Actually, in our house, it differs by cat. All are indoor cats. Once a year, when they get physicals and shots, they also get baths and claw clips.

Purrdie, female, DMH, welcomes brushing because she never gets a lot of grooming from the boys, and she is too heavy to groom some areas effectively. Her fur is coarse in texture, with a very dense, cottony undercoat that sheds all the time. She only fusses when I brush through her skirts when stuff is matted on it.

Buster, male DSH, has fur like mink, with the silky sleek guard hairs over the soft underfur. He will allow me to brush him, but he doesn't shed so much as to need daily brushing. He grooms Tiger when they sleep together and occasionally coughs up dark colored hairballs. He is fastidiously clean, so his black and white contrasts are always sharp. He has also figured out how to make himself smell good to me, probably by rubbing against the dryer sheets in the dry laundry.

The tabbies have very soft, smooth, glossy fur. They groom themselves meticulously and routinely cough up dark hairballs. We feed everyone Nutro Hairball management cat food about once a week.

Spot will allow me to brush him a little bit and then walks away. Not much comes out in the brush.

Tiger will extend all his razor sharp claws if I touch him with a brush and try to bite me.

I think it costs about $45 per cat for the vet office bath. I think there is some anti-flea medication in it. They come home all fluffy and I sneeze at their smell for days!