- Many people say that a cat never has to be bathed. Others, including many veterinarians, take a stronger stand that bathing a cat is a useless exercise since a cat spends almost one-third of its waking hours grooming and bathing itself. I too spent many years of my life believing this folklore but finally the time came to take a dispassionate look at why regular grooming and bathing is a necessity for a domestic companion feline.www.petgroomer.com/ARTICLES/whyit.htm