My friend called me cruel for putting my cat in the bathtub. Am I cruel for doing this?

Question

So Iet my cat outside (he stays in the fence) when I go to the garden. He is a very fluffy cat and he loved playing in dirt. Whenever he gets too dirty (to the point where he wont clean himself all the way and he has clumps and stuff on him) I give him a bath. He just sits on the mat (it s like a rubber mat I keep in my tub so i dont slip) while I clean him. He doesn t hate water or try to get out. He just chills there and I use dawn dish soup (the non scented one). When I told my friend she I was cruel for putting him and water and it was considered abuse? I told her he doesn t mind it but she said I was just making up excuses to hurt my animal. Is bathing my cat abusive or harmful to my cat?

Answer 1

No, it's not cruel. Lots of uneducated people assume things like that. Another example is declawing. Most people don't actually know anything about it. I did a speech about this last year for my communications class. It doesn't actually hurt the cat and everything they take out is useless unless it's an outdoor cat, then it's cruel. Bathing your cat isn't bad. Some cats actually love being bathed and your cat seems to be one of those. I would suggest getting some cat shampoo, though. It's never really smart to use human products for animals.

Answer 2

Cat Bathtub

Answer 3

Your friend is the one with the problem and they sound completely biased. It sounds like they have never had a pet to take care of before. Some cats really enjoy water. It wouldn't be abused even if the cat obviously disliked it unless you did it on an excessively frequent basis in order to inflict pain. Giving a bath to a cat that needs a bath isn't cruel. The question turns on the need not the act.! It is never cruel to give a cat a bath with the purpose of cleaning them. If you had interest to harm the animal that would be a different story. I can't believe they shut you down like that. It's very childish of them.

Answer 4

No it is most certainly not cruel or abusive to bathe your cat when they need it (even if the cat didn't like it), if it's necessary than it's good to do. I sometimes bathe my cats, especially my all white cat ghost because otherwise he doesn’t look so white anymore lol. He also loves having a bathe and he actually likes to swim too lol. I use cat shampoo though and not dawn dish soap, but I know that it is a safe thing to use on animals because it’s what they use on animals that have been in oil spills to get them clean.

Answer 5

No, not at all. If your cat gets so dirty that he can't clean himself, what else are you supposed to do, just let him remain dirty? Of course not, bathe him. The cat won't be real happy about but he'll get over it.



Maybe your friend didn't really mean to imply that you are truly cruel. He or she could have just been expressing empathy because of how much most cats hate water.

Answer 6

Your friend is the one with the problem and they sound completely biased. It sounds like they have never had a pet to take care of before. Is bathing dogs cruel too? Because mine HATES water but I'm not about to let her or my cats smell up the house! It is never cruel to give a cat a bath with the purpose of cleaning them. If you had intent to harm the animal that would be a different story. I can't believe they shut you down like that. It's very childish of them.

Answer 7

Not if he's fine with it. I would only consider it cruel if he hated it. Just like when certain cats are okay with going for a walk and other aren't, it's no different. Your friend clearly doesn't think too highly of you to not take your explanation that he doesn't mind it. It would only be abusive if you didn't something absolutely horrific like dunk his head under which I'm sure you don't from the care you seem to put into these baths.

Answer 8

try to9 use a medicated cat shampoo which is specific for cats. it lasts a long time, and the pH is adjusted for the cats' skin. i have a flea problem in my yard, since i have had out-door cats for years.

when i bathe my indoor cat, i do it once a month, and i support them completely, so they do not panic or become afraid of water. i use warm water only up to the depth of the cat's chest and belly, then they can stand on the tub bottom. i use a small plastic cup to wash the soap off, and keep it out of their eyes.

i usually just towel them dry and then brush them.

if the fleas are numerous i use a pair of tweezers to remove them. the secret is to leave the flea soap on over 5-minutes. often even that is not enough to do more than to paralyze some fleas and i kill them when i use the tweezers.

after all, the objective is to have a clean house cat.

Answer 9

some cats really enjoy water. It wouldn't be abuse (in my view) even if the cat obviously disliked it unless you did it on an excessively frequent basis in order to inflict pain. Giving a bath to a cat that needs a bath isn't cruel. the question turns on the need not the act.

