To bathe or not to bathe your cat - that is the question! 

My dog peed on my cat... so I’m here now

I prefer not to die, so I do not bathe my cats.

When it comes to clipping nails, I think I've discovered a fool-proof way to do it without your cat fussing. This has at least worked for all my cats, personally. One disclaimer I have is that I've done this since kittenhood, I'm not sure about starting it on adult cats. I start with getting them used to me touching their paws; petting, booping, and gently squeezing to expose their claws. I especially make sure to do this while they're sleeping or tired. Lastly, I only clip their nails when they are settled and sleepy (usually in belly-up position). I stroke their head to let them know I'm there, and then make my way to clipping their nails. They sit quietly and let me do it every time without a single protest. No partner needed 😁

My sweet darling 18 year old Snoopy recently passed.... and I miss giving her warm baths. She had dementia, and stopped grooming herself in the last few months. She seemed to really enjoy being pampered. She even liked being blow dried! I miss everything about her - even her little tangles and litter-encrusted toes....

My daughter once bathed our cat. In return for this kindness he took a massive dump in the middle of her bed😂

the fact that someone bathes their cat every week for no reason makes me sad

I've had to bathe my 12yo kitty only once in her life, within the first week I adopted her at 6mo. She jumped right into the unflushed toilet! I put her right from the toilet bowl into the bath lmao. She's still not the brightest bulb in the drawer all these years later, but she never did repeat that mistake.

I'm surprised there's not more people mentioning the problem of long haired cats getting poop in their fur. My Cleo occasionally gets a poopy butt, and if it's bad enough, she does get a bath. She absolutely hates it, so I'll be taking some of those tips to try and make it a more acceptable experience. She never even thinks of attacking me though, the sweetheart, she just wants to escape.

My brother had a cat that loved baths. They literally had to lock him out of the bathroom when he heard the water running.

"Have a partner" *me looking at my second kitten* You up to lend a paw? 😂

The comment about needing 2 people to cut nails makes me SO grateful to have 2 cats that love the attention of getting their nails cut and the treat afterwards that they run to me the moment the drawer with the clippers in it opens and get in line 😂. Heck, I lift up a paw and there’s immediate deep purring. I love meh babies 😍♥️.

I rescued a stray kitten a little over a month ago and I gave her baths daily because she was so malnourished and weak that she couldn't hold herself up when she pooped so she ended up pooping on her hind legs - it broke my heart to see her like that so I tried holding her as support which helped a tiny bit. When I was drying her off I would turn on my TV and pull up cat videos and anytime one started cleaning themselves I would make her look at the TV and tokd her to take notes 😂 Once she gained some strength I would bring her out to spend time with my resident cats and she would watch them clean themselves so intently -- it was adorable. Finally all that work paid off when I saw that she had a little mess on her leg and after filling up the sink and preparing a warm soft towel, I picked her up and saw that she had cleaned herself and no longer needed a bath! 🎉 I felt my heart swell with pride and from that moment on I praised her every time she attempted to clean herself. Now she's really good at it!

Times I’ve had to bathe a cat can be boiled down to two things: cat is either covered in paint or diarrhea. Bathe your cat if it has stuff on it that would make it sick if it licked it off itself

I ended up in the emergency room once because I was bathing my cat. Turns out the human ear is a great foot hold to climb over the shoulder.

Normal cat body temp is around 100F-102F which is higher than normal human body temp. Many years ago, past experience with bathing my elderly arthritic cat (18 years old) was that she did much better when bath water was around 110F - 120F. I think it felt like a hot tub for her achy joints. For me, the kitchen sink was the easiest place for me to bathe the Queen cät.

When my family's cat got quite elderly (about 17 years old), he didn't do such a good job grooming himself anymore and his fur was matted and greasy. So, my sister decided to give him a bath. Afterwards, she walked into her bedroom where he was sitting on her pillow. He made eye contact with her then started peeing. He then ran away. My sister was so upset, she said that he couldn't get on her bed without help so she knew he was really determined to make it personal.

In the 4 years of owning my cat I've only given him a bath once. He had explosive diarrhoea and was covered in his poop, it had to be done.

