bury her head in my arm, she was a lot calmer...but this only worked until I had to lather...