Should you bathe your cat?

Does my cat need a bath?

Generally, healthy and happy cats do not need to be bathed. They should be able to take care of their own hygiene. A cat with well-maintained skin and fur has a better immune system, and it is a sign of cat health that it can take care of this itself.

Some cats however may suffer from skin problems or problems with mobility so they are unable to take care of their skin and fur. These felines may need treatment with bathing.

Brush your cat's fur to avoid tangles

Cats usually keep their fur tangle free by grooming themselves. However, some breeds with longer or thicker fur may find this difficult to do by themselves.

If your cat has very thick or long fur, you can brush them to keep their fur from matting.

If you need to bathe your cat

Short-haired cats

A cat with short fur does not need to be bathed because it can keep itself clean. When the cat licks its fur, a sufficiently thick protective layer of fat is secreted. The fat layer acts as a conditioner and helps keep the cat dry in wet weather. 

Long-haired cats

A long-haired cat will need some help to keep itself clean. How often you need to bathe them depends on how much natural fat your cat secretes in its fur. If you are not going to show your cat, it is usually enough to bathe a long-haired cat every two months. Above all, you need to brush the long-haired cats fur properly and make sure that it does not tangle or knot.

Show cats

For a cat that is exhibited, fur care, including bathing, is hugely important. There are loads of different shampoos, conditioners and other fur care products to choose from on the market. Breeders of show breeds usually start getting the cats used to being bathed even before they move to their new homes.

Hairless cats

Hairless, or naked, cats should be bathed more often than those with fur. All cats have fur oil, cats with no fur, such as Sphynx cats, can get sticky as they can't absorb the oil. As the cat owner, you need to bathe your cat to remove the fur oil.

How to give your cat a bath

1. Cats prefer warm water when it's time to bathe. It should be slightly warmer than your own bath water, but certainly not hot.
2. Shampoo and rinse thoroughly through the coat. If your cat has long fur, you can use conditioner, this will make it easier to detangle their fur afterwards.
3. Towel dry the fur as much as possible but avoid rubbing too much as this can result in a matted fur.
4. Blow-dry the fur completely with warm air. Make sure it's not too hot, but also not too cold, as cats can easily catch a cold.
5. Finally, brush through the coat. If you use an antistatic spray, spray it on the brush and not directly on the cat.

Other things to keep in mind when bathing your cat:

• You also don't need to have a lot of bath water. Let the cat stand in water so it reaches up to the cat's stomach. 
• Wet the cat by carefully pouring water with a jug or similar instead of submerging the cat in too deep water or using the shower nozzle.
• It is important to use products that are suitable for cats as they have a different pH value in their skin than we humans have.
• If necessary, and your cat allows it, blow-dry their coat completely dry with warm air if the cat needs this in addition to towel drying. Be careful with the temperature if you blow dry.

Get your cat used to water

Whether you have a cat that needs a bath or not, it's a good idea to get them used to water at an early age. Cats can get into all sorts of mischief, leading to a mucky coat that needs a bath!

FAQs about bathing a cat