should i bath my kitten ?

I was just wandering should i bath my kitten. If yes how often and how careful should i be.
Oh yea and another thing.
Today i came back from school and picked up my cat he relaxed then looked into my eyes.He then pounced on my lips and cut it. it hurt so badly(hes sleeping on me so its hard too type)any way i can stop his agression.

I would bathe him just so he is use to it for a later date when it is absolutely necessary. Once a month with a detergent & soap free kitten shampoo is fine.

As for the aggression I would say loudly and in an authoritative voice NO. And ignore him for 5 minutes. Make it known that if he's rough he doesn't get attention.

I agree - the same with taking pills or being lead trained - you never know when you are going to need these things so it is a good idea to get them used to it all as early as possible (not using real pills of course - break a treat up or a small piece of cheese)

I usually give kittens a bath at least a few times before they are grown as a just in case thing. Some become show cats and will be washed on a regular basis. Others will get a bath twice a year, maybe 3 times.

If your kitten is longhair, but sure to comb ALL tangles out before wetting the cat and you will have to blow dry and comb as drying.

You can use a mild shampoo and conditioner on the kitten.

Unless your cat is a show cat, you should never need to bathe it, so no. Cats wash themselves and keep themselves very clean. I wouldn't traumatize a kitten (or an adult cat) by washing him/her for no reason.

I don't see any need to bathe your cat unless you are allergic to him or he is dirty. Cats are great at keeping themselves clean.

As for aggression, you didn't say how old he is but if he is a kitten he is probably just trying to "play" with your lips because they were moving. When my cat Da-Ku was a baby, he would bat at my eyes or mouth if I was laying or holding him within reach. He just stopped when I hissed at him (seriously, speak their language, it works) and he grew out of that quickley.

I have never bathed Trout..Maybe thats wrong, but she is perfectly clean on her own.

Kittens will stalk and pounce, its their nature..Watch those lips next time

If your cat is a long haired cat then yes, I recommend you start getting him used to being bathed. It doesn't matter if he's a show cat or not. Most long haired cats need to be bathed at least occassionally and when they're a kitten is a good time to start. Once a month should be plenty while he's a kitten (just so he gets used to it). Make sure you use a kitten safe shampoo. Don't use anything with tea tree oil in it. And beware of dog shampoos. Most dog shampoos are not suitable for cats or kittens. Make sure you rinse your kitten well. A sink or rubbermaid tub full of water with a copule tablespoons of white vinegar in it will help get all the soap out when rinsing and also helps to restore the ph balance of your cats skin.

If you have a short haired cat then I don't see a need to bathe him unless he gets into something or as someone else mentioned, if you are allergic (it does help a lot for allergies). Bathing also helps to get all the dead hair out if your cat is an excessive shedder. But you have to make sure to comb and brush the cat well first. If he/she has mats and you bathe him with them, they will get worse. Bathing also helps the coat be more managable (for long haired cats) and easier to comb and keep mat free.

These are based on my experiences. I've had 7 Persians and countless other long haired cats over the last 48 years! (And too many to count short haired domestics!)

As far as him scratching your face... Kittens play and scratch so I wouldn't be too concerned with that. It's part of being a kitten. ONe thing you could do is have a vet or someone who knows how to do it, show you how to clip his nails safely.

I don't know about long-haired cats, but mine is a medium-haired Angora with a lot of hair and he needs no bathing. He keeps himself very clean. Daily brushing and combing are the solutions for his shedding; bathing would just make him wet.

I bathe Anya every few months. Its amazing how soft and beautiful her fur looks afterwards.

I agree with the members who say that like anything else its good to do it some when they're young so if you ever have to bathe them (like if they get very dirty and require a bath) you can do it yourself with no behavioral problems. But that's just my opinion.

I wash Kürşat every couple of months, his hair becomes much cleaner and I am sure its also helps cleaning his skin and inner hair as he is not able to reach deep inside with his very long hair.

I to feel there is no need to bath a cat, possibly a kitten, but certainly not to get them use to baths! I can't think of any reason you would suddenly need to lead your cat and giving pills? However, holding, possibly trimming claws, travel are excellent things to do as much as possible when young, as well as necessary in the future!

Originally Posted by Jen

I don't see any need to bathe your cat unless you are allergic to him or he is dirty. Cats are great at keeping themselves clean.

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I am with you on that. One reason swhy people get cats is becuase they do not need that type of care. The most you should do is get a comb and cut there nails every week or so.

I never bathe my cats. They're self-cleaning animals, and if something spills on them or they get into something, I spot-treat with a cleansing wipe, and let the cat do the rest. Bathing a cat is hard on their skin and coat, and also is a very stressful endeavor for most...it's really kind of pointless unless you have a show animal.

I don't think we know exactly what kind of coat the original posters cat has but actually, bathing it isn't exactly pointless, depending on what kind of cat it is. Especially if it is a long, thick haired cat. It really depends on the coat. It makes this type of coat much more managable, easier to comb and brush, easier to get the dead hair out. Some cats have a naturally very greasey coat and it's necessary to bathe them regularly. None the less, if for some reason you feel you are going to need to bathe your cat regularly, then it is better to get them used to it now. If you don't have a cat with a coat that has special needs, THEN it is pointless to start bathing him.

I know cats keep them clean but since I have bad allergy, I do shower them every couple of months. In between, I just use a cat moist wipe every other day that has aloe and vitamin E to clean their coat and dander. Most of all, I need to keep their butt clean otherwise it does get a bit on the smelly side, especially when they try to sleep next to my face with their butt facing me. If you do give your cat a bath, I would suggest trimming their nails first.

I think I read on one of these forums that kitties can feel threatened if they are stared at. Try blinking at him slowly and often to reassure him.

It could also be he was just trying to play.