Many cats tend to clean themselves daily and those are the easy ones to maintain. It is not necessary to give a cat a bath daily. You can pretty much tell when it is time to give a cat a bath, but that will depend a lot on their hair length and color and how active they are. Cats should be house pets and not allowed outside, there are too many dangers lurking outside for a domestic cat. You can use a gentle baby shampoo or a gentle shampoo for cats. If your cat seems to scratch a lot, first check for fleas or skin conditions, if there seems to be no medical problems, try using an oatmeal based shampoo, it will help condition the skin and prevent dryness that often causes the cat to scratch. Now you may be thinking at this point, "Give a cat a bath????". YES, they do need a bath once in awhile. Holding the cat by the back of the neck (the scruff area) and keeping a distance from it, slowly massage the shampoo over the entire body. Use a wash cloth to wipe its face. If the cat does NOT want to let you give it a bath and is very hostile, try putting it in a pillow case with its head sticking out and washing right through the pillow case by basically massaging the cat through the pillowcase. Try to make slow movements.

Have EVERYTHING ready.

What you will need: shampoo (opened already), 2 towels, a clean wet wash cloth to wipe the cats face, a pillow case (if necessary) and a cup to pour water, an area large enough to wash the cat, water and of course the cat. I would not recommend washing the cat outside, incase it gets lose and runs away.

Most cats do not like to be given baths because they are afraid of the running water. It is best to run the water and set the temperature before bringing the cat into the bathroom. As far as drying the cat, in the summer you can towel dry them as best as possible and let nature do the rest, when the cat is dry brush it out. In the winter, you can put the cat in a cat carrier and prop up and position it towards the cat. But make sure you see how hot it is at the distance you have it first and be careful not to leave them in there too long. Stop for a bit and brush out the dry areas. It is best to brush the cat on a regular basis.

Washing your cat gives great opportunity for physical contact. As you wash your cat gently massage its skin. This will help relax him and get him clean.

Be patient and talk to your cat and reassure it that everything is ok.

When giving a cat a bath its best to wash its bedding as well and any toys that may need washing.