Bathing Your Kitten: What Every Cat Owner Should Know

In this guide

Rewritten from source material originally published at: petsittersireland.com/bathing-kitten/

Most short-haired cats are efficient self-groomers, but a young kitten may not yet have the skill (or the coat) to manage entirely on their own, and a long-haired kitten will need help regardless. A bath is also worth considering if your kitten has been outside and come back filthy or smelly. That raises a few practical questions: how often should you actually bathe a kitten, what shampoo is safe to use, and how do you get through it without ending up scratched?

Some cats genuinely love water

It is a myth that all cats hate water. Bengal cats, for instance, are known for following their owners into the shower, and Maine Coon cats share a similar fondness, which works out well since their long coats benefit from regular bathing to prevent matting and maintain general hygiene. Owners of either breed should have little trouble at bath time.

Bathing Sphynx kittens

Sphynx cats are something of an exception: their hairlessness, combined with the skin folds typical of the breed, especially as kittens, makes them prone to a build-up of dirt and natural skin oils in those folds. Regular bathing, at least once a week, helps keep their skin healthy. It is equally important to dry a Sphynx thoroughly afterwards, since trapped moisture between the folds can cause its own problems.

How often should you bathe a kitten?

Kittens generally learn to self-groom within their first few months, relying on their mother for grooming before that. If you have taken in a kitten before they have learned to self-groom, weekly baths are a sensible way to keep them clean and comfortable in the meantime.

Once a kitten is grooming well on its own, baths become far less frequent, generally just once or twice a year to keep them feeling and smelling their best, since cats are naturally fastidious about their own cleanliness.

Choosing a shampoo

Always use a shampoo made specifically for cats or kittens rather than a human product; a kitten's skin and coat are sensitive, and residue from the wrong shampoo can cause irritation. Natural, organic, or herbal shampoos from a pet store are generally a good choice, provided they avoid tea tree oil, which can be toxic to cats in larger amounts, so it is best avoided altogether. If your kitten clearly responds well to a particular scent or texture, stick with it, since that familiarity makes bath time easier over time.

Bathing without getting scratched

An unhappy kitten will scratch to escape whatever is upsetting it, so the key is a calm, matter-of-fact approach that eases them into the experience rather than rushing or reacting to their distress. It helps to trim nails beforehand, prepare the bathroom or laundry room in advance, run gently warm water, and hold your kitten securely, either with a harness or by the scruff, while you lather, rinse, and repeat as needed. Afterwards, dry them gently but thoroughly with a soft towel to prevent them catching a chill.

Bathing after flea treatment

Your kitten should be completely dry when a flea treatment is applied, and it is best to avoid bathing them again for at least 48 hours afterwards, to give the treatment time to work properly.

A useful tip

Placing a small piece of cotton wool in each ear before bathing helps stop water getting in and causing irritation.

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