Cat Bath

[matt1991]

My solid black cat likes to go out and roll in the dirt sandy road like dogs do. its funny but he gets so dirty. he has long thick hair so when he gets dirty he gets dirtyyy. so iv been giving him baths in my tub with warm water just washing him off.

i didnt use any shampoo, soap cause i heard can irritate there skin. is giving him wash offs like that fine? or do you suggest a cat shampoo?

 

[red top rescue]

Since you are doing it so frequently, I think NOT using shampoo is best. It's kind of like him getting rained on frequently. But remember, to them dirt is like dusting powder and it actually helps their coat get rid of excess oil, so brushing him or combing him to get the dirt out would be helpful without using water.

 

[EggSandwich]

Yeah, I would definitely brush him daily. Good luck

 

[matt1991]

i do brush him daily he loves it so i do it just for his enjoyment i planed t give him a bath once every 2 weeks when i have my 2 weeks bath so we can save on water wasnt sure if should give him some type of soap to make him smell good and feel fresh

 

[posiepurrs]

If you use a cat safe shampoo it is fine as long as you rinse him well enough. You should rinse for a longer period of time than it takes to shampoo the cat. Since this is only to keep him clean, I would not use shampoo every time. If he is long haired I would advse using a comb to groom him rather than a brush.

 

[matt1991]

would using human shampoo be very bad for him? even a tiny bit? someone told me that tea tree shampoo would kill them

 

[posiepurrs]

Don't use any shampoo with tea tree oil in it. In fact it may be safer to stay away from any Herbalife botanical shampoos. Baby shampoo is okay.

 

[matt1991]

atm i only have garnier fructis fortifying shampoo is that ok for maybe a 1 time use if he gets really dirtyuntil i get my cat shampoo

 

[Cat Sidhe]

Personally, I would not use any shampoo formulated for humans. Even if it does not have toxic ingredients, humans and cats don´t share the same pH balance, and our shampoos are too harsh for the cat skin. It could leave your cat´s skin very dry, it could irritate it, or maybe cause an allergic or a toxic reaction to any of the ingredients present on the shampoo.

As @posiepurrs said, baby shampoo is ok to use while you buy the cat-specific shampoo.
Also, you could try a homemade cat shampoo. It can be made combining one cup of white or apple cider vinegar, one cup of a gentle liquid soap, and four cups of water.

Homemade Cat Shampoo