I have a stupid question. Loki absolutely hates baths, although he loves to play in water in his fountain and the sink (only if I turn the tap on for him). He absolutely refuses to let me bath him, and as a result he hasn't had a bath since he was a kitten. I've never encountered this problem before, as Whiskers, while he didn't like to be bathed, he would allow it and Jacob can be bathed quite easily. I try periodically with Loki - yesterday was the latest attempt and I ended up with scratch marks all up and down me and gave up. My question is this - can cats keep themselves clean enough themselves without being subjected to baths by their human companions? Loki seems to be very clean, his fur is nice and glossy and he doesn't smell at all. The vet has commented before on how nice his fur is. My husband feels he should have a periodic bath as well - is this wrong? Any tips on how to bathe a kitty that will not allow it? I've tried holding his paws together - it doesn't work as he is very strong - he's quite a big boy (around 17 pounds).