Safe shampoo for kittens?

Good grooming practices are essential for maintaining health and happiness for you and your cat. This is a forum to exchange tips and advice for proper care of your cat's hygiene needs.

Lucy Belle

Sweet thing

Purred: Wed Sep 17, '08 2:24pm PST


	Mommy & Daddy just adopted me n Kirby and we both need a bath. But, Mommy is not sure what to use. She researched this afternoon & different places say different things. One said dawn dish soap - but she doesn't know. She just wants us to be safe. Thanks Lucy

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Lola

Proud mother of- the Fab Four!

Purred: Wed Sep 17, '08 7:15pm PST


	Any cat shampoo is safe (I'd go for a regular one, not one for flea or skin problems), as would be a mild dish washing detergent (some people even use Woolite!). I'd go for a cheap cat shampoo or a dishwashing detergent if I were you. And, I know what I'm talking about. I show cats in cat shows and spend oodles of money on professional shampoos, but if I were just washing a kitten because it needed a bath, I'd choose something less expensive. And yes, cats do need baths occasionally! Just make sure it doesn't get in the eyes and rinse well. Both Kitty and you will be happy, not during the process, but at the result!

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Lucy Belle

Sweet thing

Purred: Thu Sep 18, '08 1:11pm PST


	Thanks! Kirby & I both got a bath this morning. Mommy ended up getting baby shampoo. She debated over that and Dawn dish soap. As she was cuddling us in the towel and we were almost dry she saw 2 fleas on me!!!! So she went back out and got some Dawn and a flea comb. She combed through both of us really good & I guess we are getting another bath tomorrow. But mommy says it is so important to get rid of the fleas.

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Cheyenne

Catitude!

Purred: Thu Sep 18, '08 10:40pm PST


	Lucy Belle, I realize it's post-bath time....but Momma uses cat bathing wipes on me. We haven't tried a real bath yet, although Momma would love to grrr Momma read about making a screened frame for me to hold while I'm in the tub...is this necessary? Leila, best advice for bathing cats??? (and plaws forgive me for any misspelling of your names, it's late....)

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MORTICIA

brat princess- with sharp claws

Purred: Fri Sep 19, '08 4:01am PST


	i like pet studio. it's got conditionrs included and ph balanced for kitty skin. plus it smells like baby powder. dish soap sounds too harsh for kittens. oh baby shampoo is a recommended substitute. as far as fleas advantage can be used on kittens 8wks and older.

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Lola

Proud mother of- the Fab Four!

Purred: Fri Sep 19, '08 7:04am PST


	Oh, yes, I forgot about plain old baby shampoo. That should be safe enough. I used dish detergent on Chibi when she was 4 months old for her first show bath (that and a bunch of other shampoos), and she lived to tell about it. If you've got a flea problem, I can't help you there. My cats are strictly indoor, and apparently Tokyo fleas aren't energetic enough to jump up as far as our apartment. If they did, I'd go to the vet rather than trying to mess around curing them myself with store-bought stuff. As for bathing hints...start them early, and get them used to it. My three Maine Coons have figured out that I weigh a lot more than they do and that I'm not about to stop when I bathe them. DO cut their nails first. Even if you never bathe your cats, regular nail trimming is a must. I always do it solo, but it's said to be easier to bathe a cat with two (or more!) people, to hold the cat and to wash/rinse. Use a hand-held shower head. Rinse VERY thoroughly. You don't want to shampoo your cat any more often than necessary, and left-over shampoo attracts dirt. I've written about this in more detail in other posts. You might try looking for them using the "Search Catster" function.

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Lucy Belle

Sweet thing

Purred: Fri Sep 19, '08 8:15am PST


	Mommy called the vet's office this morning and spoke with them. And she was told to use the Dawn and the flea comb since we are too young for anything else. She will comb us again today and give us a bath tomorrow.