Most indoor cats never need a bath, they clean themselves pretty well. In the few cases where a bath is needed (accidents happen, cat got very dirty outside, or similar): don't use any human soaps, try to only use water, as cats have a natural scent that they build over time washing themselves, and perfumes work against that. Also, they will lick it up later. Soap is not a good thing to ingest!
Especially if you have multiple cats, a cat smelling very differently can lead to fights.
If a cat is messy/smelly enough to need a bath, it's probably gotten pretty bad! Since they have to go through the trauma of a bath anyway, I would definitely use a well-reviewed pet-safe cleaner at that point. I have no specific recommendations, but they definitely make cat shampoos that address your concerns...
Our cat has a dog tongue instead of a cat tongue, so he struggles to clean himself well.
He also has really long fur, compounding the problem.
He lives indoors only, and he gets greasy and matted within a year. So we shave and bathe him twice a year. He hates it, naturally, but his personality is much better in the months after his bath than the weeks leading up to it. Especially if he's matted.
5 Comments
mammata@feddit.it · 15 pts · 223d
Most indoor cats never need a bath, they clean themselves pretty well. In the few cases where a bath is needed (accidents happen, cat got very dirty outside, or similar): don't use any human soaps, try to only use water, as cats have a natural scent that they build over time washing themselves, and perfumes work against that. Also, they will lick it up later. Soap is not a good thing to ingest!
Especially if you have multiple cats, a cat smelling very differently can lead to fights.
Janx@piefed.social · 5 pts · 223d
If a cat is messy/smelly enough to need a bath, it's probably gotten pretty bad! Since they have to go through the trauma of a bath anyway, I would definitely use a well-reviewed pet-safe cleaner at that point. I have no specific recommendations, but they definitely make cat shampoos that address your concerns...
hereiamagain@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 221d
Our cat has a dog tongue instead of a cat tongue, so he struggles to clean himself well. He also has really long fur, compounding the problem.
He lives indoors only, and he gets greasy and matted within a year. So we shave and bathe him twice a year. He hates it, naturally, but his personality is much better in the months after his bath than the weeks leading up to it. Especially if he's matted.
Dupelet@piefed.social · 2 pts · 221d
So there's a dog somewhere missing its tongue?
Doubleohdonut@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 223d
I have never bathed my cat. I value my fingers and can't imagine it going as well as in the comic!
bonenode@piefed.social · 10 pts · 223d