He just sits on the mat (it s like a rubber mat I keep in my tub so i dont slip) while I clean him. He doesn t hate water or try to get out. He just chills there and I use dawn dish soup (the non scented one). When I told my friend she I was cruel for putting him and water and it was considered abuse? I told her he doesn t mind it but she said I was just making up excuses to hurt my animal. Is bathing my cat abusive or harmful to my cat?
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Answer
Helen:
Your friend is the one with the problem and they sound completely biased. It sounds like they have never had a pet to take care of before. Some cats really enjoy water. It wouldn't be abused even if the cat obviously disliked it unless you did it on an excessively frequent basis in order to inflict pain. Giving a bath to a cat that needs a bath isn't cruel.
The question turns on the need not the act.! It is never cruel to give a cat a bath with the purpose of cleaning them. If you had interest to harm the animal that would be a different story. I can't believe they shut you down like that. It's very childish of them.
Finn:
No, it's not cruel. Lots of uneducated people assume things like that. Another example is declawing. Most people don't actually know anything about it. I did a speech about this last year for my communications class.
It doesn't actually hurt the cat and everything they take out is useless unless it's an outdoor cat, then it's cruel. Bathing your cat isn't bad. Some cats actually love being bathed and your cat seems to be one of those. I would suggest getting some cat shampoo, though. It's never really smart to use human products for animals.
Narissa:
Is it cruel to cut their claws, clean their ears, force them medication they need etc just because they don't enjoy it.. NO.
But letting your cat outside is way too dangerous, it can never be trained like a dog so that it can be safely off leash. Something will happen eventually. If it enjoys outdoors than buy an outdoor enclosure with a covered top or take him out on a cat harness/leash.
And I would use a good gentle shampoo formulated for cats, dawn isn't BAD but it will dry out their skin and coat. But on the other hand if he's safe in side he wouldn't be rolling around in dirt and need baths.
Cordelia:
No it is most certainly not cruel or abusive to bathe your cat when they need it (even if the cat didn't like it), if it's necessary than it's good to do. I sometimes bathe my cats, especially my all white cat ghost because otherwise he doesn’t look so white anymore lol. He also loves having a bathe and he actually likes to swim too lol. I use cat shampoo though and not dawn dish soap, but I know that it is a safe thing to use on animals because it’s what they use on animals that have been in oil spills to get them clean.
Caitlyn:
Your friend is the one with the problem and they sound completely biased. It sounds like they have never had a pet to take care of before. Is bathing dogs cruel too? Because mine HATES water but I'm not about to let her or my cats smell up the house! It is never cruel to give a cat a bath with the purpose of cleaning them. If you had intent to harm the animal that would be a different story. I can't believe they shut you down like that. It's very childish of them.
Nikki:
try to9 use a medicated cat shampoo which is specific for cats. it lasts a long time, and the pH is adjusted for the cats' skin. i have a flea problem in my yard, since i have had out-door cats for years.
when i bathe my indoor cat, i do it once a month, and i support them completely, so they do not panic or become afraid of water. i use warm water only up to the depth of the cat's chest and belly, then they can stand on the tub bottom. i use a small plastic cup to wash the soap off, and keep it out of their eyes.
i usually just towel them dry and then brush them.
if the fleas are numerous i use a pair of tweezers to remove them. the secret is to leave the flea soap on over 5-minutes. often even that is not enough to do more than to paralyze some fleas and i kill them when i use the tweezers.
after all, the objective is to have a clean house cat.