Jackson: Have a partner when you groom your cat Me: Immediately browsing dating site

My tip for helping the bathing experience for your cat is I place a small plastic step in the bathtub for them to stand on during the bath. They stay because they are out of the water and are not as upset. I scoop the water up over them with a cup to get wet and wash.

Your segment about being prepared is great, but I'd add 2 more things specifically. You touched on time of day and their activity levels. But more specifically, play with your cat ahead of time! You don't want to exhaust them completely, but playing ahead of time to reduce their energy level so they are slightly more calm makes a difference. And second, trim their nails beforehand! Preferably a few hours or even a day earlier (so they don't associate the nail trimming with the bathing experience). Other than that, great video! Especially to educate people who think they need to bathe their cat regularly.

Summary: Bath your cat only when in a seriously dirty situation. It isn't a tough concept people. That means Mud, Poop, Motoroil and Fleas.

Had to bathe my cat once. Neighbor dumped motor oil in the yard like a tool and my cat got in it. Of course, I didn't want her trying to lick it off, so out came the dish detergent. She cried so pitifully the entire time. I felt bad for her but I didn't want her poisoned trying to clean herself.

I have a cat who didn’t like us to be in the shower without him monitoring. I think he thought we would drown and he couldn’t be there to save us. One time, my mom was taking a shower and she closed the door without him in the bathroom. She just didn’t want to deal with him being in there meowing. Well he was making a ruckus at the door. After a few minutes, she didn’t hear him anymore. She was like “Cool he gave up” and went about her shower. Well a minute later, she got a big scare. He jumped and slashed the shower curtain… tore it like Wolverine. He somehow opened the door and was very mad she had locked him out.

My kitten wasn't off the street but he had fleas! I figured it out because he scratched A LOT. He was 8 weeks old, and itching with his teeth frequently. I bought a flea comb the next day and checked. It took 2 baths in dawn dish soap (24 hours apart because we had to wait a few days for a vet appointment) to get rid of them PLUS medication from the vet. Bathing cats is not easy but there will be at least 1 time in your cats life where they NEED a bath!

I've only had to bathe my cat once. He got fleas (the dog brought them in - her flea collar needed to be replaced). And none of the other flea treatments worked for him. So. Flea bath. Never again, if I can help it. It wasn't even violent. He just cried the whole time. He looked so betrayed 😭

I can nearly hear this cat saying "My patience has come to an end, mate..."

I greatly like that you mentioned traumatizing cats with baths. My 8 month old cat won't leave the bathroom while I shower. He walks along the side of the tub while I shower. Weather it is the running shower or the tap itself before activating the shower and he is on the edge of the tub on the inside of the curtain he will just chill out there. During my shower he will lock the outside of my curtain. About 3 times now, I have picked himup, help him close to my chest in a safe hug, and stand out of reach of the running shower. He just puts, and then I back up a bit so that the water is hitting my back and he is surrounded by a mist of warm/tempid water. Then I back up a bit more so that wTer is running down my chest but he still isn't " in " the shower. As he gets wet on one side from the water, ill reach behind me cup some water in my hand and pet his back. Like you said, never pour on their ears or eyes. After about 3 handfuls of water bing rubbed into his fur, thats when he decides that he has had enough, and he starts to get a bit squirmy, so I gently set him on the edge of the tub so that he can get out safely. From that point, he sits on the toilet till I turn off the water and he jumps o In before I even open the shower curtain to drink and play in the warm water left in the tub. He has zero concern for any water dripping on his head from the shower novel up on high. And by allowing him to dare I say join me on his terms, I feel like I have helped to build some trust with my little kitty as he knows that the shower is not a dangerous place. Cats love fresh running water, so I have attributed all of this behavior to that and the curiosity that cats have.

I also heard that cats prefer standing with paws up (like in a bucket) so I gently make sure their front paws are upright and rarely get any fight from them. Also I make sure the water is quite warm since their core temperature is warmer than ours. A few of my fosters actually melt into my circle sink and sit there for a few. I do actually manage to bathe with only one towel!! :) Rarely get scratched and I've done it to every single foster 🤷. I only do it when they first come typically when they stink.

I can’t shower without my cat standing under the water. He absolutely loves the shower to the point where he wants me to pick him up and hold him.

Person brushing cat: you’re my peanut butter boy :3 Me, tearing up: he a peanut butter boi 😭💖✊

i have a long-haired cat that i bathe once a year (twice if necessary), just because his fur is so dense he has trouble getting all of it. its usually during the spring, so i use undercoat rakes and de-shed tactics to reduce his fluff for the incoming summer heat!! he really appreciates the relief and i can tell lol. he also loves the extra attention and brushing and loving.

So true about the matted fur and their thin skin. One of mine hates being brushed but has long fur and a thyroid issue left his fur dry and even more susceptible to matting. And I think arthritis keeps him from clawing so he needs clipping too. He whines the whole time I’m grooming him but then he feels so much better and is more active. Also he’s elderly. He’s just so sensitive! We are lucky we have each other. He takes a lot of extra care!

Video idea for you: Show proper ear cleaning and nail trimming techniques! A friend is concerned of hurting their cats ears, and I'm worried of getting the quip on dark nails.

My cat likes to play in wet clay for some reason, so when he's done, he's going in the bathtub. He's got his own little tray, I fill it with about an inch of lukewarm water and I quickly wash his paws. He doesn't need soap or anything, lukewarm water does the job. He hates every second of it, but he gets a treat afterwards. Ah, the price to pay to play in clay....

for my extra-senior cat i use a damp cloth to help him bathe, fluffy towel, then brush when the fur is almost dry... MUCH less scary and uncomfortable for him than a full bath. he is too sick to be stressed. takes time but its worth it

I love your excellent tips! Also, cats have a higher temperature than humans. I believe one of the biggest problems is that people make the water too cold for them. Lukewarm for us is too cold for them. So I make it warm (not hot) so it’s not too uncomfortable. And my cats don’t freak out the few times I’ve bathed them. I very rarely bathe my cats and just for the reasons you mention above.

“I gave my cat a bath the other day...they love it. He sat there, he enjoyed it, it was fun for me. The fur would stick to my tongue, but other than that...” Steve Martin

friendly reminder: you don't have to literally *bathe* your cat, especially if it's difficult. Depending on the situation, a wet cloth and a bit of warm water will suffice.

having your cats full trust is one of the best feelings ever

In more than 50 years of being a cat mummy I can say that while cats are usually fastidious clean, there are times when they'll rub themselves in something unpleasant or jump into something unpleasant and you have no option but to wash them. For this reason alone it's a good idea to get kittens used to being washed/ bathed. However, washing a cat should be no more than every couple of months, usually during summer months if possible. The reason for this is cats build up their natural oils that keeps out the cold & wet which keeps them warm in less warm months. Also if they're washed in summer months they dry off quicker and are less prone to get ill from the cold. It also depends on the individual cat, some love or don't mind being in water others just tolerate it, others hate it. Be guided by your feline friend

“The sound of rushing water is never good for a cat’s nerves” ... It’s official, my cat is not normal. She climbs in the tub and stands in front of the faucet, meowing at you until you turn it on. Once it’s on, she sticks HER HEAD under the water and lets it flow over her ears. Heh... maybe she’s got brain damage. Lol

Imagine spending most your time grooming yourself just to have a higher being throw you into a bathtub once a week.

I've only had to bathe a cat a few times in my life (fleas on kittens, one adult who was grateful for it because she got herself covered in car grease), but now our senior boy is arthritic and can't really handle it himself. this will be our first try with him. luckily he's pretty mellow, but wish us luck in any case!

I rescued 4 kittens whose mom left them. I was going to bath them even though they were clean. Im soooo glad I saw this. 2 kittens nails clipped and 2 more to go :) Never had a cat before. These kittens are the BEST! Praying to find good homes for two of them.

