do cats need baths ?? cause my friend has a cat and she says that she bathes her?

Question

i was visiting my friend last night and she has 2 cats they are kinda creepy looking they are those hairless cats and when i tried to pet one of them i thought that im gonna puke cause they smelled like a dead animal carcass
maybe im exaggerating a bit but they really had that awful odor
she said that that is the beauty of those cats they need to have bath at least once a week cause of the body oils or something like that

i always thought that cats are afraid of water

Answer 1

Cats should keep themselves clean. Generally the only exceptions are when a cat is very ill.



Are you saying that your friend's cats are the hairless type - such as the Sphynx? Or does your friend shave her cats or have them shaved?



I don't know why a cat would have such an odor. I've never encountered anything like that.



As to bathing a cat, I would not bath a cat unless it got into a lot of something really messy like paint or oil or a skunk.



Here is how I tell people to bath a cat:

-------------------

Steps to follow to wash a cat:



1) Insure an adequate supply of blood which is compatible with your blood type. I am AB+ and can receive any positive type - A, B, AB, O. If you don't know your blood type, ask you doctor to run a test and let you know. I would suggest having at least 3 units of blood standing by before you begin the cat's bath.



2) Get a hockey goalie's mask to reduce the amount of damage done to your face while you wash the cat.



3) Wear the thickest gloves you can find which still give you some dexterity.



4) Get a welder's jacket, it will provide some protection to your chest and abdominal areas.



5) Put up warning barriers to keep innocent bystanders away from the scene of the action in order to avoid injury to said innocent bystanders.



6) Remove everything from the counter top, surrounding the sink to be used, to reduce breakage.



7) Insure that someone is standing by, safely outside the action area, who can administer first aid - to you, such as the application of tourniquets to stem blood flow - as needed.



8) Adjust the water temperature to about 90 degree Fahrenheit.



9) Pick up the cat, hold at arms length and put it in the sink. It is at this point that you want your first aid person paying attention to the action.



10) Wet down the cat, avoiding the face. Again, your first aider should be alert during this procedure.



11) Apply the shampoo and lather well stay way from the face and ears. Disregard the red color to the shampoo draining off the cat, that's just your blood, the cat is okay.



12) Rinse off the shampoo, again, the cat is fine, the red is your blood, not the cat's.



13) Repeat steps 9 through 11 - if you are still able to stand and are not dizzy from blood loss.



14) Dry the cat well. You can use a hair dryer set on low if you don't hold it on the cat very long. Move the air flow on and off the cat. You can also dry the cat fairly well with a towel. You will want to use an old towel since it is difficult to get blood stains out of cloth.



15) Go to an emergency room to have them suture the deep scraps and bites you've picked up. You may need that extra blood at this point. It is not wise to drive yourself to the emergency room if you are in the least bit dizzy from blood loss. Have someone take you or call for an ambulance.



You should be aware that some medical insurance plans will not pay for self inflicted damage, and injuries incurred while bathing a cat are generally considered to be self inflicted.



We once tried to bath two 9 week old kittens and the only thing we accomplished was to learn that they had all 19 of their claws - 10 front, 9 in the back.



There is nothing that would get me to bath a cat. Even if the cat was sprayed by a skunk I'd not want to wash them. If I had to, I'd want to sedate them first

Answer 2

Yes, cats can be bathed. I only bathe mine about once every 3 months--or sooner if they've gotten into something gross.



Hairless cats must be washed on a weekly basis. Your friend is correct about their oily skin requiring a bath.



"Body oils, which would normally be absorbed by the hair, tend to build up on the skin. As a result, regular cleaning (usually in the form of bathing) is necessary; one bath a week is usually sufficient."

Answer 3

Cats do not need human type baths. There are, circumstances where a cat owner will want to bath their cats: when they are a bit messy in the box or their pantaloons become involved.; when they get into something that they shouldn't--for instance honey or paint; or when the cat owner is allergic to cats.



When the owner is allergic to cats, it is best to start bathing the cat when it is a kitten. Over time, the cat will become used to it. That doesn't mean that the cat will necessarily enjoy the experience.



When the cat gets into something that will be harmful or just plain messy--the honey or the paint--the sooner the bath the better. The same goes when the cat has messed its pantaloons.



I used to have 2 cats that were bathed on a regular basis. I am allergic and it was the easiest way to make my allergist happy. After a few months, they complained but did not fight me in the tub. One of the two was a bit more, um, adventurous than the other and I had to give her baths because she ended up in or on something that was not safe. The cadmium in paints is absorbed through their paws and is quite toxic. The honey, well, too much of anything is a very bad thing for cats as well as their human keepers. I had to keep the pantaloons trimmed on the other cat and she occasionally got her bottom washed.



I should mention that I always left about an inch or two of water sitting in the bathtub when I went to work in Summer. Some cats actually like water but it has to be on their terms.

