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Kittenhood is a fun, exciting, and sometimes downright messy time. We’re talking food smeared on furry little faces and uncoordinated trips to the litter box resulting in poopy paws. As your kitten explores the world around them (and gets into mischief along the way), knowing how to bathe a kitten is an essential part of cat parenthood.
With how tiny these kitties are, it should be a snap to give them a scrub in the tub, right? In one way, yes. In your cat’s kittenhood, you have the opportunity to introduce them to this type of grooming in a gentle, positive, and enjoyable way.
But kittens are much more than miniature cats. There are also special safety considerations when you give a kitten a bath. Here’s what a feline behaviorist and two veterinarians have to say about kitten bath time.
When Can You Bathe a Kitten?
You can give a kitten a bath, but only once they’ve reached 2 months old. Kittens younger than 2 months aren’t able to regulate their temperature well enough for a full bath, according to Dr. Dwight Alleyne, DVM, a Georgia-based small animal veterinarian with JustAnswer Veterinarian.
You’ll also need to make sure you get the water temperature just right for a kitten. The ideal water temperature for a kitten is no more than 98.6°F (37°C). Bath water that’s higher than 98.6°F puts the kitten at risk for painful skin burns, while temperatures below 98.6°F could lead to hypothermia, says Dr. Alleyne.
“Cats have a higher internal body temperature than us, which means what feels like a safe ‘baby’ temperature to us can feel cold to them,” explains Dr. Joanna Woodnutt, MRCVS, veterinarian and founder of Petlearnia.
That means that for kittens younger than two months and for small messes, it’s better to spot clean instead of bathing. You can use cat-safe waterless foam shampoos and pet-specific wipes. Or your vet can prescribe medicated bathless grooming products for kittens with certain health problems, like a case of ringworm or fleas.
How To Bathe a Kitten
If nothing but a bath will do for your kitten, it’s important to proceed carefully. “Going slowly with introducing different kinds of handling or bathing techniques prevents the kitten from developing a fear of bathing by having a bad experience,” says Joey Lusvardi Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and founder of Class Act Cats.
Here are Lusvardi’s cat-friendly instructions for how to bathe a kitten:
- In the bathtub or sink where you’re going to bathe your kitten, introduce the kitten to a dry washcloth.
- Gently touch them with it and give them a treat.
- Once they’re comfortable with the washcloth, fill the tub or sink with a little bit of warm water on one end. Keep the water temperature at or slightly below 98.6°F.
- Let them explore the tub or sink without forcing them into the water.
- Wet the washcloth and slowly begin to wipe the kitten’s back with it. Give them a treat.
- Gradually run the wet washcloth over multiple areas of the kitten’s body, including their paws, one small area at a time. Be especially careful around their eyes and head, giving them treats through the process.
- Once washed, use a soft towel to gently but thoroughly dry them off.
- Give them a big reward like a special treat or toy. They’ve earned it!
“This may take multiple sessions to happen. That’s okay! Let the kitten lead,” Lusvardi says.
Iuliia Alekseeva via iStock
Can I use baby shampoo on my kitten?
The shampoo you use when you give a kitten a bath is important. Bathe your kitten with a cat-specific shampoo that’s designed for felines. Don’t use human soaps and shampoos—even baby shampoos or gentle dish soap. They aren’t a good fit, since they’re the wrong pH for a cat’s skin.
Similarly, scented grooming products can irritate your kitten’s sensitive respiratory system or expose them to dangerous ingredients. “Some essential oils that are safe for us are toxic to them,” Dr. Woodnutt explains. Since cats often lick and groom themselves after a bath, any residue should be safe to ingest. Kitten-specific soaps will be, but you can’t say the same for human grooming products.
Where’s the best place to bathe a kitten?
“The best bathing receptacle is one in which the bather has complete control over the kitten,” Bissantz says. “I personally use a professional bathtub, but I’ve seen groomers use small bins in bigger tubs.”
Kitchen sinks, especially if they’re deep, are another popular and safe choice for bathing a kitten.
“If it’s more comfortable for you standing rather than crouching over a bath, a sink does the job well. Just be careful you don’t drop the kitten from a height—they can be slippery when wet!” Dr. Woodnutt cautions.
How Often Should I Bathe My Kitten?
There’s no fixed schedule for how often you should bathe your kitten. The amount of bathing a kitten needs varies based on:
- Fur type. Are they long haired, short haired, medium haired, or hairless?
- Skin. Do they have any skin disorders or skin-related illnesses?
- Medical issues. Do they have parasites like fleas or ticks or fungal infections?
- Exposure to toxins. Did they encounter something poisonous?
- Allergy control. Does one or more of their human caregivers have cat allergies?
- Accidents. Did they get poop or pee on part of their body, or are they incontinent?
With that in mind, Molly Bissantz, owner and groomer at Grooming by Molly, says baths for kittens can vary from monthly to bi-monthly to quarterly—or just as needed. Dr. Alleyne says it’s best to not give a kitten any more than two baths in a single month to avoid drying out or irritating their skin.
