I have never seen cat wipes on sale here and don't think human bum wipes are any different - if not better than baby wipes - and I don't think kitty is gonna be sick etc.
It sounds like you've already made up your mind. But if you'd like a different opinion, then no, I'm pretty sure that most most human "bum wipes" aren't safe for cats due to the chemicals in them.
One of my cats, Estelle, has short legs and has been a big cat since we've adopted her. Plus she has long hair. So I give her a butt buzz cut and use baby wipes to keep her clean. (sensitive, non-scented). Whoever had Estelle before declawed her and so she also has a life long issue with tender feet and iffy confidence in assuming the pose---so to speak. As a result, she doesn't even try to keep her bottom clean. Every other part yes.
The routine truly does make me realize how much time cats do spend on grooming otherwise.
The cat wipes seem to have more ingredients as the baby butt wipes.
By the way the wipes I think you are speaking of aren't really okay to flush--if that's one of the reasons you might be considering using them. There was a news report that they are simply too thick and will most definitely eventually clog your pipes.
Thanks folks....
As he can't lick himself hardly at all as he's a big beefy I doubt chemicsls gonna be a problem just for cleaning his bum and tail area. ... i guess lot of chemicals in cat shampoo ??.... these wipes I used so far are the Page (Andrex) unscented ph neutral dermatoloigically tested ones ....hmmm only use now and then anway...
Well, I've seen ingredients in "cat wipes" that shouldn't be in there, such as unnecessary fragrances and tea tree oil (toxic to cats), so I would just look at the ingredients. The Earthbath brand of pet "grooming wipes" seems okay. Always get unscented / fragrance free.
For my cats I use newborn baby wipes for sensitive skin that are fragrance free.
I researched this last week and came to the conclusion that the reason you don't wanna use baby wipes or other wipes is because the company is not anticipating that the person licks the area where they used the wipe. If your cat is going to lick themselves after you apply the wipe (I would think most would) then get something safe for a cat. I would hope baby wipes would be fine but my uncertainty has led me to avoid them. In your case it sounds like he's not gonna lick the area so maybe it's a moot point.
I will have to look for Earthbath brand. Where do you find those? I settled for some wipes I saw at Wal-Mart (also saw them at Petco) though I was really hoping to avoid any fragrance. They are Petkin brand and sell some in a package labeled "pet wipes" and another "kitty wipes" but same ingredients. Different sizes. One person suggested witch hazel wipes but I am uncertain if that is okay for cats. Maybe someone else knows about that.
Edit: okay these people said their vets approved baby wipes so maybe their vet already considered the ingredient list. I'd still avoid bum wipes as I don't know if they sell an unscented version. I have looked Lol.
The concern about chemicals in anything that you use on your cat is not only because they might lick it. There are many things that can be absorbed through the skin that are dangerous to cats.
Yup, absorbed thru the skin, or even inhaled. And not even 'chemicals'. As has already been mentioned, tea tree oil - and ALL ESSENTIAL OILS - are fatally toxic to cats. Doesn't matter if they don't lick, it gets into them thru the skin, or by breathing. So yeah, I'd be very very cautious about anything applied to my cat. And remember that cats have a different physiology to humans and to dogs - so what is safe for a dog or a human, could be fatal for a cat.
Why not use a damp paper towel? This is what we do. If we can make our cat wait just a little bit, or anticipate with a bit of time, it's also much more appreciated if the water is warm