Are you supposed to give cats a bath ?

I noticed some people mentioning they give their cats a bath. Growing up my parents used to tell us not to do that because its bad for them. Maybe they just didnt want us to pester the cats.

They only time I ever gave any of our cats a bath was when my old cat Misty got sprayed by a skunk. It was not an easy task to perform and both my husband and I ended up with bites, scratches and smelling like the cat.

Don't cats generally clean themselves ?

Beth

 

There is absolutely no reason to regularly bathe your cat. You're right....they do that themselves. Sometimes there are exceptions, like what you mentioned or a flea dip, etc.

 

I would never give my cats a bath. Besides the fact that they are indoor cats, they do clean themselves. However, my little Phoebe is a Bengal, and Bengals actually like to play in the bath tub, and they sometimes like it when you run the water. After you shut it off, they will stare at the drain as the water drains.

 

I give my cats baths every once in a while. I used to have a cat that went outside and he'd come back covered in dirt and/or burs, some of which he just couldn't get out himself. He never had too big of an issue with me doing so, but my current cat won't allow me to bathe her whatsoever. She'll freak out, claw every bit of you she can reach, and run as far away from the bath as she can get. She does let me spot clean her in the sink if she does get into stuff though.

 

Depends on the type of cat you have. If it's a regular cat, it can usually keep itself clean. If it's one of those long-haired breeds, then a bath is something necessary. If you teach your cats to take baths since they are kittens, they can do it without too much fuss. Or scratching.

 

As some have mentioned, it depends on the type of cat that you have. I would recommend it because it helps rid of fleas and keeps them from licking any particles that end up on their fur from around the house.

 

If your cats are infested with fleas, then a flea dip bath could certainly help. Once you get rid of them, though, then you should take preventative measures so that they don't get them again. And then you won't need to bathe them for that reason either.

 

I give them baths, not regularly, but occasionally. For example, when Bandit is sick, he tends to get a few Dangle Berries...if you will, so I ususally give him a bath. Pussington has been having issues with ear wax and Feline Acney, so I am giving her medicine for those which bring the gunk out of her ears. I don't want her eating that, so I will bath her.

Also in summer due to my cats thick coat, some days they will hide in the bath and I know they are too warm, so I will put them into a (not very) cold bath, that will cool them down and make them happier.

 

I like to bathe my bob from time to time, I think my in laws never do it tho. Or maybe not during winter. The line. ''but they bath themselves'' isn't enough for me. I bathe my Bob at least once every 2 months, he doesn't mind it that much anymore, of course that doesn't mean he likes it either

 

It is perfectly normal to give your cat a bath. But not everyday. Some cats love baths and others hate it. Cats generally lick the selves clean, kinda obvious

 

We have three cats. One of them loves having a bath and doesn´t take much care of her long hair. The other two are always clean and neat and hate water. The answer you are looking for will depend on how much your cat cleans itself, or if we are talking about an indoor cat or an outdoor cat.

 

We have two cats in our family, and when they were little, I used to give them baths regularly. But they don't seem to like it. So, I've decided to make it less frequent. I still give them a bath, but not too often as before.

 

Well my cat probably had one bath before he passed and that was when he first came home. I think we were so scared we might get some disease my son washed him off. We were real novices when it came to cats.

After that, baths would be planned but never came to fruition. I would say the licks would suffice. There were also times I would use wet wipes when he wanted to hang out in the bed with me (I heard that wasn't a good idea). None of this would last because eventually he left me well before his time.

 

Kitten hated to take a bath, so I rarely give them a bath. But now they grow up and always go out running, I give them take a bath every week. I heard that always take baths is bad for the health of the cats, so I also very tangled.

 

I have never thought to give my cats a bath, yes they are outdoor cats but they are certainly never in need of a bath. I guess it comes down to what others have already said about this, cats are clean creatures. I constantly see my cats cleaning themselves. Also, I think as many have stated cats don't seem to like water. Maybe this is why its possible to teach a dog to swim but not a cat, at least not that I know of. So, no I don't bathe my cats, I don't see any reason to.

 

Well there still seems to be a lot of controversy on the subject. Had my cat survived I believe I would have definitely given him a bath. As it relates to cats not liking water I have seen some videos of cats thoroughly enjoying water. Based on my own brief experience with my cat who wasn't keen on the water, those videos left me confused.

I found this interesting reading online. Take a look at it and see what you think

http://www.professorshouse.com/Pets/Cats/Health/Articles/Should-You-Bathe-a-Cat/