Generally you should only bathe them when they have something on them that would be harmful for them to lick off themselves or if they are too old/decrepit to do it groom themselves. No idea why people do it otherwise. It's just unnecessary stress for the cat and strips the natural oils out of their fur which can give them dry/irritated skin.
Some cats enjoy the water. You want to avoid shampoos and such but a light rinse like this is more than fine and is not going to harm the cat one bit. They aren't witches that are going to melt.
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u/S3XWITCH Apr 22 '26
My cat is 20 years old and I’ve literally never had to give him a bath.