Bathing cats has long been an interesting subject. While cats are known for their self-grooming antics, often licking their fur and sometimes other cats or people, it is still advisable to bathe your cat. Cat’s self-grooming behavior does help keep its skin and fur relatively clean, however, they still may spell bad and they may start accumulating dandruff. While most cats do not like getting wet, getting in the habit of bathing your cat can keep him/her healthy. Bathing your cat can also help prevent the spread of parasites and other insects from invading your home.

How often should I bathe my cat?

How often you should bathe your cat is dependent on many factors. We recommend you bathe your cat one to two times a month if your cat falls into one of these categories:

• Overweight: Cats that are overweight have a tougher time reaching all of their body parts while self-grooming, which leads to some missed spots.
• Outdoor cats: As one would expect, outdoor cats are exposed to more parasites and bacteria compared to indoor cats
• Cat breeds with long fur: This is because longer fur traps more dirt, bacteria, parasites, etc.
• Cats with a history of skin irritation
• Cats with a history of flea or tick infestation

How to give a cat a bath

First off, we recommend starting to bathe a cat when it is a small kitten. This can help establish a regular bathing routine that will keep your cat at ease. It is much harder to start bathing cat once it is 5-6 years old, and only familiar with self-grooming. Here are the steps on how to bathe a cat:

• Bathe your cat after it has been playing for a while. A cat that is tired or worn out will be less likely to resist a cleaning.
• If your cat has a habit of scratching, make sure their nails are cut short.
• Use a comb or brush to clean and smooth out his/her fur
• Put a towel or non-stick mat on the floor to help your cat’s grip while standing
• Use either a spray bottle or hose at low pressure to wet your cat. You should not let water get near your cats eyes, ears, or nose.
• Apply the cat shampoo to your cats fur and massage it into your cats skin.
• After you have applied the soap, rinse it completely out
• After all the soap is gone, wrap your cat in a warm towel until he/she is dry.

Cat Bathing Gloves

We recommend using a cat bathing bag or cat bathing gloves to help give your cat a bath.

Tips for bathing a cat

If your cat is nervous in the beginning, trying to grab the cat with a towel and hold it for a couple minutes while running your hands through its fur to calm it down. The most important thing you should remember while giving your cat a bath is that you should not let any water near your cat’s eyes, ears, or nose. After you successfully bath your cat, we recommend giving him or her a treat to promote positive reinforcement. If you find any strange bumps or marks on your cat’s skin while giving it a bath, you should make note of it and consult a vet if it doesn’t go away after 4-5 days.

Cat shampoo

There are many different kinds of cat shampoo that you can use on your cat. Through our experience, we have found that Amazon has the best prices on cat shampoo.

If you have any questions about how to bath your cat, or have any funny pictures, feel free to post a comment in the comment section below!