Does My Cat Need a Bath?

And is it okay for me to do it at home?

You might not think that one of the duties of a cat groomer would be responding to hundreds and thousands of social media dm’s every day, and let me tell you something… I didn’t either! Seriously, when we started grooming out of the Charleston Cat Groomer salon in 2019, no one had any idea how fast things would BLOW UP. So, here I am, 4 years later, sometimes spending 6-8 hours a day staring at messages from cat owners who are confused, bewildered, nervous, and often at their wits end. One thing that has separated us from the pack from the very beginning is the fact that we use common sense when answering each and every question we receive (and we DO try to respond to every message). We don’t give these desperate cat owners a stock message about how they should do things at home, or even who they should choose for grooming. Instead, we carefully consider the facts, and reply with what we would tell our own sister or BFF. In other words, no bullshit. In this post I’m going to answer one of the most common questions we get (usually with a photo attached); “Does my cat look like it needs a bath?” And I’m not going to give you the stock groomer answer “every cat needs a bath,” and I’m definitely not going to tell you that you can do it at home either. But first, I’ll need a little more information from you about your relationship with your cat, his/her relationship with your vet, and of course their ASLR, or stats!

Whenever I read a dm asking if I think someone’s cat needs a bath, I start with the obvious… does it LOOK dirty? Do you see dandruff? Is the coat greasy? Obviously some cats have actual debris stuck to their fur (litter, leaves, poop, etc), so if this is the case, then yeah… your cat could use a bath. Common sense, right? If your own hair looked greasy, looked flaky, or had…uh… poop stuck in it… wouldn’t you give it a wash? Let’s move on to a less obvious one. A seemingly fluffy and clean cat with nothing visible in its coat. It smells clean, looks clean, then what? What about this cat? It depends. It really does. We always advocate getting cats used to the grooming process when they are young, because most elderly cats will need it in their future- but what if THIS PARTICULAR CAT absolutely hates the vet. I mean, the good doc has to break out the raptor gloves and Hannibal Lechter muzzle just for a short exam. Should this cat be stressed out at the grooming salon for a bath if it has zero matting and a clean coat? Absolutely not. Use your head people. Just keep trucking along, combing the hell out of him at home if able, and praying that he won’t get matted.

Obviously greasy and matted- so YES- needs a bath!

On the other hand… just for fun… let’s say this cat is great at the vet! Doesn’t get stressed out, and nobody needs sedation or gloves. Then hellz yeah- get this cat used to the grooming process now, while its young and healthy! It will eventually get matted if it has long fur, and if you start now, it will just be a normal every-day event for this cat to be combed or bathed. No big deal. It will also decrease shedding, and food/fur ball regurgitation, not to mention make her look and smell great! Go for it! Should you try it at home? Well, Sharon, you tell me! How confident are you handling this cat? Can you medicate it? Trim its nails? Do you have help (a spouse, roommate, Tinder date… )in case shit hits the fan? If you don’t, maybe you should re-think this whole thing, or at least reactivate your Tinder account. I mean, has their ever been a better reason than to find someone to help you bathe your cat? I seriously doubt it.

An owner donning bitebusters to comb her cat! Bathing might not be an option!

Still confused as to whether your cat needs a bath? Check out the list below!

Does your cat have visible dirt on it? ——–Yes.

Does your cat have matting? ———– Yes.

Does your cat have lots of dandruff?———– Yes.

Does your cat regurgitate fur balls or food regularly?———–Yes

Does your cat leave a mini-me of its fur everywhere it sleeps?———-YES

Does your cat get easily stressed out or is feral or semi-feral? ——–proceed with caution!

Is your cat’s coat shiny, sleek, clean, and free of matting ——- probably not!

Still wondering if you can bathe your cat at home? Answer these questions!

Can you trim your cat’s nails? If no, then no need to answer the rest. Abandon mission. If yes, keep answering!

Can you do this? You’re off to a great start!

Do you have a hand-held sprayer attachment in your shower, sink, or tub? If yes, then maybe!

Do you have trouble getting your cat into a cat carrier? If yes, then… we are worried for you safety!

Has your cat ever bitten or scratched you out of anger? If yes, then do not proceed!

Are you in general kind of a “bad ass” that everyone knows not to screw around with? GO FOR IT!

Really think you’re a bad ass???

Okay, that last question might not seem like a good one, but trust me, it is! We’ve met a lot of people who are able to bathe their own cats at home in the past few years, and almost every one of them is lowkey kinda a bad ass. I’m not kidding. They aren’t going to let a ten pound animal dictate what happens in their house, and while it might not be exactly easy for them, they get the job done. Do you already know that you are super sensitive or squeamish? If so, just let a professional do the job! That’s what we are here for

>^..^< Shannon & Whitney

In our fave place volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah