Help Your Cat Enjoy Having a Bath

In general, cats don’t like water. Unfortunately that also means that cats don’t like baths. The good thing is that most cats don’t need to be bathed as they do an excellent job of keeping themselves clean. However, if your cat manages to get herself really dirty, sticky, or smelly, you may need to give her a bath. You might luck out and have one of those unique cats who love baths (in which case you need to post a video on the internet), but more likely you’ll have a cat who is not impressed with the process. There are some things you can do to make bath time a better experience for everyone involved.

Steps

Teaching Your Cat That Bath Time is Fun

1. Start bathing your cat when she’s a kitten. The earlier in her life that she gets use to having a bath, the better. If you give your cat a bath when she’s just a kitten, she’s more likely to tolerate it when she’s grown up. It can be useful to give your kitten a bath so she gets use to it, even if she doesn’t need one.
   • If training your cat as a kitten isn’t possible, you can try training her as an adult cat. If you do this when she’s an adult, be patient. Each training step may take longer for her to successfully complete.
2. Clip your cat’s nails before you give her a bath. If your cat or kitten hates getting her nails clipped, you might want to do this a day or two in advance, instead of the same day as the bath. Clipping your cat’s nails beforehand will help limit the number of fabric items (e.g. towels, shower curtains, bath mats, etc.) her nails can get caught on if she struggles. Clipping her nails will also help reduce the number of scratches you end up with.
3. Put a non-slip mat on the bottom of the tub. Your cat or kitten will most likely want to stand up while she’s in the bath and you don’t want her to slip. Put some sort of non-slip bath mat on the bottom of the tub or sink where you’re giving her a bath.
   • You could also put a towel in the tub or sink. The towel will obviously be soaked, but it will provide a soft place for your cat to stand.
4. Start the bath training process. Start by gathering all the necessary bath supplies and taking your kitten into the bathroom with everything. Run the water and let her explore the sounds and the tub. Talk to her softly and gently throughout this whole process, and give her treats as a reward for good behaviour. For this step, she doesn’t need to get wet.
   • Allow your kitten (or cat) to play in the bathroom (or wherever you might bathe her) whenever she wants. Ideally she should not have any fear of the room so she won’t associate it with something scary.
5. Get your kitten’s feet wet. This time take your kitten into the bathroom with all her bath supplies and run the water. Allow the tub to fill up an inch or two and then stop the water. Gently place your kitten into the water so her feet get wet. While she’s in the water, praise her and pet her gently. If she’s able to stand in the water without struggling, give her some treats.
   • If she struggles, don’t give her treats, instead try this step again the next day.
   • When you take her out of the water, regardless of whether she struggles, wrap her in a towel and cuddle her.
   • Repeat this step until your kitten doesn’t struggle while in the water.
6. Use a washcloth to wipe down your kitten. Teach her how wonderful it is to get washed with a washcloth. Bring her into the bathroom with all her bath supplies. Fill the tub 1-3 inches and place your kitten in the water. Wet a washcloth and gently wipe your kitten all over her body. Keep eye contact with her while you’re washing her, and praise her in a calm and gentle voice. If she doesn’t struggle, give her treats.
   • If your kitten struggles during this step, don’t give her any treats, just talk to her and praise her.
   • Repeat this step until your kitten is able to receive a full wash without any struggling. When she doesn’t struggle, give her treats as a reward.
   • When you’re done washing your kitten, take her out of the water, wrap her in a towel, and cuddle with her.
7. Pour water on your kitten. Take your kitten into the bathroom with all her bath supplies. Fill the tub and place your kitten in the water. This time use a cup or pitcher and gentle pour the bath water over her body so her fur gets a good soak. Praise her the whole time in a calm and gentle voice. Once you’ve thoroughly soaked her, wipe her down with a wet washcloth.
   • If your kitten struggles during this step, don’t give her any treats, just talk to her and praise her.
   • Repeat this step until your kitten is able to receive a full wash without any struggling. When she doesn’t struggle, give her treats as a reward.
   • When you’re done washing your kitten, take her out of the water, wrap her in a towel, and cuddle with her.
8. Shampoo your kitten. It’s now time to actually shampoo your kitten. Bring your kitten into the bathroom with all her bath supplies, fill the tub, and place her in the water. Pour water over your kitten so her fur gets soaked. Pour some shampoo into your hands, or directly onto her fur, and gentle massage the shampoo into her fur. Rinse your kitten off by pouring water over her again, and using the washcloth if necessary.
   • If your kitten struggles during this step, don’t give her any treats, just talk to her and praise her.
   • Repeat this step until your kitten is able to receive a full wash without any struggling. When she doesn’t struggle, give her treats as a reward.
   • When you’re done washing your kitten, take her out of the water, wrap her in a towel, and cuddle with her.

