ISO Shampoo Recs for Bathing Maine Coon Cats

[gardyloo]

My boys are a pair of bonded Foster Fail adult cats, one is full Maine Coon, the other is a black fluffy Maine Coon mix. They’re both disabled, full MC has a hip glitch, and the other was unadoptably shy when he arrived (much better now)

The guy with the hip glitch can’t groom himself as well as he’d like and he smells after a few weeks. He’s been to the groomers, but to be honest, my very calming son does a better job by just getting in the shower with him in a swimsuit. The other cat isn’t the brightest guy and wants a bath because his brother got one. Although it’s not their favorite experience, neither of them seem traumatized, and they both hang with us after the bath is done (so they don’t hate us). I also do their claws after the bath since they seem a little more willing then.

My question is what shampoo to use? It needs to get the Maine Coon Smell out, but not wreck up their skin. I’ve used Trader Joe’s Spa Shampoo and TJs Tea Tree Shampoo. But should I be using something else? Any other tips are welcome.

 

[GoldyCat]

It's better to use a cat-specific shampoo since many human shampoos contain chemicals or essential oils that are not good for cats.

You can also use baby shampoo--original unscented version. It's gentle on fur and skin. I used that on my cats when I first starting showing them and it worked very well.

 

[lollie]

Don’t use tea tree oil shampoo on your cats, it is toxic. I use Earthbath cat shampoo and conditioner, just because it’s fragrance free, and she tolerates that much better. Whatever you use, it should be specific to cats, or dogs and cats, and not something for dogs only.