do you ever wash your cat?

Question

i have had a cat my whole life but we never wash it should we?

Answer 1

I started washing mine when they were kittens, just to get them used to it while they were small.

I rarely bathe them now that they're adults, because they keep themselves clean and they don't really get into anything anymore.

It's a tough call. I've bathed sick cats. That's counter-intuitive, but sometimes a cat can get so depressed by being unclean that it gives up. A bath can perk them back up. Or it can stress them out and make them worse. I guess it depends on the personality of the cat.

Because I bathed ours as kittens, our vet was able to work with them more easily. In fact, she removed a tooth from one of ours while I held him. She had never done that before. She was trying to explain to me why she would have to put him under to remove it, but when she started working with him, instead of getting anxious, he just let her remove it. She was so shocked.

I think if cats learn early on that they can trust you to handle them and that things like bathing and grooming are no big deal, it really pays off in an emergency.

Answer 2

If you are assuming that cats take care of all their grooming needs themselves, think again.

Your role in your cat's grooming is a little more complicated than simply running a brush through his fur.

While keeping the coat clean, shiny, and untangled is a large part of the job, your cat's toilette is not complete until his claws are trimmed, his eyes and ears cleaned, and his teeth brushed.

Your duties may even extend to bathing your pet in some instances: for longhair cats, on occasion, and for older cats no longer flexible enough to completely groom themselves.

Not only does all this maintenance keep your cat beautiful, but some of it also serves as preventive medicine. The more hair you remove by brushing, for instance, the less your cat will ingest when he grooms himself, reducing the number of hairballs he throws up and averting a potentially deadly blockage of the intestines by clumps of hair.

Answer 3

I have never washed or had washed most of my cats who are 14, 13,12,10. I have a 22 yr old cat who does not groom herself anymore so she goes to a groomer every four to six weeks for a combout and bath.

Answer 4

My cats get a bath every 1-2 months...it started out (this sounds cruel) that the only way to give them baths was to put them in the shower and turn on the water...it got the job done with minimal pain. Then one got to where I could bathe her (took a lot of effort but it was possible), but the other was still deathly afraid of water. When we moved into a house we gained a tub and shower in the master bedroom suite vs just a shower so I was always taking bubble baths...now the one who is deathly afraid of water with jump in the tub (no water in there) and let me turn on the water to a drizzle and he will slap at the water. About 2 weeks ago, he got his first official BATH! I personally prefer to bathe my cats...just to keep them clean b/c even though they are indoor, they still get into stuff and it helps keep the cat dander down...but its really up to you. If you cat doesn't like water, then work with it some and over time they may actually come around like my runt here...

Answer 5

My boy cat seem to like to roll in the litter. So I bathe him a few times a year as needed. My girl cat is 2 and has only had 2 baths, but she dosen't smell or get dirty. She is really shy also so I don't like to bathe her. So If your cat isnt dirtly he probably don't need a bath. If you want you can wet a washcloth, and wash him/her that way...

Answer 6

I have never washed a cat in my life and wouldn't even want to try to unless I wanted to get hurt.

Answer 7

Yes, cats can have baths. You can do it yourself, but easier to take them to a groomer. Call and ask first if they do cats. They will also trim nails and clean their ears. Not the best time in the winter if you live where the air is dry do to heating the house. Cats can have very dry skin. I used to have a long haird cat who was older and had bad digestive problems due to hairballs. I had him bathed and trimmed on a regular basis. He seemed to be much happier.

Answer 8

If it's an indoor only cat, a bath isn't really necessary, but it can do some good from time to time. Just not very often because it can dry out their skin. But it does help cut down on the dander. For a time after we adopted our male, we had to bathe him about once a month because my allergies to his dander would start getting bad. After his bath, he didn't bother me so bad. I no longer have the allergy symptoms, and he does an excellent job cleaning himself, so I don't worry about it too much.

Answer 9

Having washed cats many a time, i will get excitement from your humor. the 1st ingredient I could do is clip their claws, take the pointy assistance off with nail clippers. yet they particular could be a handful. over the years I particularly have found out techniques and this isn't any longer rather some a difficulty anymore. particularly, as quickly as they dry off, they like it. They purr plenty afterwards.

Answer 10

You should - just to keep her hygenic for your sake - not so much hers.

Giving a cat a bath is much easier of you started getting used to it as young cats. She will scratch the h3ll out of you and scream a lot I bet. It will be easier on everyone if you take the cat to a grooming place.