Fun story about bathing newly adopted cats: I recently adopted a 10 year old one eyed sweetheart as a companion for my older tuxie. They said she was a tabby. Completely matted long coat and just covered in oil. I got her all groomed up just to find out I adopted a longhair Bengal with the most beautiful rosettes ❤️

The only time I bathed my cat was when he came home absolutely filthy - I didn't know cats could dig their claws into a stainless steel sink.

Hey Jackson. I've been a cat lover alll my life but very allergic to dander to the point of hives and asthma. I started young and once a month with every one I've ever had. They all ended up either loving baths or tolerating very well. No trauma. I'm 43 and finally just got a Sphynx. I'd say that being an allergic pet parent is also a good reason.

I don’t bath my kitten unless it’s absolutely necessary. But we have both agreed never to do a traditional bath in the bathroom. Instead he prefers a sponge bath. So a bowl of water and a sponge or cloth… no running water. He freaks out. Saves my skin from being scratched and he is very calm for sponge baths.

In more than 30 years of having cats I've only deliberately bathed a cat once, it was an experience never to be forgotten (and thankfully, never repeated!). I did, however, have a cat who loved to prance along the side of the bath...he fell in on a regular basis and never learned his lesson!

I just adopted my first ever cat. I am binging all your videos tonight.

My boy cat gets a medicated bath occasionally because of allergies/skin itching (had skin mites treated years ago and since then has sensitivity to fleas etc.). He likes it/sits there, I think because it feels soothing. He hates being towelled though and prefers to drip dry like a mop

Whenever I had to give my mom's tabby cat a bath, I had to fully suit up in the historically correct medieval plate armor I used for reenactments. It was made with steel, and weighed 40 pounds. The reason for this was because her cat had the sharpest of claws, and not using armor was a one ticket to a death by a thousand cuts.

My grandmother's cat got stuck inside my uncle's car. When we got home from a trip. He jumped into the car with no one looking and got trapped in there. We live in orlando flordia and it was durring the summer day. Later when we were looking for him to give him treats. My aunt went outside and heard him meowing from the car. She opened the door and saw a wet sweaty panting poor cat. She picked him up and ran inside. We had to give him a cool bath. Not hot not cold. But near room temperature cool. And that was the first time he actually enjoyed the bath. He drank a lot of the water he was in too. I just feel so bad for him. We all felt so awful for not seeing him jump into the car. Ever since that day we all have been far more careful in paying attention to of where he is when we get home. Later when we took him to the vet. He said he was fine just needed water and rest and hell be ok.

Sometimes bathing is needed occasionally for other reasons. My partner and I have a beautiful pure white rescue baby. Full vision and hearing. When she came to us. we did not know she has stomatitis. Thankfully she is both FIV and feLV neg. Currently she is maintained on daily meds, and I am looking into oral care products. However, sometimes her fur gets a wee bit mucky. I brush her daily, which she loves, and regularly give her a wipe with pet wipes, but very occasionally. she needs a bath. I always put a hand towel in the bottom of the sink, to help her feel safe, have the water about the same temperature as a baby's bath, and use pet shampoo, avoiding her face, of course. She is reasonably tolerant of a bath, with minimal swearing, and no use of the murder mittens. She gets loved on and treats after. I am confident about cleaning her ears, when needed, but have not learned to clip claws yet. That will happen. This little angel in white fur gives us so much pleasure, and she has a home for life, where she is safe and happy. ❤❤

So my cat won’t let me shower unless he is in the bathroom sitting on the side of the tub. He will like literally sit at the door and cry so loud. About once a month I put him right in my shoulder in the shower and wash him with his shampoo and he LOVES it. He literally sits there and purrs and just chills on my shoulder then always runs and lays down in bed to get brushed after 😅❤️

I only give a bath to my cat when needed..like the fews times she decided to walk around fresh watercolour paint...or when she decided to go visit the inside of an open wall...yeah she likes to get in trouble!

My cats have always loved their spring time hair brushing! They seem to know that im trying to help them! And bathing twice a year was good enough most years with all of my cats even when they are hunting lots!

One of our cats has cerebellar hypoplasia (wobbly kitten syndrome). Sometimes she makes mistakes and gets urine in her fur, so we do have to give her baths every once in a while. We regularly trim the nails of all three cats. The wobbly cat is an angel about it; the other two cats not so much.

