*This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn commissions.*

Most Cats RARELY Need a Bath

Indoor only cats are one of the cleanest animals out there! If you sniff one when they are cuddling with you they often smell like a stuffed animal. Cats HATE to be dirty. One thing cats are known for is vomiting up fur balls with some regularity. Where do you think that fur comes from…THEM! Why? Because they are grooming themselves ALL THE TIME! Sometimes they will groom a sibling or playmate too.

Now if you just Google this question it will say every 4-6 weeks. WRONG! Check veterinarian websites and they will say something like I am telling you here. I see stuff on social media where people are showing giving their cat a bath. Why?

First of all most cats HATE getting wet. They feel like something is on their fur and they just want to get it off. Secondly, this can be bad for their skin or coat. Thirdly, they will usually throw a fit with scratching, yowling, wrestling etc. And after this “assault” they will most likely hide and not be too friendly for some time. Owners also risk the possibility of unwanted behavior issues if the bathing routine is too frequent and the trauma too intense.

We have had dozens and dozens of cats over the years. Many we had for a brief time and some we have had for several to many years. It has been very rare when we have given a cat a bath simply because it is not necessary and we don’t want to stress out our babies.

Now with that said there are exceptions and scenarios where a bath is probably a good idea or truly a necessity. Some examples might include : if the cat has something on them that would be unhealthy or dangerous for them to lick off, or a health condition, or maybe a wound that needs cleaning.

This might include something your cat stepped in, or spilled on themselves such as chemicals, oils, some plant pollens. Anything spicy, sauces, liquids that are safe for humans to consume, but not cats should also be washed off. One example that cat owners don’t often consider are air freshener sprays or diffusers. These do often contain chemicals that are not healthy or safe for cats. Even if they get a little bit on their fur or paws they will eventually be licking those areas to clean them off. This will end up with them ingesting potentially harmful substances.

Older cats or overweight cats that can’t easily bend around to clean themselves “back there” might need some help. Long haired cats sometimes have “cling-ons” back there. A pair of scissors might be better in many of those type of scenarios so try that first.

Cats that are ill or having some digestion issues and have runny poo can have some areas on their hind quarters or legs that need some extra cleaning. They will try to clean those areas, but you really don’t want them ingesting their own runny poo since this can cause them to have more runny poo later. You may need to give your cat a bath for fleas or ringworm too.

Now some of these examples may not require a full on bath, but perhaps a wet cloth with a little dab of soap. Always make sure whatever your doing that there is nothing left on your cat like soap residue etc. Even a little soap residue will most likely cause diarrhea after being ingested when they clean that area themselves later.

We had a tiny kitten overnight that got swarmed with ants while in the house sleeping. As soon as we saw him we rushed him to the sink to wash them off. Then it was a mad dash to the ER vet. Luckily he survived a bunch of bites. That was my Monkey.

Occasionally, you might come across a cat that doesn’t mind water and being wet or actually enjoys being wet. That would be Squish. A family member had their toddler son in the tub with some shallow water. His cat buddy Arlo who was still a young guy just jumped right in the tub and walked around for a bit. If you think your cat might be one of these rare exceptions let them make the call. Let them experiment and see if it’s their cup of tea or not. DON”T force the issue. If your cat was mildly curious about water and a human forces the issue, then the cat will most likely have a negative connection with water. This could make the cat scared of water forever and that could be a big problem later if you do need to bath it for some necessary reason. Instead of grabbing your cat let the cat go explore and you grab your camera for some potentially amazing video.

In another article we will discuss some tips on how to bath your cat if it’s determined that it’s really needed.