Usually, cats don’t want to take a bath because they have their ways to keep themselves clean. But there are some situations when you must take your cat for a bath. And when you do this, you should make sure that your cat is clean.
To clean your cat, a common way is using baby shampoo. A lot of people use baby shampoo on their cats. The logic behind it is baby shampoos are calm, which is true. Baby shampoo is calm on human skin. But the question is- is a baby shampoo calm on cat skin?
Without knowing the answer to this question, you shouldn’t apply a baby shampoo to wash your cat.
However, your question was if you can use baby shampoo on your cat or not. Without making things complex, let’s jump to the topic.
Is It Okay to Use Baby Shampoo on Your Cat?
If you want the straight answer, it is- No.
You can’t use baby shampoo on your cat. The reason is below.
We all know that baby shampoos are made for babies. That’s why these are made to be calm on their skin.
However, baby shampoos are calm on the skin of a human, but not on the skin of cats. The pH is the main issue here.
A typical pH of cat skin is higher than the pH of human skin. A cat’s skin has a pH of around 6.39 to 6.65. On the other hand, the pH of human skin is less than 5.
So, a shampoo that is made for human skin can disrupt the pH balance if used on a cat’s skin. As a result, the thin outer layer breaks, and the chance of virus and bacteria attack increases. Also, it results in the dehydration of the skin.
In the case of adult cats, you can sometimes leave the point of using shampoo because they can keep clean themselves. But in the case of kittens, you should use shampoo. But that shouldn’t be a baby shampoo because the skin of a kitten is more sensitive compared to the skin of an adult one.
Which Shampoo should be Used to Wash Cats?
If you want to use common shampoos that you typically use for babies, you should get them approved by a vet. In most cases, vets don’t approve or ask to use such shampoos.
So, I suggest saving the baby shampoo for your baby. If you don’t have a baby, don’t worry, the world has a lot of babies. Leave those shampoos for them.
In the market, you’ll find some shampoos made specifically for cats. Those are pH balanced for cat skin and come with ingredients that are gentle on cat skin. You should go for those.
Even when you’re using cat shampoo, make sure that your cat doesn’t have any skin issues. So, consult your regular vet and go through a regular checkup before you pick a cat shampoo for your cat or kitten.
Final Verdict
We all think that baby shampoos are calm and those are. But the fact is, those are not calm or mild for animals. So, keeping baby shampoos away from your cat is a good decision.
Using baby shampoo on your cat’s skin can cause serious problems. But in most cases, those are long-term problems. You can’t even understand the exact reason behind those.
So, it is better to use the cat shampoos found in the market. You may need to buy an extra shampoo, but you should do it if you love your cat.