Answer 10

No it is most certainly not cruel or abusive to bathe your cat when they need it (even if the cat didn't like it), if it's necessary than it's good to do. I sometimes bathe my cats, especially my all white cat ghost because otherwise he doesn’t look so white anymore lol. He also loves having a bathe and he actually likes to swim too lol. I use cat shampoo though and not dawn dish soap, but I know that it is a safe thing to use on animals because it’s what they use on animals that have been in oil spills to get them clean..

Answer 11

No. If you cat gets really dirty or has fleas he needs a bath. It would be cruel not to give him one and let him have clumps and knots in his fur. Bathe him gently and talk to him. Tell him he's a good boy (or girl). Make sure you dry him because cats can't shake themselves off like dogs do, so they are more likely to stay wet longer and get cold, especially in winter. Use a mild shampoo, a low sudzing pet shampoo. Use Dawn if he/she has fleas. It kills them b/c it is formulated to dissolve grease, and it doesn't put any poison on your cat. This is important because you want to follow up with Capstar and a spot-on treatment like Frontline, and you don't want to put too much poison on your cat from other sources. Cats are very delicate when it comes to toxins. Good luck with your cat. You sound like a caring pet owner.

Answer 12

It's not cruel at all, cats need a bath about once a month even if they don't play in the dirt. Dish soap is hard on their skin, I use shampoo for cats on both of mine so they don't get dry skin.

Answer 13

If the cat doesn't seem to mind, it's perfectly fine. If he was screaming and clawing, I'd suggest a different method, but it's fine if he's chill. Perhaps consider inviting your friend over to see that the cat doesn't mind bathing?

You'll want to get actual cat shampoo, though, it'll be better for his skin. Your local pet store should have something.

Answer 14

No, it's not cruel.The uneducated people assume things like that.I think your cat gets so dirty and he can't clean himself.then it is the only way to put your cat in the bathtub for cleaning.so it is need for the cat to get refresh from the dirty and it is not cruel thing at all.

Answer 15

Its not cruel if you bathe a cat, everyone has to do it anyway once the cat gets dirty. Some cats even like the water. Don't listen to your friend, its not animal abuse

Answer 16

I show cats - they ALL get a bath. Some don't mind baths. Your friend is 100% wrong. Its not abuse.



But if you have a longhair, you should be combing the cat daily or at least 3 x week to keep the coat in good condition.

Answer 17

Cats aren't physically hurt if they're put into water (unless it's freezing or really hot), but if your cat doesn't mind it and doesn't react negatively, then it absolutely isn't abuse. Have your friend take out a dictionary, read out loud the definition of abuse, and then explain to her that bathing your cat isn't abuse. Although, do be careful with the chemicals you are using on your cat (use cat shampoo, not Dawn or else it could hurt your cat).

Answer 18

It is not cruel. Your friend is very wrong. Some cats dislike water, some love it. Regardless of their feelings toward water, I'd argue that not cleaning your pet when they are dirty is the worse alternative.

For example, I have two cat, both have double coats, and both have dry skin issues when they cannot shed out their undercoat. I wash them to help the undercoat come out. One of them will wander around the tub, the other will attempt to escape. I still bathe them both.

Answer 19

I didn't mean to, but I laughed at your question. Just another silly cat myth perpetuated. Like any other animal, if a cat associates water with a bad experience, they may hate it. I got my cat when she was 4 months old and she was so flea infested, you could lift her chin and see them scrambling for cover. So, when I gave her a bath, a look of pure bliss came over her face and she kept still - not frozen in fear, but certainly not trying to get out of the tub. She's over 2 years old now, and I can barely keep her out of the tub. I got her a buddy and he follows her lead and they both are water lovers.

Answer 20

Tbh I don't think it's cruel, my dog hates bathing but I have to hold her down in the tub to bathe her and it's not cruel it's hygiene . Your cat doesn't mind so it's okay, just be safe with soaps

Answer 21

Your friend is silly.

However, there are things that you can change to better your cat's coat. Try to brush the dirt out of his coat first. You should also get a cat specific shampoo, because dawn is very drying to the skin. a cat will usually clean themselves, so brush him out first, then give him a day to clean himself up, and if he is still dirty after that give him a quick bath with a moisturizing cat shampoo. This won't hurt his skin.