I’ve never related more to when he said “if you think you can bathe your cat with one towel, you’ll end up using your shirt and pants” 😂😭

My cat has only gotten two baths in her life, and that was to get the cigarette smell out of her fur. Her foster chain smoked like crazy, and did so inside often with her cats around. Poor baby smelled even after taking her to the groomer to get a bath. The second one?? Word of advice if you have a long haired cat, clip their butt fur and clip it short- lest you come home from work one day to find a giant cat turd stuck to your cats ass and skid marks on the carpet.

Thank you for making such a accessible and comforting introduction - this was super helpful!

I avoid most cat bathing situations by using wet wipes whenever possible.

On brushing : one of my cat brushes himself. We would just hold the brush firmly and he comes and rubs himself all over on it. He's pretty thorough too !

I bathe my cat twice a year. Spring and fall. He's had this routine all 15 years of his life and he doesn't mind it at all. Even let's me dry him with a pro groomer dryer.

When we wash our cats (once in a while if someone has bought fleas into the house) we use a baby bath so it’s contained and they can grip the foam padding bit

We adopted a kitten who was abandoned at a very young age (she probably needed an experienced foster parent, but we did the best we could given the circumstances). She was not particularly good at using the litterbox. Not being a cat, and never having grown up under the supervision of a feline mother, to say that I was not confident in my own skills for teaching proper litterbox technique was an understatement. Every day, some days multiple times, she would need to have her paws washed after she used the box. She would step all over it instead of burying it, and then she would leave tracks all over the floor. She now regularly walks around in the shower, but most importantly she has figured out how to properly "flush" after using the litterbox - despite my repeated failures at feline pedagogy.

My vet told me to bathe my cat once a month due to her NEVER cleaning herself. Our vet said it was most likely due to her being taken from mom super early.

Bathing is definitely circumstantial. In my experience working with cats, I've only had to bathe three of them. One was from a Pine Sol spill, the other two due to medical conditions and trying to relieve pain while vets were closed, though I have found that there is a right way to bathe a cat with the least amount of stress and ire afterwards. I've found that if you hug/hold the cat so they can grab at your shoulders and get into the bath with them (only after the water has been turned off so the added noise isn't spooking them), they can be pretty calm and can relax easier. Yes, you'll probably have a few pinpricks or scratches, but generally it's a much easier experience and they forgive you a lot faster because they know you are right there with them, they have something firm to hold onto if they need it, and it's less of a horror experience than "Hey, Imma pour water on you and hold you inside of this slippery tub. Promise I won't drown you, though. :) PROMISE." which is probably what goes through their head when a giant puts them into water and holds them there long enough while taking away their free will to bolt. Again, just hold them close to your chest firmly, but not so much they feel they're being attacked, and sit inside the bathtub. You can just rub some water into their back and chest like you are petting them normally and they'll relax enough to let you go with their claws, at least. Be slow, be gentle, and it should be fairly easy afterwards. They'll be pretty cooperative and probably just sit/stand on your leg, leaning against you until you're done washing them.

I just lost my cat Eggford J ..he was around 6 when we found each other 9 year's... Some times he would roll in the dirt and being mostly all white with a black tail he looked pretty silly at times... i would brush him a few times a week and would use a wet towel to remove dirt,since i did not want him licking and eating all that dirt off... Between brushing and his grooming he always stayed very clean so i never ever had to give him a bath... He also smelled the way a kitty should smell... Cats are not dogs,they do a great job grooming...But its important to have a good brush to keep their coats beautiful and prevent hair balls... My cat loved me brushing him...Rest in peace my beautiful boy. :(

Such a great video. We’ve had our Cat for 8 years and never a bath. 💕 we’ve been so lucky with our rescue boy. He’s a great feline.

Simple words of wisdom from Jackson Galaxy: "Cats are not dogs." Truer words have never been spoken.

