Why Does he roll on dirt a lot?

[LittleTiny Me]

My male kitten---approx 6 months now...LOVES to roll on dirt. He goes outside (though he never runs away, just loves to sit outside ) through the window....goes to the small flower garden area where we have flowers etc w/ soil planted & begins to roll like crazy getting so filthy dirty.

The downside, hes mainly black w/ white paws, white chest area, tummy & a bit of face.So the dirt shines off of him! I dont understand why he does this...my other male kitten doesnt do this. I bathe him to keep him clean but a few days after, there he goes again!!! why!?

lol its just funny how he gets all crazy he really enjoys it.

[Shellbelle2017]

Sometimes cats love to leàve their scent and i find all my male cats roll in the dirt..but not the females.   I have never had a cat with; "digestive issues" or a coat itcher/scratcher... so Im inclined to say ..sometimes very healthly, happy cats JUST LOVE TO ROLL IN THE DUST/DIRT.  Purrrfectly happy. Just boys rolling in the dirt. Lol.

[Piparskeggr]

Our Chesapeake doesn't do the dirt bath thing, but she loves rolling on the concrete sidewalk....weird kitty. =)

[Piparskeggr]

I miss my weird kitty. :(
Lost her to a congenital heart defect 4 years ago.

[jjflex]

That is EXACTLY what my cat does - rolls in FILTHY, dusty dirt in the driveway, not soil.  The only problem I have with it (other than the extra housecleaning) is that the dirt seems to promote the formation of tangle mats deep in her coat.  And, since she hates to be brushed, I have to keep an eye out for these little snarls and try to get them out before they get too out of control and become a dreadlock.

[marissposa]

I have only bathed my cat once.
But on a nice sunny day, when she's feeling particualarily happy she'll find the grossest dustiest dirt patch (she loves a bit of bare ground next to the trash cans) and rolls around like a chinchilla taking a dust batch. Silly!

[PrettyKitty1]

I have to say, I'm in the same situation. I do no bathe my cat anymore but he has always been a pig. He loves it. He even closes his eyes like saying "oohhh this feels like heaven" According to Savas' post, cats who do this usually have digestive problems, so that is the answer that applies to me. My cat has some serious, chronic digestive issues. Maybe you should take a look at what you're feeding your cat.

[HR_PuffnStuff]

Mine rolls in the dirt everytime she goes outside. She is 2 1/2. I don't bathe her (except 2-3 times when she got into oil or something) and she is very fastidious about grooming. Which makes me wonder why she is rolling in dirt LOL. But now that I have read Savas' comments, I will rethink her diet.

[Savas]

Hmm...are you sure your cat is actually a cat? It could be you have a miniature horse or pig. :)

Seriously, cats have bacteria in their fur that are a neccessary part of their digestion processes. So grooming is partly a way to ingest this neccessary bacteria and put it to good use.

Cats roll in the dirt to replace this bacteria if they feel their coat is deficient in providing it.

So if kitty is rolling about in the dirt, he/she may be trying to tell you something. how often do you bath her? Perhaps its too frequent.

One should actually only bath a cat in an emergency, if kitty has, for example gotten into something.

I'd also take a careful look at what you're feeding kitty. It could be your cat is having some digestive issues that while mild, could be illicting this reaction.

[aligator79]

My 3 cats all do this.  The oldest is an all white 1/2 siamese.  He comes in covered and the only part that is not is a little circle around his face.  My tuxedo- like yours, itches really bad and goes nuts when you touch is back about halfway down to his tail- it's so funny. They both come in horrible dirty- so much fun.

You may not want to bathe him- it could be his issue.  Bathing can cause dry/itchy skin.  Cats are so fastidiously clean that they don't need to be bathed with a few exceptions.