Answer 22

how is bathing your cat to get him clean cruel? it would be cruel if you kept the cat dirty. so her saying that its cruel is not cruel at all. cats and other animal are living beings and they deserve to cleaned when its needed. you as a cat owner have every right to give them a bath when needed. and since the cat doesn't mind taking bath its not cruel even if he didn't like baths sometime it needs to be done. if people thought it was cruel to give them baths and kept them dirty the could get a infection or problem easier anyway so please give you cat bath when the need them :)

Answer 23

Sounds like your friend is being an idiot. Idf the animal is showing no obvious signs of doistress like struggling, crying, etc then its not cruel, there are some cats out there who are fine about getting wet. Id just iugnore your friend

Answer 24

Of course you're not being abusive to your cat. Your friend needs to get some perspective. Your cat obviously doesn't mind you giving him/her a bath and probably knows you can get to the spots it doesn't want to.

My black and white cat loves rolling in the dirt but I can't wash her as she's both fascinated and terrified by water. I keep threatening to clean her with the dust buster but she knows I won't :-))

Answer 25

It's not cruel I had to clean my cat unless you want a smelly cat running around your house it's like you not taking a shower and walking around the house.

Answer 26

What's cruel is your friend being mean to you. I bathe my cats when they get fleas or accidentally get potentially dangerous chemicals on their fur (rubbing up against a window freshly cleaned with Windex). Bathing kitties to keep them clean and healthy isn't cruel, if you were doing it just to torture them then yes that would be concerning.

Answer 27

Cats hate baths but sometimes they need 'em, and it sounds like your guy did. Just the fact that you're concerned about being cruel to him shows that you're a very caring pet-parent!!!

Answer 28

Dish soap may be a bad idea but if the cat isn't complaining then the bath is fine. I have a cat that will cry at the tub until I fill it ... he loves to splash the water with his paw.

Answer 29

Some cats love water and enjoy having a shower, some others don't. I'd say it's unusual for a cat to love regular showers, but if you both feel fine with it, why not? I have one tommy who loves playing with dirt outside and comes home soaking wet but would not be persuaded to have a decent shower, so you're lucky.

Answer 30

Tell that so called friend of yours to mind her own business and to stay out of what you do with your cat. The cat is yours, not hers. She isn't your friend, and no, you did nothing wrong. She is being completely unfair with you telling you those things. Good thing she did not call police, because that would have been super unfair.

Answer 31

Not at all, i let my cat in the garage to play (he was a wild stray before we adopted him and when he wants to go "exploring" we let him in there because to him the garage is outside) and sometimes he gets dirty and we give him a bath he has had a few baths to the point where he just sits there and doesn't really care. But it is not abuse it is actually cat maintenance. It would be abuse if your cat was getting dirty and you didn't wash it.

Answer 32

It is not abusive. It would only be considered cruel if you did it without purpose or if he didn't like it. But like others have said, be careful not to use dawn to frequently otherwise it will dry out the skin.

Answer 33

No off course not. Cats need to be bathed just like any other animal. I give my cat a bath once every 3 months

Answer 34

I have a cat that foes outside everyday and I give him baths all the time. I don't agree with using dish soap though but the bath itself is fine

Answer 35

Not abusive but you may want to get an actual cat shampoo if you are bathing him on a somewhat regular basis. Dawn dish soap is safe, but not ideal for regular use.

I would also try combing him on a regular basis. It will remove any clumps and some of the dirt making it much easier for him to clean himself so he wont need as frequent baths.

Answer 36

It's not harmful it's called "caring" you are cleaning your cat nothing abusive about it.You are actually being the caring owner then her.It's not harmful to your cat otherwise your cat would be screaming for help.don't bathe him too much like once a month is fine because your cat mostly does the cleaning with his tongue.hope this helps!

Answer 37

Your friend thinks you are cruel because she has no experience with cats. She thinks that all cats hate water which is not true.

Answer 38

No it's not cruel, even if your cat hates it, and he has fleas or something, you need to give him a bath to get rid of the fleas and ticks and all that.

Answer 39

No, I don't think so. I bathe my cat. But I'm gentle with it and use baby soap on him. I'm careful not to get it in his eyes or ears and I always use a calm reassuring voice to let him know he's okay.

Answer 40

People bathe cats all the time. You might try keeping the water level below the neck, just to make him comfortable but cats can swim.

Answer 41

No. She is just one of those overly-obsessed pet people who think everything is harmful or cruel to animals. There is nothing wrong with that. I give my cat baths to help him with fleas.

Answer 42

No, of course it's not abuse. A lot of people consider it inhumane to let your cat run around filthy and matted. It's lovely That you do this for you cat and he seems to enjoy it. I would definitely concider getting actual shampoo for him though. It'd be better for his coat.

