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Should I bathe my cat, or are cats naturally clean animals?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 6 years and 2 months old | 13 lbs

Knowing how cats are about water...is it necessary to bathe a cat?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Juliana, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 16th, 2018

No, it is not necessary to bathe a cat! They are very fastidious and clean by nature, so you most certainly do not need to bathe your cat. If they have dander or aren’t grooming themselves well for some reason, brushing can help tremendously without the stress of a bath. Great question!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 22nd, 2018

    Unless your cat is visibly very dirty, has rolled in some dirt that sticks to the fur or has been contaminated with a chemical or detrimental material, there is no need to wash or bathe a cat. If your cat has terrible diarrhea and soiled his fur, you can wash off the feces with warm water. Cats are very clean animals and will wash themselves regularly. If they do not clean themselves they are ill or are suffering from a health problem and need to be seen by a vet,

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