So many people down on giving cats bath, why?

Question

I get that most of the time cat don't "need" baths as they are fastidious self groomers, but the number of people who say it's always bad or mean to do it I just don't get? Sure you should not
do it often, say only every 6w max, to protect their skin and oils,
but most people WILL need to bath a cat at some point. So if you most like will need to bathe it at some point when they roll in something icky, what's wrong with letting them get used to it early while they are kittens? Putting an adult cat in a tub for the first time will be much harder then if you got them started young. It may not be "utterly necessary", but some people posting seem to think it is totally unhealthy or dangerous, and a few seem to think it is borderline abusive? I get if you just don't want to bother with the fuss for your inside short haired cat, especially if they are grown, but do most people here think it is really a "Bad Idea Always" with the exception of flea, medical issues, or grubbyness?

Also, for anyone who doesn't bathe their Persian, or long haired cat, I don't understand how you could not bathe them at least every 2-3months? Mine starts looking like an oil slick if I don't, and every I have read says it is too much for them lick clean alone?

They won't claw you if you start them young though and go slow, don't run water, make noise, ect ect ect. There are ways to do it with much less trauma. And some cat breeds are know for their low of swimming BTW, or fasination with water. Cats in the wild DO get wet too, either on purpose or not :)

I have three cats, one gets bathed every 6-8 weeks (the Persian) and more often when it is humid as she gets more greasy, less in cold dry times when she is drier. The second gets a bath about 4 times a year, or when her back end gets icky (she is medium haired and can't reach her back end very well because she was born with no tail and this deformity makes it hard for her to bend). My oldest abby-tabby used to be bathed a few times a year if she looked greasy, but as she is almost 18y she told me she won't put up with it anymore. She was fine when younger, but no more. Since she really doesn't need it very much, I just wipe her down with a damp warm cloths to shine her up . All my cats are indoors only BTW

I do bathe my girls, and I did find techniques that made it all go much smoother, and with my youngest Persian, that meant doing it as a kitten when I first got her, but her breeder gave her a few baths already so she was great from the start or as great as a cat will be.

Yep rinsing is VERY important, and not doing it will do more bad things for their skin then the water will :)

Crystal makes a good point about allergies, a bath once a month can really help out allergy sufferers and some could not keep their cats otherwise.

I really get and respect someone's decision not to bathe if they chose, I just don't get the high number of answers saying it is bad for a cat's skin or one person even said immune system? I just never heard anyone say it was as bad as that, and wondered how many cat owners really felt it was bad to bathe?

Answer 1

It messes with their skins oil too much, I avoid it. When my boy got fixed, he was a bit smelly, so I waited till he had healed, then I gave gim a dry shampoo, it's like mousse, you rub it in and brish it out, his coat is all clean and shiny from it. Problem solved, and he's indoors so he doesn't get out in the dirt, so there's no need for further bathing.

Answer 2

I think some people tend to overreact and let common sense go out the window. We have given our two indoor only cats a bath once now, they are both around the 6 month mark in age...cats do keep pretty clean but some may need a little more help grooming than others and especially if a cat is getting into stuff outdoors who wants that mess indoors? There is nothing mean washing a cat, they tend to hate water more than a dog but that doesn't mean it's cruelty. Really the bath goes pretty quick, the cat gets a little dried off and scampers off to lick himself some...if it's so mean why do our cats come back to us for pets and cuddling if it's such a trauma. I agree too giving the odd bath when younger could help a bit but most cats never quite enjoy a bath regardless.

Answer 3

Yes occasionally a cat might need a bath. It happens, you just usually need more than one person to get it accomplished! lol One of my cats (domestic long hair) occasionally just starts looking kind of rough about once a year (even though he gets brushed and everything) and receives a bath. My other cat (a Persian) however has never needed a bath by me. He also gets brushed, I just think he takes better care of his coat (grooming wise) than the other. However giving a cat a bath often (more than once every couple months I think) is usually not necessary. If the cat has issues that really requires a bath more often than that, it might be a health issue (either diet not sufficient to keep coat in good shape, or hormones, or a different health problem all together).

Answer 4

Some cats just are not very good at grooming and require baths. One of my cats was adopted as a kitten and he didn't really know how ot groom and was STINKY because he also didn't really understand the litterbox, he used it but would get pee all over him and poop too, so we needed to bathe him.

