Can i wash my cat with anything other than cat wash?

Question

i have cat shampoo but i just wondered if i could wash him with anything else. because they would leave his fur softer than cat wash and he would look shiny and smell really good. for instance, dove products are really pure and they dont have alot of stuff in them. im not talking about something like intense repair formula shampoo just for normal hair. OH and what about conditioner to? like dove conditioner? that would be so amazing if i could. what it the harm?; what would happen if i did do it? what are some safe human shampoos or some really nice cat ones. thanks.

Answer 1

NO! your cat will wash himself and ingest all the junk in shampoo and conditioner and make himself ill.

But whyever do you want to wash your cat anyway? They are self-cleaning, all they need is brushing.

Answer 2

human shampoos are generally not a good product for animals - wrong chemicals. Cat shampoos (I don't know what scents you like...but there are some nice ones at PetSmart), Mane & Tail and Dawn - the original Dawn and not to be overused - are safe for Kitty's skin. The worst thing that could happen is a severe skin reaction that would require medication from a vet. Or if the chemicals were accidentally ingested and caused other complications. One reason you don't want to over shampoo/condition a cat is because they're not designed for it. You could accidentally dry out their skin causing irritation or get their skin too oily, also causing irritation.

Answer 3

If you want to use human shampoo and conditioner it's perfectly safe as long as you rinse him really really well.. :-)

You can also use baby shampoo, it won't hurt his eyes and has a bit of conditioner in it.. :-)

Answer 4

You can use Mane and Tail shampoo and also conditioner for extra softness. I use it on my cat and it make his fur nice and soft and smelling good too. Its safe on animals and humans. You can find it at walmart could be in the beauty or the pet department.

Answer 5

only cat shampoo.  human shampoo is the wrong pH.  show cats get washed as often as once a week.  but once a month would be pleanty for an indoor cat.  cats do well with a weekly (or more frequent) brushing, which helps keep them from ingesting too much hair.

Answer 6

Things that are safe for humans may not be for cats.

I have lately decided to reconsider using even regular pet shampoo.  I belong to a group who is very much into the "it must be safe and natural" line of thinking.

I asked them for cat shampoo recommendations and three brands came up - Earthbath, Grandpa's Baking Soda soap, and Bronner's.

None of these contain anything harsh, and there are NO essential oils present.

I have two pieces of advice for you:  First, don't bathe your cat that often.  There's no need to - they're self-cleaning!  Unless yours goes outside and/or gets very dirty, you should never have to bathe him.

The second is to stick with items that are made for pets (or use the suggested items I listed).  Unless you have a degree in chemistry, you won't know what everything is and how it might affect a cat.  For example, did you know that essential oils are toxic to cats?  It's little things that like that could get you in trouble.

I don't shampoo either cat as a rule - it's just that Poppy occasionally needs butt baths because she's a big girl with long bloomers and sometimes her behind smells like a homeless wino.

Answer 7

I like to throw mine in the swimming pool.  

Edit:  Thanks for the thumbs down.

Actually the only time I've washed a cat was with flea shampoo about 15 years ago.  Cat's usually take good care of themselves.

No, I've never thrown a cat in a pool.  I've put the dog in the hot tub though.  Besides, I like the ocean.  I'm more of a fish person anyway.

Answer 8

I guess you could but you run the risk of blinding your cat. When you use human shampoo on animals they can go blind or seriously damage there eyes. That happened to my friends cat and now its blined in its right eye. So I would say no.

Answer 9

I use baby shampoo for my kitty.  He loves it and it's safe.  He smells good and his fur is really soft like a stuffed animal.  Plus since he's just a baby he's too little for flea shampoo so it's perfect because the fleas don't like it.