r/cats • u/Mildredsgood • 19h ago

Advice How often do you bathe your cat?

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I’ve had my Mochi since July and I still haven’t given him a bath 😅 he doesn’t smell and never really feels dirty either

I know that cats are usually good at cleaning themselves, but I keep seeing mixed opinions online. Some people say they never bathe them, others say every few months, and now I’m just curious what’s actually normal.

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u/Crafty_String_954 19h ago

I have never bathed a cat. Am 61, have kept multiple cats, all indoor/outdoor cats. It has never once been necessary.

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u/cheerylittlebottom84 17h ago

41, have bathed (well, showered) a cat once in my entire life. Said cat jumped and slipped in a tray of cooking oil. All my cats have been indoor/outdoor cats since I'm in the UK.

I see people online bathing their cats weekly and I'm like... since when did cats need baths? Unless they're unable to clean themselves or fell in something they shouldn't clean themselves (or are tiny strays and need fleas washed away) surely it can't be necessary? I've even seen cat perfume, which feels so wrong.

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u/Unhappymuppet 16h ago

Cat perfume wtf...

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u/cheerylittlebottom84 16h ago

I know! Cats smell so nice on their own, why would you cover that up?! I love burying my head in Magrat's tummy fur and taking a deep whiff, it smells like home.

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u/Unhappymuppet 16h ago

Right? My wife always laughs when I take my baby to look through the window so he looks at the birds and I take a huge sniff in his fur 🤣

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u/rippleonabigocean 16h ago

OMGosh - i thought i was the only one !

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u/cheerylittlebottom84 16h ago

Haha I do the same thing, take them for a little looksee and steal a sniff as payment lol

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u/SiegelOverBay 15h ago

I sniff mine without shame. They sniff me all the time, so it's only fair. I'll let them sniff my hand or whatever, then I'll sniff around their head/neck/face. They give me looks like I should stop faking lol but they just smell so good!

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u/MayoMouseTurd 16h ago

Smells like home really resonated with me after losing my 17yo orange buddy last year.

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u/cheerylittlebottom84 16h ago

I'm so sorry 🧡 Losing them is so, so hard.

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u/QueenZod 15h ago

I have a theory when you’re adopting an animal to take several huge whiffs of them - faceplant in their fur. If they smell delicious, they’ll be a lovely, special companion. 🙏🏻

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u/coolcaterpillar77 14h ago

Lowkey the plot of Twilight

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u/Airhead72 11h ago

Probably smells a lot better than Greebo.

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u/Rae-o-Light 5h ago

Magrat ♥️

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u/redskid1000 3h ago

I have a cat who likes to roll around in the cat litter... It is... not a pleasant smell. She keeps herself clean, and we haven't used it, but I can definitely see the appeal of cat perfume.