I bathed my cat once when we got him from the shelter. 1 hour and 100 scratches later, he wasn't smelly anymore and we all resolved never to wash a cat again

This has got me realizing how lucky I was with my cat. I didn’t have to bathe him, he loved being brushed, and he was pretty chill with getting his nails trimmed. He only let me or my mom do it but hey, at least we could do it by ourselves lol. I babysit cats and NONE of them like their nails trimmed. I sneak attack with clippers when they’re napping and try to get 1 or 2 trimmed 😂. On the other hand my lizard will sit patiently when I trim her nails. No fuss from her at all

My only thing with this is that, there's going to be a time when a cat needs a bath like you said. They get into something, they get sprayed by a skunk, or they get old and can't groom themselves properly. I don't want to be stressing out a senior cat, for example. If I got him used to bathing with infrequent baths, the experience would be much less stressful on the little oldie.

Human: Time for a Bath! Cat: But I already bathed like 3-4 times today o.O

I've never bathed my cats, they do however feel the need to groom my hair and beard for some reason.

Thank you for this video! I'm going to take a kitten from behind our apartments soon and she's got fleas and will need a Dawn-bath to kill them and get rid of eggs. I'm thinking it will be better to put a smaller tub in the bathtub with warm water and soap and gently rub her fur to get out all the bugs, then put her in a different tub to rinse her off.

I used to bathe my cats in Australia when the temperature got about 40°C (~104F). They hated it, but afterwards you could see them settle down when their body temp got back to normal.

Had to bath my cat for fleas, the one time in his life (picked em up from my buddies cats while he was watching him for me). He trusts me immensely so he wasn't mean about it, just really scared when I first put him in. I held him still for a couple minutes while talking to him and he eventually calmed down so I could run the the flea comb through his coat and get the dish soap deep into it. By the end, the fleas were all running to his face to escape the water. I felt so bad that I had let it get to that point, but he seemed so relieved that the constant irritation was gone that he was leaning into the comb like cats do a hand when you pet them. He even purred when I towelled him dry. Sorry lil buddy that was my bad.

I clicked on this video because I thought it was Jeff goldbloom, stayed because this guy is far more interesting

I have had to bathe my 20 year old cat lately. He is having bathroom issues. I feel so bad doing it, and I know he hates it, but he does good with it. He trusts me completely and that part feels good.

Loved the fact that you trim them together so lovely. I bought thick garden gloves to survive the first trim of our two kittens. They have 20 weapons each! 💖

I've never bathed my 18 yr old house cat and he always smells great.

I’ve had cats all my life. I have NEVER bathe any of them. My cats are clean healthy and happy. Cleaning their ears, yes but bathing them it’s a no no, not necessary. 😺

Oh Lord…Clyde was a 20lb+ Maine Coon. Other than a flea bath as a ‘baby’…never, nope, no way! Well, he comes in one afternoon soaked in motor oil from his tail to his underbelly, along his right rear flank to roughly his mid back. He was a MESS! Now, he was a sweet cat but he was large, and his paws were the size of a toddler’s fist, so the idea of trying to hold him in a tub of water…yeah, nope, not happening. My sister, her boyfriend and myself quickly agreed our best option for control, and success, was to cover the kitchen table and floor with towels (LOTS of towels). We filled up several buckets with warm water, grabbed a bottle of Dawn and some rags, put him on the table and gently washed and rinsed and washed and rinsed and…and he was shockingly calm. I can only guess it was a relief, and that outweighed being wet cause it took some time. Lord it was a mess!!! But it got the job done. He also looked really fantastic after. 😁

My 15-year-old domestic longhair, whom I have had since she was a few weeks old, has maybe had 5 or 6 baths in her lifetime. As a small kitten, she somehow found her way into a bowl of lentil soup (don't ask, I don't remember how that happened but suffice it to say, her fur was about 55% lentil soup when all was said and done). Then maybe 8 or 9 years went by before her next one - she got fleas 3 summers in a row so we gave her a few flea baths during those years. Now an old gal, she no longer grooms herself very much and during a recent illness, she had a couple of vomiting incidents, as well as diarrhea, and started peeing on the kitchen floor - and proceeded to walk through all 3 substances during each of those incidents... so she has had a couple of baths in the sink over the past few weeks to wash her neck, paws, belly and tail. We keep her head, back, and sides dry. She is much better now and using the litter box regularly again, which is great, but sometimes she still gets confused and walks right through her food and water dishes so I suspect I will need to continue bathing at least her paws on a regular basis. The worst problem are the fur mats on her chest and belly. She needs to be clipped - fortunately, I think we can pull that off with minimal stress while she is under the influence of gabapentin, which she gets daily.

