Are you supposed to give cats baths and if so...how do you do it??

Question

I have a cat and i don't know if i'm supposed to give cats baths or not. If i do...how do i go about that and how often do i have to give her one??

Answer 1

I am actually allergic to cats... But I have one. I found out its not the cat but what they pick up on their fur. I have an inside cat and wash her every once and a while. If shes out on the screened in patio all day then she'll really need it. Its not and Easy task by any means. I get a good grip with my hand under her front paws where she cant really claw me. I take her in the shower with me and wash her in there. She has all her claws so you have to be careful. One time I let her get to close to the shower curtain and it turned into Velcro for kitty claws. Don't get anything in their eyes and you'll be good. Mines a little fluffy so I use my hand to squeegy her off before I use a towel. Saves me lots of drying time. Shes looks kinda funny as she walks around my house kick-in off her feet like she stepped in something. Good luck. I have gone 6 months without giving her a bath. Depends on its living conditions and habits.

Answer 2

Cats clean themselves with their saliva, so it is not necessary to give cats baths per se, but if they get into something stinky, or you have allergies, it may be necessary, so...Yes, you can give cats baths, but no, they will not like it. So, How do you do it? Very carefully, and while wearing long rubber gloves incase the cat bites or scratches. Do not submerge the cat in water. This will cause the cat to freak out. Only put a small amount of water in the tub or sink. It should be warm, like what you would like, because cats have high body temps and cold or too lukewarm water will make them freak out also. Put some cat shampoo in the water but don't make it too soapy. Use a rag to distribute the water and soap on the cat. Holding the cat at the back of the neck (like how mother cats carry their babies) can help the cat be calmer. Do this firmly, but not for over a few minutes at a time because it actually decreased the blood flow to the brain, this is why it is calming to the cat. Don't get soap in the cat's eyes or on its face. Avoid getting the water and soap in the cat's ears also. The cat can groom these parts without your help. Rinse the cat the same way, or lightly spray the cat with water from a hose which is also comfortably warm. Towel dry the cat, and use brushes and a hair dryer on low heat if she will let you. She might be too annoyed for this. Your cat will lick itself following a bath as if you just contaminated her, so you may need to give her some hairball remedy. If you give cats baths regularly as kittens, they might get use to this and enjoy it. My experience, however, has been "Watch out!" The cat will more likely try to rip your arms off and bite to get away. If your cat bites you, wash the wound immediately very well, and put some kind of anti-bacterial or antiseptic on it ASAP. Cat bites can give people nasty infections, and are way worse than dog bites. Be sure and wear thick rubber gloves--good luck.

Answer 3

You dont HAVE to because cats are pretty clean animals...I mean unless they get fleas or dirty for some odd reason =]

The way I give my cats a bath is I fill up my sink with a little bit or warm water....sit the cat in it and with the spray thing wet my cat and I put the shampoo on & start massaging the shampoo all over their body and then I rinse it off completely & dry them up =]
They dont really like baths so they will most likely put up a fight...so good luck with that!! My advice is if they dont need it then why do it.

Answer 4

At the risk of sounding mean.. WHEN SHE'S DIRTY. Lol. There is no medical reason to clean her a certain amount, and so just smell her every once in a while. Unless hse smells or looks dirty, don't bother. Washing too often will strip her coat of natural oils and make her hair dry and brittle instead of silky. Some links are funny and the last is serious. Make sure her nails are clipped beforehand and if possible use two people, one to hold and one to wash. Water should be warm, but not hot.

Answer 5

Cats clean themselves, they have an oil in their skin. If you do need to because of flees or smell you need to purchase a cat shampoo, because of the oil in their hair.
You would tape their paws, so you don't get scratched, and gently ease them in the water.
You can also take them to the vet if they have flees. The vet will give the cat something to rid them at first. If that doesn't work the vet will shave the cat and bath it. This is a vet's last resort cause he has to put it out while he does this and is a risk for the cats life.

Answer 6

Once you start bathing a cat, it will never clean itself again. My 5 year old cat has never been bathed and she has the cleanest, softest fur, becasue she takes good care of herself. I do brush her about 2-3 times a week and she loves it!!!

Answer 7

I have allergy's and bath my cats once a week. I started when they were kittens so they don't mind it. I have heard that bathing a cat in a big bucket gives them less room to feel insecure,

Answer 8

I do that occasonally, because I have a white cat and I live in Georgia with the 'Georgia Red Clay'. If they are young, then I would do it in the sink, yes he/she will meow constantly, but it is worth it. (make sure if it is a kitten that hasn't gotten shots, that you get it dry very fast, or they can get really sick and die). And for older cats, I just wash him in the shower, I close the shower curtain and use the shower nozzel. (it is harder if you give him/her a bath.) It is also easier if you have a glass box shower, because you could 'take a shower' with her and she can't escape it.

Answer 9

you could give them baths but its really hard when ever i give my cat a bath it tries to jump out of the bath and runs away all wet also he scratches maybe your cat will like it also you can get a groomer to wash it

Answer 10

maximum cats do particularly lots washing on their very own, yet whilst they get grimy, washing them in a bathtub is high quality. i might particularly use income or some thing like that for flea administration, yet whilst this is undesirable adequate you will possibly choose for to bathe them to do away with flea droppings. on the different hand, specific cats, like the "hairless" Sphinx require known bathing.