Still, there are going to be circumstances when you, their human caregiver, have to lend a hand. You might have to bathe a kitten if they:
- encounter something toxic
- accidentally soil themselves
- come down with skin or fur-inhabiting parasites or fungus
Additionally, certain cat breeds require frequent grooming and baths, like hairless Sphynx and long-haired Ragdoll cats. Beginning baths while they’re in their kittenhood can help prepare them for future baths.
Training a Kitten To Enjoy Baths
If your cat is a breed that’s likely to need frequent baths (or just a mischief maker), it’s a good idea to start training them to tolerate baths when they’re young. For that reason, Lusvardi suggests helping your kitten build up a positive association with the bathroom and bathtub before it’s time to actually wash them.
- Let your kitten play with ice cubes in an empty bath tub
- Fill the tub with a small amount of water and let your kitten chase ping pong balls
- Use clicker training and positive reinforcement around the bath tub
“Play with your cat in the bathroom near the tub. This helps the bathroom become a place of fun,” Lusvardi recommends.
One of the activities he likes to do to help kittens feel safe is to toss a few ice cubes in the bathtub and let the kittens race around the tub, batting them with their paws as they melt. Another is to put a tiny amount of water in the bath along with ping pong balls, so the kitten can whack them as they bob in the water.
Lusvardi also recommends using positive reinforcement methods such as clicker training. “Cats love predictability and knowing what will come next,” he explains. Clicker training is a way to help some kittens understand the bathing process every step of the way.
To clicker train your kitten, pick a word and make it into a cue, keeping in mind that you’re creating a different cue for each individual action. Paired with the click sound of the clicker and your kitten’s treat of choice, you say the specific cue word before each action, like handling your cat’s paws.
By consistently repeating it and rewarding their correct behavior, your kitten will understand the connection. Bath time gets much less scary or stressful! And your kitten has more agency to choose to go into the bathtub on their own.
Natalia Kokhanova via iStock
How To Give a Kitten a Waterless Bath
Sometimes a full bath isn’t needed to clean a messy kitten. When that happens, try a waterless bath instead. “One of the advantages of waterless baths is that they can help get the kitten used to some aspects of being groomed so they can be used as a transition step to ease them into a full bath later if needed,” Lusvardi explains.
Many waterless grooming products are easy to use and require minimal handling.
- Some dry kitten shampoos are in spray bottles. Just spritz them directly onto your kitten’s fur and gently comb it through their hair.
- Others are foam-based formulas that you pump onto a soft wash cloth. Carefully rub it over the dirty or messy part of your kitten’s body.
- Wipes formulated specifically for kittens are another option for small areas that need a light clean up.
However, these are really just appropriate for spot-cleaning small areas and not an ideal long-term solution for bathing kittens. “Bathless options will not fully get rid of grease, dirt, or grime,” Bissantz explains. “These are just surface cleaners and will not effectively get down to the skin.”
How To Clean a Rescued Kitten
“Any stray or abandoned kitten is very likely to have fleas and other parasites, including worms and even ringworm,” Dr. Woodnutt says. “Getting a vet involved at an early stage is a good idea.”
Bringing a rescue kitten directly to a vet before you bring them into your home (especially if you have other cats or animals) is the best way to prevent an infestation from starting. After examining the kitten, a vet will be able to recommend the best treatment—whether that include bathing them or not.
Bathing rescued kittens to treat fleas
Kittens can suffer flea infestations just as adult cats can. However, these pesky parasites pose an extra risk to kittens. Untreated, fleas can lead to blood loss anemia, which can cause life-threatening heart and breathing problems.
So how do you banish these bugs? Dr. Woodnutt and Dr. Alleyne suggest not jumping straight to bathing them.
For one, Dr. Alleyne says many flea shampoos aren’t safe to use on young kittens, because some of the flea-killing ingredients they contain, like pyrethrins and organophospates, can cause neurological problems in kittens like seizures and tremors.
Dr. Woodnutt explains that vets can prescribe medications like nitenpyram tablets and fipronil spray. Used in combination with a damp flea comb, these can more effectively kill fleas than any bath would.
Can giving a kitten a Dawn bath kill fleas?
The detergent brand Dawn is famous for their viral marketing campaigns featuring wildlife who’ve been caught up in oil spills getting scrubbed clean with their dish-washing soap. They even have a duckling on all of their packaging.
There’s a lot of talk about Dawn being used as a sort of DIY flea shampoo for kittens. But, even though Dawn claims it’s safe for marine birds, ducklings and kittens couldn’t be more different.
It can be dangerous and unsafe to give a kitten a Dawn bath.
“Dish washing liquid is much too harsh for cat skin and can contain ingredients that are toxic,” Dr. Woodnutt says. She adds that while this popular dish detergent brand might kill some of the fleas, so will any cat shampoo.
“It’s not an effective method of flea control,” Dr. Woodnutt says. “It’s only killing the adult fleas. It’s not going to have any lasting effects.”
