How often should I bath Pitch

[zella]

Just gave my kitten Pitch his first bath today, here's a picture of him and my partner afterwards. Pitch got a little scared but for the most part he was alright.



Anyway I want to get Pitch really used to having baths, I was never quite thorough enough with it in my other cats and now bathing them is horrible. 

So my question is, how often should I bath him, like once a week, bi-weekly or monthly?

 

[rosiemac]

I've never bathed my cats, and that's why cats are known for being so clean because they can manage to do it themselves.

It can be stressful for them,  so personally l wouldn't put him through it

 

[zella]

I've heard that cats acctually dont mind baths once they get used to it. Its really just the not knowing whats going on that scares them. I don't really bath my other three cats anymore and they smell and when your all cuddled up and everything its terrible.

But yeah I hear a lot of things for and against it. Don't really know what to do now. I don't want to be upsetting them, I just want them to be all nice and clean haha.

 

[mrblanche]

I never bathe a cat, unless something really abnormal has happened, like uncontrolled diarrhea, getting in some sort of dirty situation, etc.

Keep in mind the domestic cat is descended from a desert animal and doesn't take well to water, generally.

 

[zella]

wow I really thought a lot of people did bath their cats.

My bad >.> I didnt know and Pitch is okay now, all happy again haha.

Guess I will think twice before doing it again.

 

[rosiemac]

Just give him a good brush every other day and that should be fine. I brush all three of mine and their fur is lovely and soft and they don't smell 

 

[GoldyCat]

I bathe my show cats a day or two before a show, but not in between. The cats who don't go to shows don't get baths, for the most part. There are exceptions---climb into the wood-burning stove when I'm cleaning it out, you get a bath. Fall in the toilet when a guest leaves the lid up, you get a bath. :lol3:

 

[missymotus]

Nothing wrong with bathing cats! If you want to bath him, then by all means you can. usually if you start them young they don't mind it. 

None of mine care too much, they just stand there and let me get on with it.

I do mine a few times a year, show cats might get an extra few before big shows but I don't bath before every show.

 

[StefanZ]

OK, so we do agree, inside only, short haired cats really dont need bath, hopefully ever.  (unlucky exceptions may occur).

We didnt never bathed our oldest resident even before shows. Just brush and smoothe the hair with a special leather cloth the day before the show.    He was never smelly, even when fertile stud.

That said, it is probably wise to learn them to bathe when they are kittens. Just to be prepared for these situations which MAY happen.  

It may be enough to just learn them bathe in luke warm water. Schampoo not always needed.

Ok, to the follow up questions.

What about  long haied cats?    I had always presumed they should be bathed now and then. Wrongly?

Or it may be enough if you brush them thoroughly enough often?

What about cats allowed to go outside now and then?

Lets say they are well behaving and dont happen to rolling themselves in tar nor other ****...

Because if they do they must be bathed, yes.

 

[sugarcatmom]

 I don't really bath my other three cats anymore and they smell and when your all cuddled up and everything its terrible.

I'm a little concerned that your other cats are smelly. Cats really shouldn't smell bad if they're healthy. What do you feed them, and how old are they? Do they have any medical conditions?

 

[StefanZ]

I'm a little concerned that your other cats are smelly. Cats really shouldn't smell bad if they're healthy. What do you feed them, and how old are they? Do they have any medical conditions?

Good questions, Sugarcatmom.  ( Ashamed I didnt reacted myself earlier! )

WHAT are they smelling? 

Dogs usually do smell. Cats usually do only smell clean. Occasionally they can smell a little pee, if some drop come upon them...  That is about all.

 

[mystik spiral]

I agree that if your cats smell bad there could be a health-related issue. I never bathe mine, and they don't smell at all. When I first adopted Holland the vet told me to bathe her twice a year. But then I talked with other cat owners who thought that bathing cats is pretty silly. So she's never had a bath. She is silky soft, and very clean.

 

[redvelvetone]

I've never bathed any of my pet cats and growing up we never bathed any of the family cats unless a situation arose that warranted it (we had an all-white cat and sometimes he'd get into the garage and under the car and get dirt in his fur so he'd get a bath then). I don't think that they need it as they are good at cleaning themselves. If they get into a dirty situation or maybe if they get older and are not as good about keeping up their cleaning...... but if their fur looks good and is healthy and shiny, then I wouldn't think it was necessary.