Oh, good grief. Yes, bathe him. Just be prepared. I lived in Hawaii and in Florida before frontline and other anti-flea meds, and bathed and dipped (if your so thinks bathing is bad, let him try dipping!) cats, both mine and my parents' and friends'. And I mean I bathed my cat on a weekly basis. They don't like it, but too bad. A few years ago a friend asked me if I'd really bathed cats before. Yes. Would I help her? She and I got into shorts and T shirts, got in a big bathtub that has a hand-held hose, and bathed her enormous Himalayan cats. I felt like we did really, really well, only coming away with two scratches each. After drying the cats as much as possible (we didnt blow dry them, just towel dried then let them run), we had a glass of wine, changed clothes, and went to town for a bite and drink. But if your cat stinks, DO wash it. It won't kill him. Do go get a good quality shampoo. If he's a male, then for goodness sakes, have him fixed, or he might always stink and your house will as well. Some guys have a problem neutering their pets. Well, if you have un-neutered males then you are asking for trouble. Boy cats sometimes spray and stink when they haven't been neutered. It isn't something fun to live with. But, yes, some believe that cats never need to be bathed. I've had cats that I've bathed weekly for flea control, and they were easier to bathe than dogs that I've owned. Just buy a good quality shampoo, strip down to shorts, make sure your tetanus shots are current, and go for it. The Kitty will actually forgive you!