Do cats reallly need baths?

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majcm - 25 Apr 2007 03:36 GMT

My stepdaughter, who is 17 and getting that "attitude" about everything,
says our house smells like "cat" and our dog. Yes the dog will smell
sometimes, but she says she gives her cat a bath once a week. Our house did
smell like urine from a previous ill cat that we had to put down, but we
replaced all the carpet and most of the house is in wood floor now (a month
ago). No one else I have asked (and its people I know would tell me the
truth) can smell it anymore, but her. This was in answer to why won't she
bring friends here instead of hanging out till all hours at their house ( I
think its a supervision issue, not the cats). Anyway, it really hurt my
feelings and she says we need to start bathing the cats. I have never done
that & if you pick a cat up, it doesn't smell like dogs do. Does anyone here
give their cats baths?

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Matthew - 25 Apr 2007 03:46 GMT

cats only need a bath if something gets on the fur that they can't get off
by themselves without hurting themselves

Ifyou cats stinks a vet visit may be necessary it may have a impacted anal
gland

for your teenager take a bar of soap and get that attitude right out of her
;-)

> My stepdaughter, who is 17 and getting that "attitude" about everything,
> says our house smells like "cat" and our dog. Yes the dog will smell
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> never done that & if you pick a cat up, it doesn't smell like dogs do.
> Does anyone here give their cats baths?

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majcm - 25 Apr 2007 03:59 GMT

Thanks for that! I have never smelled THEM, just the pee that was in the
carpet. The litter boxes are kept clean. I picked each of them up and
smelled them tonight...nothing, although I knew that already.

> cats only need a bath if something gets on the fur that they can't get off
> by themselves without hurting themselves
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>> never done that & if you pick a cat up, it doesn't smell like dogs do.
>> Does anyone here give their cats baths?

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MaryL - 27 Apr 2007 04:23 GMT

Just as the others said, it is rare for a cat to need a bath. My two have
never been bathed. One of my previous (RB) cats was bathed once, right I
after I adopted her. Other than that -- no baths and no odor. Bathing your
cat won't help if the odor is in the carpet. If an indoor cat does have an
odor, then a trip to the vet is needed.

MaryL

> Thanks for that! I have never smelled THEM, just the pee that was in the
> carpet. The litter boxes are kept clean. I picked each of them up and
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>>> cats. I have never done that & if you pick a cat up, it doesn't smell
>>> like dogs do. Does anyone here give their cats baths?

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The Horny Goat - 29 Apr 2007 04:28 GMT

>Just as the others said, it is rare for a cat to need a bath. My two have
>never been bathed. One of my previous (RB) cats was bathed once, right I
>after I adopted her. Other than that -- no baths and no odor. Bathing your
>cat won't help if the odor is in the carpet. If an indoor cat does have an
>odor, then a trip to the vet is needed.

Last time our kitty was bathed was at the vet after having her shots.
Mom and litter were semi-feral and rescued shortly before the field
they were in was plowed.

I saw her for the first time just after her bath when my daughter and
I were driving in the neighborhood and our 8 year old said "Daddy come
see our new kitty!" When the vet's assistant saw my daughter they
brought our little kitty out freshly bathed and 'shot' and looking
rather bedraggled. Naturally I thought my wife had lost her marbles.

(The story had a happy ending as the entire litter found homes and ten
years later our tuxedo 'wildcat' is part of our lives.)

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majcm - 02 May 2007 03:46 GMT

>>Just as the others said, it is rare for a cat to need a bath. My two have
>>never been bathed. One of my previous (RB) cats was bathed once, right I
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> (The story had a happy ending as the entire litter found homes and ten
> years later our tuxedo 'wildcat' is part of our lives.)

Good for you!! I'm so glad there are so many people willing to help stray,
homeless and unwanted animals!

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The Horny Goat - 03 May 2007 07:34 GMT

>> I saw her for the first time just after her bath when my daughter and
>> I were driving in the neighborhood and our 8 year old said "Daddy come
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>Good for you!! I'm so glad there are so many people willing to help stray,
>homeless and unwanted animals!

Give credit where credit is due - in our case it was the vet and our
little kitty was simply one of mother cat's kittens.

I will never forget my first look at our kitten though - she was
freshly "shot" and bathed and complainly bitterlyabout the
experience.... I felt sure my lady had lost her marbles...

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Fred G. Mackey - 25 Apr 2007 04:26 GMT

> My stepdaughter, who is 17 and getting that "attitude" about everything,
> says our house smells like "cat" and our dog. Yes the dog will smell
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> that & if you pick a cat up, it doesn't smell like dogs do. Does anyone here
> give their cats baths?

My cat bathes herself all the friggin' time - why should I bathe her?

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Dan Espen - 25 Apr 2007 14:08 GMT

> My stepdaughter, who is 17 and getting that "attitude" about everything,
> says our house smells like "cat" and our dog. Yes the dog will smell
> sometimes,

If the cat's litterbox is inside, change it often and use scented litter.
Cat's don't normally smell, they keep themselves very clean.

Dogs, however, stink.
I don't know if they can be washed enough that they don't
stink up the house.

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