How to Bathe a Cat

You can bathe most pets, including cats, but it’s important to note that they might just not enjoy it which is why it’s always a good idea to desensitise them to it at an early age. If they’re introduced to baths from a kitten, first wiping them with cat friendly wet wipes and then gently bathing them in a shallow bath, it won’t be such a traumatising event for you or your moggy later in life!

They might just need a little helping hand getting clean, a medicated bath or you can get flea treatments that require a bath if they get overrun by them.

The frequency of bathing your feline friend really depends on how often they need it based on how good they are at keeping themselves clean. You might only need to a few times a year, or you may need to a couple of times a month. Cats don’t usually need bathing that often unless it’s a medicated bath or a flea bath that needs repeating. If they need frequent baths, it won’t usually be for long periods as frequent baths can remove oils from their coat and make it dull.

Some cats may overgroom themselves, which can be even more harmful than not grooming enough. It’s often down to food intolerances, allergies, or anxiety. They may need a change of diet or a trip to the vet to get on top of it. In these situations, a vet may recommend medicated baths to soothe sore skin even though their coat is technically clean.

Even if your feline friend has had a few baths before, they’re not usually enjoyable so bathing them should only be when they really need it. If you’re stroking them and there’s a bit of a residue or dirt left on your hands, it usually means they’ve gotten themselves into some dusty or dirty places and may need a bath.

Flea treatments and medicated baths should be given as directed but these are not usually long-term treatments, so will usually happen infrequently and only for shorter periods.

When you’re giving your furry companion a bath, make sure you have everything you need to hand before you start. You will often need to keep close to them and possibly even hold them to make sure they don’t run away so having everything within reach is vital to make it run smoothly. You can either bathe them in the sink or a large bucket of warm water. A bathtub can be too large an area and if they do try to escape you can wind up as wet as them!

Having a pet friendly shampoo prepared and diluted already if it needs to be will make the job a lot quicker. You first need to be their coat before you can lather in the shampoo and rinse it. It’s always best to use a small container to fill with clean water and gently remove the shampoo. Using anything like a shower head can be a little too powerful and scary for them so they’re more likely to panic.

Never pour water over their head, you can gently clean their head and face with a sponge but soaking them isn’t necessary.

Part of making sure your moggy is kept healthy means keeping them free from fleas and other parasites. Fleas can be controlled with regular flea treatments but if your cat does get them, they can be difficult to get rid of and quickly become heavily covered in them. Getting rid of fleas is trickier than preventing them, but flea baths are a great way to make sure you kill them all as they can’t swim or breathe underwater.

A flea bath is a little different to a regular bath which you can apply, lather, and rinse off in quick succession. To work well it needs to be lathered and worked into their coat for several minutes before it can be removed. It’s also helpful to make the bath a little deeper to submerge them up to their necks, if possible, which just makes sure you drown any fleas you can.

To keep on top of their flea treatments, it’s also handy to have a flea grooming comb on hand to ensure the attachment of the parasites, don’t say around for long.

Cats should be dried after every bath, but since the process can be stressful, not many moggies will appreciate a blow drying. Some cats won’t mind a hair dryer on the lowest temperature setting, if they’re used to regular grooming but if they aren’t used to the noise, towel drying is your best bet. You can get special micro fibre towels that work well in soaking up as much moisture as possible from their coat like the Pet Living Super Absorbent Micro-Fibre Towel.

Once they’ve been towel dried, they can still be a little damp so keep them in a warm room and don’t let them go outside until they are completely dried.

Cats will very often shake after a bath. Shivering is a natural response to being wet and cold and as long as you dry them off the best you can, it shouldn’t last very long. Trembling helps to warm the body up and is their way of drying off a little quicker. It’s perfectly normal and you don’t need to worry about it, just be sure to keep them warm in the meantime. 

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