Thread: Do cats need us to give them baths???

I have bathed 3 out of my 4. Two are show neuters, the other had s**t stuck to his bum and there was no realistic alternative
I don't find it necessary to bath them unless there is a show coming up or for the other reason Riley has never been near a bath. We did try once but he made such a racket that we abandoned the plan before he even got wet - the big girls blouse!

Only my show MC's get bathed & then only a couple of days before the show so if there is six months between they don't get done,even when they were being shown monthly I used to try & get away with every other time because I think it strips their natural coat oils,the non show cats have never seen a bath except for like Wendy for the odd trouser wash when necessary,I think a good brush does more good & provides you with extra bonding time with the cat....x

I must say Buddy looks beautiful and feels so soft after he bathes him. I brush him often (3x a week) but he does not seem to like it much (he tries biting the brush and actually pushes the brush off of him with his paws lol) And he did say that the water was really dirty from him. But he looked great before too so I guess I just did not see the point. But thank you so much for the input. I will be sure to show this posting to him when he gets home Any ideas on how to make him more at ease while brushing?

Do little & often & make it into a game but always finish on your terms not his,they all normally have a spot that they love to be groomed ,behind the ears or their ruff so when you find his "favourite spot" use that as a finishing point so he enjoys it,if he gets annoyed & tries to push away still do a bit more then go to his favourite spot needs only be for a couple of seconds but that then gives you the edge to say all done thats a good boy & give him a treat. I tend to use a slicker brush a lot on mine,they look like an instrument of torture but it goes into the coat & seems to stimulate the skin as well,if you ever get one just try brushing part of the coat up the wrong way with sharp short strokes,smooth it down & then feel the difference between the texture of that bit & the rest of the coat,a good slicker works wonders & the cuddles & kisses plus whispers into their ears are while you are doing it are something special too...x

Samantha had a problem with matting so about twice a year I took her to a groomer near my home for a bath and a butt trim.
The girls in the shop adored Samantha and I would ale have them thin out her belly fur.
First time I took her there the groomer was covered in fur but Samantha looked the same.
Once I got her home I would comb her and her coat just glowed and she smelled really good too.

I do have a slicker brush but I have never tried doing it the opposite way of the fur.....I will be trying that very soon ;) Thanks

and cooncatbob--I cannot find a groomer that grooms cats....they have all told me they do not groom cats. And I called 5 different places and they all told me to take him to the vet to get groomed which I thought was absolutely crazy considering I called them too and they wanted to charge me almost a hundred dollars to do it. So thats when my fiance decided to do it himself...lol

We have Petco and I called them and they dont do cats. I actually called them right after I picked Buddy up from the pound because I wanted to get that "kennel" smell off him and they would not do it. It was very frustrating. Thats when my fiance got pet shampoo and put him in the tub himself....lol.

Originally Posted by Jennifer Proniske

I do have a slicker brush but I have never tried doing it the opposite way of the fur.....I will be trying that very soon ;) Thanks

and cooncatbob--I cannot find a groomer that grooms cats....they have all told me they do not groom cats. And I called 5 different places and they all told me to take him to the vet to get groomed which I thought was absolutely crazy considering I called them too and they wanted to charge me almost a hundred dollars to do it. So thats when my fiance decided to do it himself...lol

My groomer doesn't do many cats, only good kitties like Samantha, she's been scratched and bitten in the past.
She only charged me $25, $30 if she was badly matted, I'd always give a generous tip.
They would always schedule me before or after the dogs and get her in and out in about 90 minutes.
They were very good to me and loved Samantha, I've got to go by there and let them know Samantha passed away, I think I'll print them up my favorite picture of her.