Cat shampoos

Shampoos for cats: how to choose the right one

Today, pet stores and veterinary pharmacies offer such a wide range of shampoos for cats that the owners’ eyes widen. How to find among this variety a tool that is ideal for your pet? This article will help you understand all the intricacies of the choice.

How often should you wash your cat

The answer to this question depends on the type of pet’s coat. Hairless cats should be bathed regularly, as sebaceous secretion accumulates on their skin (in all others, it is distributed over the hairs of the coat, providing them with softness and shine). However, sphinxes love water procedures, so this situation does not depress them at all.

Cats that have hair are bathed much less often. Longhair – several times a year. Short-haired ones can take a bath at all not with a certain frequency, but only if they are heavily smeared. It is important to know how to wash and comb a cat, and follow all the rules.

Types of shampoos

Universal shampoos

Best suited to the average cat that does not have special skin and coat care needs. They act comprehensively and most effectively cope with pollution.

Specialized shampoos

Take into account any feature of your pet.

• Kitten shampoos. They have a soft sparing formula, because the skin of babies is more sensitive.

• Shampoos for hairless cats. Conventional products do not suit them well, as they provoke increased sebum secretion. The composition of the specialized shampoo has been adjusted with this problem in mind.

• Shampoos for dry hair. They provide additional moisture and help to remove static electricity.

• Shampoo for oily hair. They remove excess sebaceous secretions and stabilize the function of the glands responsible for its production.

• Shampoos for tangles. Ideal for long haired pets. Prevent tangling of hair by smoothing the hair scales. After their application, the fur coat is easy to comb.

• Tinted shampoos. Designed for show cats. Makes the color of the coat deeper and more saturated. A specific variety is whitening shampoos for snow-white pets, designed to eliminate yellowness.

• Dry shampoos. Designed for cats who categorically do not accept water procedures. They are a powder that should be applied to the fur, and then combed out along with particles of dirt adhering to it.

Antiparasitic shampoos

Auxiliary products in addition to collars, sprays and other preparations for the destruction of insects parasitic on cats. On sale you can find:

• flea shampoo;

• tick shampoo;

• complex insecticidal shampoo for protection against various parasites;

• tar shampoo based on a natural remedy (birch tar) that repels insects.

Healing shampoos

Must be used as directed by a veterinarian. These include:

• dandruff shampoo;

• lichen shampoo;

• shampoo with chlorhexidine for the treatment and prevention of dermatological diseases.

How to wash if there is no special shampoo

Can I wash my cat with regular human shampoo? The answer is negative. Shampooing for humans or washing a cat with shampoo for dogs is strongly discouraged. Only a product designed specifically for cats takes into account the characteristics of their skin and can guarantee the absence of dermatological problems or allergic reactions.

If there is no specialized shampoo at hand, you can arrange dry cleaning with bran. They are measured about 300 g, heated in the oven, rubbed into the wool, and then carefully combed out.

By the way, combing a cat is not only when cleaning with bran or dry shampoo. It is reasonable to combine grooming and water procedures: this way you wash the coat and get rid of the fallen hairs at the same time.