I also have allergies to cats and the cats require occasional baths for my own health. I had testing done before getting them, but my allergy is respiratory, so it didn't show up until I had the cat for a couple weeks and loved her. It was only mild to her, so occasionaly baths for her, and medication for me if I forgot the bath, and it was good. Then I was given the kitten I mentioned above and I becamse super sick. Kittens are worse for allergies than adult cats, but as he grew up and learned to groom, and I becamse tolerant to both cats, they don't need baths as often. Maybe 1-2 times a year now. I also have some wipes I use on them on occasion.

It is not bad to bathe a cat. Sometimes it just needs to be done. Some cats also tend to get really oily and gross looking if they don't get an occasional bath.

The only bad thing I can think of is that if it is done too often and dries out the skin or they are not kept warm while they are wet. I always crank up the heat a bit when it is bath time so they won't be chilly.

Answer 5

The only time any of my cats has gotten a bath has been if they've had a serious flea infestation. I have both long and short haired cats and they keep clean just fine without baths. If they get hairballs you can give them a special gel to help them get rid of them. (They throw them up, in case you didn't know that.) I don't know if it's abusive -- in fact I had one strange cat who LIKED water and jumped into the bathtub when I was bathing, but most cats really hate the water and fight like monsters to keep from getting wet. It's abusive to you if nothing else, lol. Actually, I don't think I've ever had a cat roll in something "icky" either. I always thought only dogs did that.

Answer 6

I *tried* starting my cat on bath's when she was a kitten. No matter what-she will never let me live through an entire bath. I can get her head wet in the sink, but then all of her claws come out and I end up looking like Freddy Kruger.

She's a short haired cat, so I just brush her hair once a week to cut down on shedding.

Answer 7

When my 2 Maine Coons were kittens they had to be bathed to get rid of their fleas that the mother was infested with.
After that they kinda liked being around water especially when we take showers or baths.
So I guess you kinda have a point, if you insist on doing it start em young.

I don't have any reason to bath my cats now because they are very clean and primarily live in doors. If their paws get wet or muddy from being outside I will wipe em off w/a towel, and an occasional brushing.
Not sure I would wanna bath my 23 pound Main Coon now on my own if I had to.
Trip to the emergency room!

Answer 8

I agree with you. The truth is that most people don't know how to properly bathe their kitties without getting the battle armor on and it's a relatively easy procedure to provide a rubber bathmat for the cat to hang onto in the tub. I do see a tendency for people not to thoroughly rinse their cats and residue can cause skin dryness. Some breeds like the Sphinx and Kohona cats do require weekly baths to remove excess oil build-up since they have no hair to absorb that gunk. Those cats are accustomed to being bathed from a very early age and it's not a big deal to them. Turkish Vans swim voluntarily and there have been individual cats who do actually enjoy water.

Answer 9

I've known the odd cat to get motor oil on them and need that bathed off but other than that, few of the many cats I've known have ever needed a bath in their entire lives!

The only thing that really bothers me are people who use flea shampoos - THIS is the bad thing! Flea shampoos do NOT work, they're a ridiculous thing. Sure, they wash fleas off, most baths would, and then people assume the problem is sorted but it isn't, because shampoos are not preventatives.

Of all the reasons to bath a cat, flea treatment should NOT be one of them!

Chalice

Answer 10

The general idea is that cats are clean by nature, however, they do need a hand every now and then. Have you given your cat baths yet? I had a Persian once and he needed baths occasionally as he would go in the attic and comeback like dustpan.
You need to look at pet books and follow your vets advice.If they are still kittens (3-6 Mos. old) try getting them used to the idea by doing it maybe every couple months, but make sure you rinse them well or they swallow shampoo, etc.

Answer 11

I agree with you on several points.

1) It's better for them to get used to it as kittens/ young adults than to stick an older cat in a bath for the first time.
2) It is not "cruel" to give a cat a bath. Sure they don't like it, but a lot of 2 year olds don't like baths or eating their vegetables. Should we stop doing what's good for them just because they don't like it.
3) It's not unhealthy unless you do it TOO often and are harming the cat's fur and skin as a result.

One of my cats likes to jump in the shower with me. I always find her in the tub waiting for me to turn on the water.