"The sound of rushing water has never been good for a cat's nerves." Me: laughing in Siberian Forest Cat.

I don't wash my cats. I did wash my first cat when be was a kitten because him, his sibilings and the mama cat were dumped on us and the kittens where flea infested. I've had to take a wet cloth to my current cat because he got sap in his fur and what not but he is a short hair cleans himself. Unless they have skin issues or are a breed you have to wash I find it unnecessary.

Thank you Jackson

I bathe my baby about 2x a year using only tear free baby shampoo and use a blow dryer just so he's not soaking wet. I do it because, although he grooms himself, his skin gets dry and his fur gets flakey. 💜 I only use a wet washcloth to gently wipe his face and ears - no baby shampoo. He was stray who chose me so I've been doing this for 12 years and next week he gets a bath - his stitches are out (he had a big cyst removed/the skin was very thin).

My cat waits for me to get out of the shower and when I do, he expects me to pet him with my wet hands. He complains the whole time but stands there patiently. It's become a silly ritual for us.

This reminds me of the one time I found myself in a situation where I had to bathe a cat... I still lived at home, it was sometimes during my teenage years some 20 - 25 years ago, and we lived on a milkfarm. And one faithful day our big red tomcat had fallen into the holding area for all the cowmanure and urine from the farmhouse, he was completley soaking wet with cowmanure and urine, so there was no question he had to be bathed. At first we tried to have one person holding him down while another one showered him with water. But as soon as the water hit him he transformed into a cat tornado and easily escaped and was shaking like a dog spraying both of us and the entire bathroom with all the nastyness soaked in his fur. So we had to get more people to help, I think in the end if I remember correctly, we were 4 people in the room. With two holding the cat, one showering the cat and one on standby if more help should be needed. We managed to get him clean in the end, and after that we also had to clean the bathroom and ourselves. This is something I'll never forget, and hope to never have to repeat... Cats can be surprisingly strong for their size...

Wow this is so mind blowing. All this time, I thought cats love when they are clean. Thanks Jackson for making this video.

I had a cat that tolerated bathing. I loved him so much.

YEA, Jackson!!! I have had this argument for years, with nearly every cat owner I have known. I have bathed only one of my cats over the last 43 years because they do it just fine without our interference. The one exception was a cat I owned 35 years ago who had neurological damage, and was only able to groom (clean) her head and front paws. In her case I had a professional groomer who worked with a vet do the work (so I wouldn’t mess it up as well as ruin the trust my cat had in me).

There have only been a few times I've had to bathe one of my cats, usually due to them getting into things they shouldn't (Like the time Explorer got into glitter). My method has always been to place an overturned basket inside the tub, lay a folded towel on top, and use a bucket to hold warm water. The basket gives the cat a good vantage point so it doesn't feel trapped. It also helps prevent the fear of drowning, since they won't be sitting in rising water. There's a comfy towel to sit on, and no sound of running water to scare them. I've never had issues with bathing my cats since adopting that method.

I'm with you had a cat that was 21 used to have bathe him because he was struggling with washing but he loved it used to put about 4cm of warm water in Bath gently put him in and use a mug to gently rince him I used 4 bath towels to dry him but he was a great cat

I bathe my cat at least once a month, if not more. She likes to roll around outside in the dirt. It also helps tremendously with getting rid of loose fur that would otherwise be shed all over the house.

2:19 Jackson: "They're like little baby car washes, man." LOL!

I adopted 2 kittens from a shelter and realized when I brought them home, one had a tiny bald spot on toe. Well it ended up, both of them had ring worm and I had to bath them routinely every couple days for quite a while. It was quite the ordeal for us starting out our relationship.