Answer 4

Spanking a cat will not teach it anything - don't spank. As to giving him a bath - forget. You can wipe his fur with a moist cloth but otherwise leave the cleaning up to him. Here' how I tell people how to give a cat a bath. Part of it you will not find amusing at all - you've already gone through it -- --------- Steps to follow to wash a cat: 1) Insure an adequate supply of blood which is compatible with your blood type. I am AB+ and can receive any positive type - A, B, AB, O. If you don't know your blood type, ask you doctor to run a test and let you know. I would suggest having at least 3 units of blood standing by before you begin the cat's bath. 2) Get a hockey goalie's mask to reduce the amount of damage done to your face while you wash the cat. 3) Wear the thickest gloves you can find which still give you some dexterity. 4) Get a welder's jacket, it will provide some protection to your chest and abdominal areas. 5) Put up warning barriers to keep innocent bystanders away from the scene of the action in order to avoid injury to said innocent bystanders. 6) Remove everything from the counter top, surrounding the sink to be used, to reduce breakage. 7) Insure that someone is standing by, safely outside the action area, who can administer first aid - such as the application of tourniquets to stem blood flow - as needed. 8) Adjust the water temperature to about 90 degree Fahrenheit. 9) Pick up the cat, hold at arms length and put it in the sink. It is at this point that you want your first aid person paying attention to the action. 10) Wet down the cat, avoiding the face. Again, your first aider should be alert during this procedure. 11) Apply the shampoo and lather well stay way from the face and ears. Disregard the red color to the shampoo draining off the cat, that's just your blood, the cat is okay. 12) Rinse off the shampoo, again, the cat is fine, the red is your blood, not the cat's. 13) Repeat steps 9 through 11 - if you are still able to stand and are not dizzy from blood loss. 14) Dry the cat well. You can use a hair dryer set on low if you don't hold it on the cat very long. Move the air flow on and off the cat. You can also dry the cat fairly well with a towel. You will want to use an old towel since it is difficult to get blood stains out of cloth. 15) Go to an emergency room to have them suture the deep scraps and bites you've picked up. You may need that extra blood at this point. It is wise not to drive yourself to the emergency room if you are in the least bit dizzy from blood loss. Have someone take you or call for an ambulance. You should be aware that some medical insurance plans will not pay for self inflicted damage, and injuries incurred while bathing a cat are generally considered to be self inflicted. We once tried to bath two 9 week old kittens and the only thing we accomplished was to learn that they had all 19 of their claws - 10 front, 9 in the back. There is nothing that would get me to bath a cat. Even if the cat was sprayed by a skunk I'd not want to wash them. If I had to, I'd want to sedate them first

Answer 5

Wow! i have completely outdoor cats and they smell like nothing more than dust.. They do not take baths of course.



But i do have an indoor cat, I bathe him once every two weeks... only because he is indoors, he's a kitten and cannot clean himself as well as an adult cat can, AND he has fleas.



Aside from those reasons, cats really do not need baths.. it's not necessary

Answer 6

I give my cat a bath at least once every 2 months , he sometimes willingly comes in the shower with me though(it's pretty funny, he chases after the suds). My dog likes to give my cat fleas as presents so I have to give him a flea bath and then some Frontline Plus.

Answer 7

my cat has never been great about cleaning her rear so she is used to getting bathed. she is old now (21) and doesn't groom herself at all, so i give her a bath every month. keeps her clean. she really doesn't mind much.

Answer 8

No you shouldn't give cats a bath they clean themselves you only give them a bath if it has lots of stuff on it like oil.

Answer 9

Cats usually bath themselvesf. Some people give the a bath and there is nothing wrong with that.

Answer 10

ewwwww sick. ummm well my cat licks him self, which keeps him clean lol ..like every NORMAL cat. but..u can bathe them if you want..? most are afriad of water tho.

Answer 11

I have also heard that Sphinx (hairless) cats need to be bathed regularly - as often as once a week and they sometimes use detergent.



I bred Cornish Rex cats (short curly hair) for years and sometimes we got a cat with almost no hair. In the early days of the Sphinx cat, they cross-bred with Rex for genetic health reasons. I honestly never bathed a hairless Rex anything approaching weekly and wonder if the reason the Sphinx are so oily is because they bathe them all the time???



Cats are rarely fond of water, and bathing can be a challenge. When I was showing cats and bathed them before shows, I had some who would suffer in silence, and some who said "you and what army intend to accomplish this travesty?".

Answer 12

Lots of people bathe their cats, but it's mostly those that have been raised with it and have come to appreciate it, in other words, purebred showcats, and some cats kept just for breeding, and sometimes when a cat is sick it stops bathing itself, and if they go outside and get themselves into something messy, people bathe them to get rid of the smell, but those kinds of things don't happen to often. Sphinx cats, the hairless ones, if I remember correctly, just plain sweat alot, and need weekly baths.

Answer 13

they bathe themselves.



you could like every five monthes or so i guess.



but not too much!



or they will stop licking them selves!