I've been a cat lover for a long time. This is the scoop on cat baths as far as I've heard.

Cat's basically clean themselves. In fact, since they are a bit more prone to resperatory infections than dogs are, it's recommended that you don't necessarily bathe them for no reason, and if you do, make sure they are kept very warm afterwards, perhaps using a blow dryer on low if you need it.

A cat's fur has natural oils that keeps them warm and dry. Even if they are wet, usually their skin is dry, protected by the oils. If you bathe them, the soap removes the oils, they do get wet, and risk a chill and resperatory problems.

Regular brushing is usually all that is needed, especially for indoors cats.

Outdoor cats, make sure they have flea treatments and you could use a flea comb on occasion.

Reasons for having to bathe a cat are if for some reason they are not physically able to clean themselves, but if they are indoors and clean, a regular brushing and prehaps a wipe down with a damp cloth or cleaning specific areas they can't reach that get dirty usually will be enough.

Or if they actually get into something they shouldn't and get sticky, messy, whatever, especially if the substance is not good for them.

I had an older cat who was long-haired and had trouble near the end cleaning himself in the rear, and also with the litterbox, so his feet would get wet and he'd get litter stuck and dried in his paws and feet and backside, along with bodily fluids. Even then, I'd just put him in a plastic pan in the bathtub with just an inch or so of water and get his feet clean, and then wash him around the back area, to avoid him getting a chill and maybe getting ill. The rest of him he was able to take care of himself.

Hope this helps.