how much is too much baths

i have two kittens. I got them when they were 8 weeks old, i have a question on much you give a bath. i gave my kittens a bath every three week, only because the male, for some reason like to roll in the litter after i clean it but after three weeks, i feel they smell. my boyfriend tells me only once every two months. i really dont know


so is after three weeks tooo much??!?!?

I bathe Oliver once a month... I believe some show cats get bathed more often (depends on the frequency of the shows I guess - I don't know a whole lot about showing)... cats do a pretty decent job of keeping themselves clean - I bathe Oliver more because my mom is slightly allergic to him (and since graduation, I'm back living with my parents) and my boyfriend's allergic too so the bathes, they say, make things better for him.... he also tends to transfer his stinky wet cat food breath to his fur... you just want to make sure you're not drying out your kitties' skin - the natural oils they produce are necessary for healthy skin and coat... I don't think every 3 weeks is too too frequent, but maybe try stretching it to once a month instead

I was looking for some informative links to post for you, but found this one instead: http://www.delmars.com/kitcats/catsbath.htm

Anyway, my cats are 3 & 5 years old and have never been bathed. I'm part of the "cats don't need baths" camp, especially if they are shorthaired and strictly indoors. But if you feel you must, I would not recommend doing it more than once a month - and use the mildest kitty shampoo you can find. (Like Earthbath or Biogroom.) Bathing really strips the hair & skin of it's natural oils.

3 weeks to once a month is just fine. Too much bathing without using the right products and knowledge will cause tha coat to dry out and may cause split ends.

Originally Posted by kittyTales

I was looking for some informative links to post for you, but found this one instead: http://www.delmars.com/kitcats/catsbath.htm

Anyway, my cats are 3 & 5 years old and have never been bathed. I'm part of the "cats don't need baths" camp, especially if they are shorthaired and strictly indoors. But if you feel you must, I would not recommend doing it more than once a month - and use the mildest kitty shampoo you can find. (Like Earthbath or Biogroom.) Bathing really strips the hair & skin of it's natural oils.

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Hahaha, I love the article! It's one of those things you can picture in your head... Oliver's actually really good about his baths - although I do put him in his harness and leash and attach him to the tub juuuuust to be sure... basically once he's wet, he realizes he's lost the battle (I think it actually helps he was a street kitty and probably got rained on).... usually he'll just gripe some when he's either had enough or when I'm washin his boy parts... once in awhile, such as his bath a few days ago, he pees in the tub haha... poor thing, there's no way for me to tell if he's gotta go beforehand, so he just assumes the position mid bath and lets go haha

I would use a comb a few times a week. What kind of litter are you using? What kind of food are you feeding? Using dusty litter or poor foods could cause the kitten to smell in a short time.

And what are you washing him in? If you are gonna wash more then once a month, you need to be using some conditioner too for the coat so it doesn't dry out.

My cats get a bath almost every two weeks because I don't use flea medicatons. They don't complain too much; I should post a pic of their smiles when they are fluffy and dry and sitting like bunny rabbits afterwards.

In the meantime, if I do see them scratch, they get a squirt of 50/50 water/ vinegar mix on their backs for fleas. (I think it may be fleas! I never see fleas on them, but they will scratch like they have a flea or two.) They are indoor cats.

Originally Posted by kittyTales

I was looking for some informative links to post for you, but found this one instead: http://www.delmars.com/kitcats/catsbath.htm

Anyway, my cats are 3 & 5 years old and have never been bathed. I'm part of the "cats don't need baths" camp, especially if they are shorthaired and strictly indoors. But if you feel you must, I would not recommend doing it more than once a month - and use the mildest kitty shampoo you can find. (Like Earthbath or Biogroom.) Bathing really strips the hair & skin of it's natural oils.

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I agree. My cat never goes out and is medium haired. I can stick my nose in his fur and smell nothing. He also has the softest, silkiest fur I have ever felt.

I think frequent brushing (and a good diet) does a lot more to help their skin and fur than a bath does.

Originally Posted by meow meow

I agree. My cat never goes out and is medium haired. I can stick my nose in his fur and smell nothing. He also has the softest, silkiest fur I have ever felt.

I think frequent brushing (and a good diet) does a lot more to help their skin and fur than a bath does.

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Ditto..........

Hmmm..every three weeks sounds like too often IMHO. I like to give baths every 2-3 months, usually a few days before I need to reapply flea treatment.

Originally Posted by kittyTales

I was looking for some informative links to post for you, but found this one instead: http://www.delmars.com/kitcats/catsbath.htm

Anyway, my cats are 3 & 5 years old and have never been bathed. I'm part of the "cats don't need baths" camp, especially if they are shorthaired and strictly indoors. But if you feel you must, I would not recommend doing it more than once a month - and use the mildest kitty shampoo you can find. (Like Earthbath or Biogroom.) Bathing really strips the hair & skin of it's natural oils.

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That is absolutely hilarious I don't bath my cat very often,

hi,

i brought this shampoo for hairball that is meant for kittens. i got it from petco, the name is HARTZ( the company), infusions, conditioning shampoo, with hairball prevention. I brush my cats every other day only because they like it, i mean LOVE it. they sit there, and wait for the brush. and get mad when i stop brushing. I use Fresh Scoop, mutiple cat. should i change? I feed them royal cannin ( i forget name) for kittens, and pro plan purina for wet food for kittens.

they dont mind the bathe, they just sit there. like a limb kitten, the first time i thought it would be difficult, and it wasnt. I was reading, caring for kittens for dumb people, to learn how to bathe a kitten right.

I think every 3 to 8 weeks is fine. Maybe not necessary but it won't hurt.

I have a FeLV + kitty that has mouth ulcers, and his fur gets slimy and smelly because of it. He gets a bath when needed for the smell, and honestly, he seems to feel better after one (although he HATES to get a bath!) he is anemic and is having trouble keeping himself clean...

The orphan kittens I am bottle feeding get one when they get smelly or dirty... which is about every 3 days. I used Biogroom cat & kitten conditioning shampoo (which smells like baby powder) it's gentle and smells great

my cat would never let me bathe her, shes like the devil when she knows it's bath time so it's very rare that i bath her.

Originally Posted by Unicacat

so is after three weeks tooo much??!?!?

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I give mine a bath once a week. It is suggested that this breed (Sphynx) be bathed more often, say once a week or once every couple to three weeks based on how often the individual cat needs it.

Originally Posted by cococat

I give mine a bath once a week. It is suggested that this breed (Sphynx) be bathed more often, say once a week or once every couple to three weeks based on how often the individual cat needs it.

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Sphynxes (and I would assume all other bald cats) are a completely different kettle of "fish"...since they have no fur, their skin tends to get more oily. Indeed, it is my understanding that they use completely different shampoos form the norm (and I talk of the norm for show cats). Oily skin tends to clog pores and have a different set of problems.