Cats already do a decent job at keeping themselves clean, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need a real bath occasionally. Some felines have trouble bathing themselves. Other times a cat will let their curiosity get the better of them and get into something that they probably shouldn’t be licking off. Sometimes your cat simply has dry, itchy skin that needs some form of relief.
Even though giving a bath to a cat seems fairly straightforward, anyone who has tried will tell you otherwise! If the need arises to bathe your cat, you might not have time to get to the vet shop for an approved shampoo. The next best alternative is to learn how to make your own homemade cat shampoo with simple, clean ingredients from your kitchen cupboards.
These shampoos are only suitable for cats with no skin irritations or infections.
1. Basic 3-Ingredient Cat Shampoo
Basic 3-Ingredient Cat Shampoo
Equipment
- Bowl
- Sterile Bottle
Materials
- 4 cups warm water
- 1 cup Dawn dish soap
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Pour the warm water, dish soap, and apple cider vinegar into a bowl and carefully mix everything together, being careful not to let the dish soap foam up too much. Add the solution to a clean bottle.
- Set your cat in a bath or sink and start to wet their fur with warm water.
- Pour the homemade shampoo over their back and use your fingers to gently scrub the cleanser into their fur so that it reaches the skin.
- Thoroughly rinse the shampoo out of their fur until suds no longer form. Be careful to avoid the ears, eyes and mouth.
Notes
2. Cat Shampoo for Sensitive Skin
| Prep Time: | 5 minutes |
| Active Time: | 3 minutes |
| Total Time: | 8 minutes |
- Bowl
- Blender
- Sterile Bottle
- 4 cups warm water
- 1 cup organic oatmeal
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Dawn dish soap
Pour the oatmeal into your blender and blend the oats until they resemble a fine powder. Dump the powdered oats into a bowl with the water, baking soda, and soap. Mix all the ingredients together, and then dump the solution into a clean bottle. Shake the bottle before using it on your cat to combine all the ingredients once more. Wet your cat down with warm water and squeeze a small amount of shampoo across their back. Rub the shampoo into their fur all over their body until it reaches the skin. Rinse away the shampoo until the water runs clear.
- See also: 5 Homemade Cat Shampoo Ideas
3. Moisturizing Cat Shampoo
| Prep Time: | 2 minutes |
| Active Time: | 3 minutes |
| Total Time: | 5 minutes |
- Sterile bottle
- 4 cups warm water
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable glycerin
This shampoo is good for cats with dry, itchy skin because of the addition of vegetable glycerin. If you can’t find any, replace it with gentle dish soap such as Dawn. To make the shampoo, add all of the ingredients to a clean bottle and shake it vigorously so that everything is well combined. Wet your cat’s fur with warm water and pour some of the solution over their fur. Gently rub the shampoo into the skin. Allow the shampoo to sit for one minute before rinsing it away.
4. DIY Dry Shampoo for Cats
| Prep Time: | 10 minutes |
| Active Time: | 7 minutes |
| Total Time: | 17 minutes |
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Blender
- Bowl
- 1 cup organic oats
This DIY recipe for dry shampoo is the perfect solution for cats with oily skin and fur. To start, preheat your oven to 250°F and spread the oats out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the oats for five minutes to warm them, then blend them in the blender so they look like a fine powder. Rub the oat powder into your cat’s skin and allow it to sit for five minutes to absorb the oils. Carefully brush the oats out of her fur and sweep up any mess that was made during the process.
Products to Avoid
Not everyone has the desire to make their own cat shampoo at home. If you’d prefer to buy something from the store, then there are a few ingredients that you should avoid because they could make your cat’s skin even itchier.
- Parabens
- Petrochemicals
- Artificial dyes
- Artificial fragrances
- Essential oils
While you may be surprised to see essential oils on this list, there is evidence that suggests that these types of oils are dangerous for pets. Even if they don’t ingest them, the oils could absorb into your pet’s skin and poison them. The other ingredients on this list have the potential of leaving your cat’s skin irritated and itchy if they are sensitive to them.
Conclusion
It’s nice that we can rely on cats to give themselves regular baths, but it also isn’t uncommon for them to have dry, itchy skin from time to time. Making your own cat shampoo at home is quick and easy. More often than not, you already have the ingredients these recipes require on hand. Once you use them, you’ll see an instant relief, and your cat’s skin and coat will look better than ever before. These recipes are only recommended for occasional use. If your pet has a skin condition or is needing regular bathing we recommend getting a tried and trusted product from your veterinarian.
Featured Image Credit: 135pixels, Shutterstock
