To bath or not to bath?

[Desley (booktigger)]

I only bath if necessary, but do use a warm flannel or babywipes on the cats that will accept it.

[Bazsmum]

OH puts our Gizzy in the bath as he has masses of fur...mainly white and his fave pastime is rolling over in the dirt! 

[blackcat]

only bathe mine if they have something toxic on them that they would otherwise ingest if they cleaned themselves.... it is usually a mutually painful experience 

[berties mum]

I bathe Bella because she doesn't wash herself ... she had a bit of a sad kittenhood and wasn't taught to clean, although oddly she will clean Bertie.  She's a smelly little thing so I give her a wash every couple of days unless Bert has got there first, and she loves it    I've never washed the other two though and they don't smell, and all my fingers are intact  

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Bluecat please do not use capitals on Purrs cos its considered to be shouting and rude and as you know we are always polite and friendly 

I would never ever think of bathing one of mine and its really not needed, unless some disaster has befallen them 

[bluecat]

YOU CAN GET PET WIPES  AND  SPRAY  TOPUT ON YOUR HANDS  AN RUB IN  WORTH A LOOK

[clarenmax]

I've always assumed cats are very clean anyway, they spend a lot time grooming, so bathing is probably only necessary to stop them ingesting something on their fur, or as you say, they've been in something they shouldn't have 

[MrsR]

Have only ever bathed mine if they'd got something stuck on them.

[feebee]

Thanks,

No one in my house smokes and to be honest cats I've had before I have never ever bathed but friend takes in ex ferals and if she can manage to bathe an ex-feral !!!

Well it's just worried me that I may have been neglecting to do something I should have. 

[Christie]

I had to bathe Lucia when she first came to live with me, she had a lice infestation  and I had to use special shampoo. It was terrible! As you can imagine, I had no skin left on my arms, she clawed it all off.

I do periodically wipe the cats down with a clean, damp washcloth, as my husband smokes and I don't want them ingesting any of the residue that might get on their fur. I do think it's important to do that when you have a smoker in the house. (At least he only smokes out in the conservatory)

[Dawn F]

never bathe mine, they're self cleaning!

[feebee]

Anyone any advice on this?

So far I have only ever bathed my cats if they have e.g. found a mound of something smelly while they were out and rolled in it "cos it was there and meowmy makes such a funny face when we come in covered in something smelly"   

A friend who keeps cats though says she bathes hers every few months, I thought it was only necessary if they were dense furred cats like Persians. I am confused now, should I bath them once a month and take out a year's supply of plasters and TCP?