To bathe or not to bathe your cat - that is the question!

In this episode of the Scoop, I talk about bathing your cat. Should you do it? When should you do it? Beyond that I talk about general hygiene tips for your cat including nail trimming, ear trimming, hair matting and more!

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:21 Why you shouldn't bathe your cat... normally
2:55 Exceptions
4:28 Proactive cleaning
6:21 If you actually have to bathe your cat
8:32: Wrap up
 
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[Anniehtv]

I prefer not to die, so I do not bathe my cats.

[Im]

My daughter once bathed our cat. In return for this kindness he took a massive dump in the middle of her bed😂

[ClearMug]

When it comes to clipping nails, I think I've discovered a fool-proof way to do it without your cat fussing. This has at least worked for all my cats, personally. One disclaimer I have is that I've done this since kittenhood, I'm not sure about starting it on adult cats.
I start with getting them used to me touching their paws; petting, booping, and gently squeezing to expose their claws. I especially make sure to do this while they're sleeping or tired. Lastly, I only clip their nails when they are settled and sleepy (usually in belly-up position). I stroke their head to let them know I'm there, and then make my way to clipping their nails. They sit quietly and let me do it every time without a single protest. No partner needed 😁

[LadyKapow]

I rescued a stray kitten a little over a month ago and I gave her baths daily because she was so malnourished and weak that she couldn't hold herself up when she pooped so she ended up pooping on her hind legs - it broke my heart to see her like that so I tried holding her as support which helped a tiny bit. When I was drying her off I would turn on my TV and pull up cat videos and anytime one started cleaning themselves I would make her look at the TV and tokd her to take notes 😂 Once she gained some strength I would bring her out to spend time with my resident cats and she would watch them clean themselves so intently -- it was adorable. Finally all that work paid off when I saw that she had a little mess on her leg and after filling up the sink and preparing a warm soft towel, I picked her up and saw that she had cleaned herself and no longer needed a bath! 🎉 I felt my heart swell with pride and from that moment on I praised her every time she attempted to clean herself. Now she's really good at it!

[Cerinaya]

My brother had a cat that loved baths. They literally had to lock him out of the bathroom when he heard the water running.

[karinaj]

the fact that someone bathes their cat every week for no reason makes me sad

[ohMamarazziScrapbookingVicky]

My sweet darling 18 year old Snoopy recently passed.... and I miss giving her warm baths. She had dementia, and stopped grooming herself in the last few months. She seemed to really enjoy being pampered. She even liked being blow dried! I miss everything about her - even her little tangles and litter-encrusted toes....

[Rhaifha]

I'm surprised there's not more people mentioning the problem of long haired cats getting poop in their fur. My Cleo occasionally gets a poopy butt, and if it's bad enough, she does get a bath. She absolutely hates it, so I'll be taking some of those tips to try and make it a more acceptable experience. She never even thinks of attacking me though, the sweetheart, she just wants to escape.

[just.mismargo]

My dog peed on my cat... so I’m here now

[rcharles]

"Have a partner" *me looking at my second kitten* You up to lend a paw? 😂

[apriltownsend]

The comment about needing 2 people to cut nails makes me SO grateful to have 2 cats that love the attention of getting their nails cut and the treat afterwards that they run to me the moment the drawer with the clippers in it opens and get in line 😂. Heck, I lift up a paw and there’s immediate deep purring. I love meh babies 😍♥️.

[kamcorder]

When my family's cat got quite elderly (about 17 years old), he didn't do such a good job grooming himself anymore and his fur was matted and greasy. So, my sister decided to give him a bath. Afterwards, she walked into her bedroom where he was sitting on her pillow. He made eye contact with her then started peeing. He then ran away. My sister was so upset, she said that he couldn't get on her bed without help so she knew he was really determined to make it personal.

[rainbownotation]

Times I’ve had to bathe a cat can be boiled down to two things: cat is either covered in paint or diarrhea. Bathe your cat if it has stuff on it that would make it sick if it licked it off itself

[rhettbaldwin]

I ended up in the emergency room once because I was bathing my cat. Turns out the human ear is a great foot hold to climb over the shoulder.

[CrossCultural-cf]

Normal cat body temp is around 100F-102F which is higher than normal human body temp. Many years ago, past experience with bathing my elderly arthritic cat (18 years old) was that she did much better when bath water was around 110F - 120F. I think it felt like a hot tub for her achy joints. For me, the kitchen sink was the easiest place for me to bathe the Queen cät.

[brachms]

My tip for helping the bathing experience for your cat is I place a small plastic step in the bathtub for them to stand on during the bath. They stay because they are out of the water and are not as upset. I scoop the water up over them with a cup to get wet and wash.

[archlily]

In the 4 years of owning my cat I've only given him a bath once. He had explosive diarrhoea and was covered in his poop, it had to be done.

[flourfreeK]

I can nearly hear this cat saying "My patience has come to an end, mate..."

[angelinimartini]

I have a cat who didn’t like us to be in the shower without him monitoring. I think he thought we would drown and he couldn’t be there to save us. One time, my mom was taking a shower and she closed the door without him in the bathroom. She just didn’t want to deal with him being in there meowing. Well he was making a ruckus at the door. After a few minutes, she didn’t hear him anymore. She was like “Cool he gave up” and went about her shower. Well a minute later, she got a big scare. He jumped and slashed the shower curtain… tore it like Wolverine. He somehow opened the door and was very mad she had locked him out.

[timothygraf]

Your segment about being prepared is great, but I'd add 2 more things specifically.

You touched on time of day and their activity levels. But more specifically, play with your cat ahead of time! You don't want to exhaust them completely, but playing ahead of time to reduce their energy level so they are slightly more calm makes a difference.

And second, trim their nails beforehand! Preferably a few hours or even a day earlier (so they don't associate the nail trimming with the bathing experience).

Other than that, great video! Especially to educate people who think they need to bathe their cat regularly.