Cats aren’t the biggest fans of water.While they may tolerate drinking it, bathing in it is a completely different story. 

If you’ve ever tried giving your cat a bath you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.Thankfully, their amazing natural ability to groom means there’s few animals better at keeping themselves clean. Couple this with regular brushing sessions and it’s rare your feline will look anything other than immaculate. 

So, ’Do cats need baths?’ The answer is, not really.However, there are circumstances where a trip to the tub may be unavoidable; like when they’ve ended up rolling around in something regular grooming just won’t shift. 

Remember though, baths can be extremely stressful for felines so it’s vital we make the whole experience as relaxing as possible.

How often should you be washing your cat?

In general, cats should be given a bath once every 4-6 weeks, depending on how often they groom themselves, and the environment they’re usually in. If your cat is more outdoorsy and soils itself while playing, it’s a good idea to help with the grooming process as they alone won’t be able to properly get cleaned. The same applies when the cat is either elderly or overweight.

Hairless breeds, however, require more frequent grooming due to their production of excess oils, so you should consider giving them a bath once per week.

How to wash or bathe your cat properly – What you need to know

While many wild beasts such as jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers swim quite well and laze in rivers to cool off, few domesticated cats enjoy being in the water. Drinking from a faucet or curling up in a dry sink for a cozy snooze are her choices. Baths are not.

There are many theories about why most cats dislike water. “One is they don’t like their fur weighed down—imagine wearing a wet blanket. Another is water changes their natural scent,” she says. “Or perhaps it’s because they don’t have control of the situation. Cats are tiny control freaks in fur coats.”

So when a bath is inevitable, staying calm will help you both. First, get prepped to:

• Choose a time after she’s eaten or played, as she’ll be more mellow.
• If possible, trim her nails before the bath, filing the ends as well after they’re clipped to dull them.
• Put all your bath supplies within easy reach, including treats to reward her with afterward. Some cat lovers even warm a towel in the dryer and use aromatherapy so the experience is more comforting. Make sure to use shampoo and creme rinse specifically formulated for cats.
• Plan for a short grooming session to make handling her fur much easier.

Here are additional suggestions from Anthony for how to bathe a cat without getting scratched—and more importantly, without stressing your pet too much.

1. Recruit an understanding friend to help. One of you can hold the cat while the other bathes her.
2. Minimize running water. The actual sound causes many cats to panic, and the last thing you want is to grab a slippery, sharp cat. If you don’t have a gentle sprayer, use a non-breakable cup for rinsing.
3. Fill a sink with a few inches of warm water. Get the dirty parts of the cat wet and then lather with shampoo. Wash only the parts you need to, then rinse thoroughly. Use a washcloth around the face and ears.
4. Follow shampoo with a creme rinse. This is important because you don’t want to strip her natural oils away and dry out her skin. Let it sit up to five minutes, and then rinse thoroughly.
5. Towel dry as much as possible. Then, remove loose hair with a fine-toothed comb. Your cat will be grooming for a long time after her bath, so getting rid of excess fur helps minimize hairballs.

If you are someone who is going to be regularly washing their feline, we recommend introducing them to water at an early age, so they have a chance to acclimatize. This will hopefully make the whole bathing process a lot more tolerable for them as they grow older. You should never force your cat into a bathtub. The second they show any sign of distress, stop what you’re doing. If the issues persist, try seeking advice from somebody more experienced, like a vet or a groomer, who may be able to offer a solution.

FurryLucky Pets Cloth