Keeping Your Cat Calm in the Bath

1. Avoid restraining your cat if possible. Cats hate being restrained. If your cat feels restrained in the bath, she'll probably try to resist and struggle. Avoid any type of restraint in the bath. Allow her to feel like she’s in control of her movements.
   • One way to restrain your cat without actually restraining her is to use your hand to block her movement in certain directions. You can do this without actually touching your cat.
2. Keep calm and talk softly. Your cat can feed off your emotions — if you’re panicking, she'll probably start to panic. If you’re calm, there’s a better chance she’ll be calm too. No matter what your cat is doing in the bath, or how scared she gets, stay calm. Don’t yell or raise your voice. Don’t freak out or panic. Talk to your cat the whole time in a soft and gentle voice, like you were talking to a baby.
3. Distract your cat with treats. Throughout the whole process of giving your cat a bath, give her treats. For example, once you’ve closed the door and you’re filling the tub, reward her for being a good kitty. When you place her in the water, reward her for being a good kitty. If your cat loves treats, they might distract her enough to reduce her stress in the bath.
4. Pick times for a bath when your cat is sleepy. Since she’s a cat and sleeps 18 hours a day, finding a time when she’s sleepy shouldn’t be too hard. If her sleepy time doesn’t correspond to a good time to give her a bath, have a high energy play session so she gets tired. Having an intense play session before the bath may be necessary for a kitten, as they’re almost always frisky.
5. Brush your cat before her bath. Before you put your cat in the tub, give her a good brushing. You want to get as much of the loose and shedding fur off of her before she’s in the water. Besides making the water dirty, it can also clog your drains. If your cat loves to be brushed, as many cats do, this brushing will help to calm her down and prepare her for the bath.
6. Be prepared for the song of her people. Once it’s bath time, be prepared for your cat to meow, howl, and yowl. She might even hiss and growl at you as well. Do not panic! Cats like to vocalize their distaste and just because she sounds like she’s being tortured doesn’t mean she’s actually in any pain. Talk to your cat in a calm and gentle voice while she’s in the bath. Don’t make any sudden movements that may startle her.
7. Dry your cat off and keep her in a warm place. When the bath is done, you still need to work to keep your cat calm. While your cat is still in the tub or sink, use your hand(s) to wipe off as much excess water as you can from her fur. This is especially important for her legs and tail. Once that’s done, take her out of the tub or sink and wrap her in a warm towel. Use your hands and the towel to dry your cat as much as you can. If your cat is brave, you can even use a blow dryer — on the lowest setting of course.
   • Even if you wipe off excess water before taking your cat out of the tub or sink, she’ll still be quite wet. You’ll probably need to use a second towel right away as the first one will be soaked quickly.
   • Until your cat’s fur is completely dry, keep her someplace warm (and clean).
   • If you have a long-haired cat, you’ll also want to brush her fur with a comb to remove any tangles.
   • Your cat will start to lick herself the minute she’s able to reach her fur. And she’ll continue to lick herself until she’s almost dry. This is completely normal.

Tips

• If your cat’s ears need to be cleaned, use only a tissue or a cotton ball, not a Q-Tip. Use only your fingers to clean her ears so there’s no chance of anything damaging her ear drums.
• If you’re giving your cat a bath because you need to use a medicated shampoo, be sure to read the instructions ahead of time. Some medicated shampoo needs to stay on your cat’s fur for a certain period of time before being rinsed off.

Related Articles

• Bathe a Sphynx Cat
• Give a Kitten a Bath
• Inconspicuously Bathe a Cat Without Being Scratched

Sources and Citations

See also

• Determine Why Your Cat Does Not Groom Itself
• Bathe a Cat
• Trim Your Cat's Nails
• Clean Your Cat's Ears
• Give a Kitten a Bath
• Check Cats for Fleas
• Groom a Persian Cat
• Brush a Cat
• Make Your Cat's Fur Soft and Shiny
• Bathe a Sphynx Cat

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