When somebody asks how often should I bathe my cat, I smile and think of Jaxon Galaxy saying “Step away from the bath tub, a cat is NOT a dog”
So, should you give your indoor cat a bath? In short – NO. Unlike dogs, cats spend many hours fastidiously cleaning themselves to cover themselves with their scent. If you give them a bath you are effectively removing this and by default their ID!
However, there are extenuating circumstances where a bath may be necessary. Did they get into something they shouldn’t clean off themselves? Are they unable to clean themselves? Have they become too old to clean themselves? Or are they a hairless cat breed like the Sphynx cat which needs bathing? If they are strictly indoor cats, they should stay relatively clean on their own.
Are You Supposed to Bathe Indoor Cats?
If they’ve gotten into something that could be dangerous to them if they clean themselves, then you need to bathe them ASAP. It’s important to be sure you always have cat cleansing wipes and/or cat shampoo on hand for this reason. If they are an older cat or physically incapable of cleaning themselves, using the cleansing wipes would be suggested about once a week (more if they get dirty more often).
There is also one breed of cat that does require bathing and that is the Sphynx Cat. This hairless breed needs bathing to remove the build-up of oils that accumulates on its skin. Unlike its furry relatives, the Sphynx cat has no hair to wick away the oils that are secreted from its skin. These oils then build up on their skin leaving an oily residue that transfers to your sofa, bed and other places they frequent. Careful bathing is required to maintain your Sphynx’s coat.
Why do I suggest always keeping cat shampoo on hand? I had to give my oldest cat two emergency baths (so far). One was because he snuck out into the garage and hid under the car until I could get him out, only to discover that he was covered in an oily, greasy mess.
I rushed him to the bathroom and started to give him a bath. I ended up having to shampoo, rinse, and repeat three times to get it out of his fur. The second time was when he thought the toilet lid was down and jumped right into the toilet water. That bath was much easier and shorter since I just had to shampoo him once and rinse him off.
Here is what else you can expect to learn from this article:
- How to bathe a cat.
- The best way to bathe a cat.
- Tips on drying them off.
- How often should I bathe my indoor cat.
- Tips that I learned along the way.
How to Bathe a Cat
In most cases, indoor cats do not need to be bathed with traditional water and cat shampoo. They are usually capable of cleaning themselves without any help. Although, there are situations where a cat cannot bathe themselves due to physical or mental limitations. That is where the amazing person (that’s you!) who took them in to cuddle and love them unconditionally comes to the rescue.
If your cat needs a bath due to being dirty but not due to his/her limitations, make sure you have everything you will need. This includes the proper area for a bath (large with nothing for them to grab onto), cat approved shampoo, a detachable shower head (a cup works as well), a washcloth is optional but handy, and two to three towels.
One towel is to help catch the water coming from the sprayer or the thrashing mad cat, one is to help you dry off, and the other is to dry them once finished.
If you’re doing the tub method, a knee pad or something of the sort is also a good idea and helps you stay comfortable and not rush through the bath.
When I gave my cat a bath, I would have him stand against the wall of the tub like he was about to be frisked. His arms up and his paws on the wall. He would cry the whole time, but he obliged.
How to Give a Cat a Bath (Without Dying)
Using lukewarm water, gently start to wet them down starting from the neck and going down toward the tail. Do not get water in the ears. Avoid the face with the running water so you don’t stress them out any more than necessary (use a damp washcloth instead).
After they are wet, get some shampoo and work it into their fur in a circular motion. The biggest reason I had him stand against the wall like this was because it made the rinsing off stage so much easier; gravity did most of the work!
I started at the neck and let the water wash down his body. Make sure you get all the shampoo rinsed out completely.
Tips for Drying Your Cat After a Bath
I do not recommend using a hair dryer. I say this from personal experience. Most cats don’t like them; it’s like the vacuum to them.
With them already being stressed out from the absolute torture they just endured from the bath, I would suggest not stressing them out any more than you must and just use the towel to dry them off a bit.
You won’t be able to do much as they will want to run off and start bathing themselves right away.
How Often Should I Bathe My Cat?
It truly isn’t necessary to bathe them at all unless they get into something they can’t clean off effectively or safely. If you want to bathe them anyway, it is easier to start the habit at the kitten stage when they are more curious and easier to handle. Once they realize it isn’t so bad, they will learn to enjoy having a bath over time.
If you don’t use the proper cat shampoo, you could dry out their skin and cause irritation if you do it too often. The same goes with the temperature of the water; try not to let the water be too hot or too cold.
Tips I Learned About Bathing Indoor Cats
- Clipping their nails the day beforehand is a good idea so they have time to relax after that torture session and this is also so you don’t get deep cuts during bath time.
- You could also brush them a few hours beforehand to help get some loose fur off (they will shed a good bit during the bath due to the stress).
- Using a handheld showerhead was a life safer. I never filled the tub with water and gave them a bath that way. It just didn’t seem as effective to me to take a bath in the water with the dirtiness coming off them going into that same water. Which is why I use the mini shower method, by having him stand against the wall and showering him down that way.
- My showerhead had a pause option that I could turn the water off at the shower head when I wasn’t using it instead of the faucet so that the water temperature would stay the same.
- I made sure to always have the bathroom door closed, in case he managed to escape the tub, that way he couldn’t get the whole house wet, and I could quickly grab him and get him back into the tub.
- I talk softly to him the whole time and coo him trying to soothe him.
In conclusion, should you give your cat a bath? It really isn’t generally necessary. Some cats despise water altogether and there will be absolutely no baths without them putting up a huge fight. Some cats are like fish and some cats become olympic gymnasts once the water turns on. Until you get them into that bathroom you may not know which one your cat truly is.
So, leave bath time to them and trust that they are doing a good job when it comes to cleaning themselves. If you feel like they don’t seem to bathe much, try squirting them with some water (not in the face) and see if they lick it off. If they don’t respond correctly to the water, then I hope you learned from this article the proper way to bathe your cat and some helpful tips to get you both through the torture of it.
I’m an indoor cat convert and created My Indoor Cat to help other indoor cat owners make the best choices for their cats and kittens.