Answer 43

No. That would be a health risk by having them dirty cause you never bathe them. It would be a danger to your cat, and eventually yourself cause they could get diseases and you could catch them! I don't know about you, but I'd rather bathe my cat whether he liked it or not vs having a dirty one that you wouldn't even want to pet!

Answer 44

Taking care of your cat is not cruel, and your friend is stupid.

Answer 45

Some cats like water. Your doesn't seem to not like it or it would be running from you abuse would be if you held it under while trying to cleani t Being content to be groomed with water is okay.

Answer 46

Please please don't use dawn. Or if u must, it only take a few drops. Get him wet 5 drops in it hands rub together for a lather then rub into his fur.

It cat will clean himself on his own time. If he get pitch or sticky stuff, just cut it out. So best to not use soaps on cats. Just water is really enough.

Answer 47

Noooo

Answer 48

Why would it be cruel if he clearly doesn't care about being bathed?

Answer 49

Well my dad tells me that you should never do this because it dries out their fur but I don't see it being cruel.

Answer 50

My cat is a indoor cat and never goes outside and never had a bath he has healthy looking fur.

Answer 51

No you're not. You're washing your cat because he/she is dirty. How are you supposed to clean him? Show your friend these answers. I haven't read them all but i bet most of them think your friend is wrong. Miaow.

Answer 52

No it's not cruel but I would not use dish soap on him . You should get pet soap if not then maybe baby soap.

Answer 53

Nope

Answer 54

If he sits there and doesn't complain it is not cruel. Same cats like Maincoons like water.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piy7VF_19Ds

Answer 55

your friend says that giving your dirty cat is abuse? wow your cat is dirty it needs a bath is not like cats are gonna die if you put them in water they just dont like it. apperently your cat dosent really care so thats even better but no its not abuse. your just giving your animal a bath its not like your puting an amimal thats not suppossed to be in the water in water. its not like your taking a fish out of water.that friend is overreacting cats just are known to not like water it is not abuse to give tham a bath especially if the cat dosent really mind.

Answer 56

As I like to say, if the animal isn't complaining, they don't care. If he's sitting in the tub, just chilling the whole time you're washing him, then he obviously doesn't mind it, and therefore it isn't hurting him. And if it isn't hurting him, it isn't abuse.

Answer 57

No bathing once in a while is necessary and would you want your cat being dirty all the time?

Answer 58

if it was for the cats well being to give it a bath, no. but if you did it to watch it freak out then

your a pretty mean person

Answer 59

cats need a bath just like people do but not as much

Answer 60

of course not, personally, i love taking intimate and romantic baths with my cat feline friend. Look at his face of joy when we indulge in our private sessions

Answer 61

No not at all. My cat takes a shower with me on his own. He just jumps in.. He loves it

Answer 62

I put my cat on a swing and pushed very hard.

Answer 63

Your friend is an emotional imbecile.



Clean your cat.

Answer 64

Not cruel at all

Answer 65

Some cats like to play with as well as in water.

Show your friend these two videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmDF-rW6O4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLxuf4izPRw

Answer 66

you should put it in a pillow case with a rock - then the bathtub....cats suck.

Answer 67

cats don't like getting wet but it docent hurt them

Answer 68

OF COURSE!!! It's abuse to keep your pet clean and avoid letting him get sick! And it TOTALLY is abuse to use soap that can help clean animals, use a chemical soap.

Answer 69

Maybe your friend is just a jerk. Get rid of them and get another cat. 🐱

Answer 70

nope not at all

my cat has jumped into my baths and showers multiple times but he is weird so..

Answer 71

No. People are -well, programmed these days to see anything as abuse.

Like, I am abusing you by answering your question.

Answer 72

Perhaps that person isn't a friend?

Answer 73

It isn't abuse. You are caring for your cat.

Answer 74

no there is still **** balls attached ur cats *** after shitting u need to bath it just like ur funky *** takes baths after doing it the cat needs to.

Answer 75

It isn't necessarily cruel, but it isn't good for them. Brush her out instead.

Answer 76

You need a new friend. Tell her she's full of ****.

Answer 77

No you do need to clean every now and then

Answer 78

no why everyone needs a bath

Answer 79

Actually you show you care!

Answer 80

No at all, ask him which way he would it more properly!.

Answer 81

Your friend is just stupid.

Answer 82

no, tell her too mind her own beehive~!

Answer 83

No. Ignore .

Answer 84

no

Answer 85

no

Answer 86

no

Answer 87

Hell, no...