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Bathing your Persian is an integral part of ownership, if you’re lucky enough to own a Persian, then this becomes even more important.
Long-haired cats like the Persian do require more maintenance in order to keep their fur in good condition.
This post is about bathing your Persian cat and why it’s important. The ideal grooming and bathing routine does require you to use a specific shampoo. However, choosing the best Persian cat shampoo can be a tricky task with so many different brands out there all claiming to be the best on the market.
Can You Use Human Shampoo on Persians?
Human shampoo isn’t toxic, after all, we use it on our hair, but it isn’t ideal for Persians or any cat. Often it will be too strong and can affect a cat’s skin, which results in flakiness.
Human skin is more acidic and has a different pH balance compared to a cat’s skin which is quite sensitive. By using human shampoo, you will essentially remove the oil from the skin and fur which can causes rashes and irritate the skin.
Oatmeal Shampoo for Persians
When looking for a good quality cat shampoo it’s important to find products that are made from natural ingredients because these are normally the most cat friendly. I’ve used oatmeal shampoos on my cats, and I’ve found these to be good. They are powerful enough to clean your cat’s fur but kind on their skin.
Earthbath All-Natural Pet Shampoo
As the name suggests, Earthbath all-natural pet shampoo is made from natural ingredients and contains oatmeal and Aloe Vera.
The whole purpose of this product is to clean your Persian’s fur and skin and moisturize with 3% oatmeal and Aloe Vera.
If your cat has itchy, flaky skin, this product is ideal for soothing and healing the skin and helps detangle your cat’s fur.
This shampoo is completely soap-free.
This is one of my favorite cat or kitten shampoos, it’s vanilla and almond scent leaves your cat smelling and feeling brilliant. It also comes in Light Wild Cherry.
Just to note this isn’t a flea shampoo it’s solely used to clean your cat.
Earthbath conditioner can be used with this shampoo to leave your Persian cat feeling extra soft.
Pro Pet Works Natural Oatmeal Pet Wash
Another popular oatmeal shampoo is the Pro Pet Works natural oatmeal pet wash. This product is made from natural products and made in the USA.
This product is highly rated and contains vitamin A, D, E, Aloe Vera and oatmeal which are all great pet-friendly ingredients.
Overall it looks like a good solid product that will clean and help your cats fur look bright and protect their skin.
As per the Earthbath shampoo, this isn’t designed to remove fleas, it’s designed to clean and maintain a nice healthy coat.
Best Hairball & Shedding Shampoo for Persians
Most cats shed and when they do, it can be a mess not only do you have hair all over the house, your cat may ingest their hair and then hack up a hairball. That’s no fun for either you or your cat. Persians have long, luxurious fur that needs to be cleaned. They are one of the breeds with more grooming needs than others. Here are a couple of shampoos that will help you help your kitty from shedding so much and in turn having hairballs.
Furminator Hairball Prevention Cat Shampoo
This shampoo helps reduce excess shedding and helps prevent hairballs. It contains no parabens or chemical dyes and is made in the USA. This Shampoo should be used only on cats over 6 weeks of age.
During self-grooming cats can ingest up to two-thirds of the hair they shed. This can result in hairballs. Hairballs are messy and stressful for your cat. This shampoo contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, calendula extract, and papaya leaf extract. There are no parabens or chemical dyes.
The Furminator company also has other useful grooming tools.
Perfect Coat Shed and Hairball Control Cat Shampoo
This shampoo is formulated for cats to help keep shedding under control and help reduce hairballs. It is fortified with omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants to moisturize, leave your kitty’s coat shiny and healthy. The fragrance is long-lasting so it will leave your furry friend smelling fresh and clean.
Best Whitening Shampoo for Persians
If you own a white or light-colored Persian cat, chances are you want your kitty to look their best. These whitening shampoos can help keep their coats looking great.
Bio-groom Purrfect White Cat Shampoo
This product is used to brighten white coats. It is mild and tearless. it contains hydrolyzed proteins and lanolin to add luster to your cat’s coat. If your white cat has stains, such as yellowed feet or at their “armpit” you will need to use this shampoo more than once to remove the stains.
Espree Bright White Cat Shampoo
This shampoo gently cleans and brightens your Persian’s fur and will also remove stains and yellowing. Please note that if your Persian’s fur is yellowed or stained it may take more than one bath to take the stain away completely. This product is made with 100% Organically grown Aloe Vera. It has a fresh floral scent and is made in the USA.
Best Flea Shampoo for Persian Cats
We’ve all been there you’re stroking your furry friend and they’re purring whilst sat on your knee and suddenly your heart skips a beat. Yep, you see the dreaded fleas crawling on your cat’s fur.
Don’t panic though as they’re easily treated with a good flea shampoo.
Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo with Precor for Cats
Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo is an effective shampoo for removing the dreaded fleas and ticks.
It contains aloe, lanolin, coconut extract, and oatmeal to help remove fleas and ticks and leaves your cats skin in good condition.
Cat flea shampoos are great at preventing flea outbreaks. If used once per month in addition to a regular cat shampoo this should keep your cat protected.
Natural Chemistry Natural Flea Shampoo For Cats
Natural Chemistry De Flea is a powerful tick and flea shampoo that is said to kill fleas on contact. It is said to be powerful yet gentle enough on your cat’s skin and fur.
I’ve not personally used this product but it’s reviewed quite highly and after reading some of the reviews most people said it was very effective at removing fleas and ticks.
If you’re based in the UK as I am then a good flea shampoo that I recommend and have used is the Johnsons Vet Cat Flea Shampoo, it’s good value for money and good at preventing fleas.
In addition to the above shampoos, a good flea comb is recommended and the Safari Flea Comb is a good choice if you’re based in the USA or Canada. If you’re based in the UK then I recommend the Rosewood Soft Protection Flea Comb, this is the comb I use and it’s effective.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right cat shampoo that keeps your Persian’s fur and skin clean is an important aspect of cat ownership. Realistically there are two kinds of shampoos that you need, a regular shampoo that you clean your cat with (ideally an oatmeal shampoo) and a flea shampoo. I included hairball and shedding shampoos in this article because Persians do shed. Shedding can lead to hairballs from self-grooming. This is not only stressful for you as their owner but to them as well. The whitening shampoo is another choice, but optional, and of course depends on whether you have a white, chinchilla, or other light-colored Persian cat.
If you use these two shampoos in sync on a regular basis then your cat should have healthy and fresh fur and skin. Your choice of shampoo will ultimately come down to your location in the world as some of the shampoos listed above aren’t available outside the USA and Europe.
As mentioned above it’s important not to use human shampoos on cats as this will cause more harm than good.
Before using any cat shampoo, I would recommend speaking to your vet and asking what they recommend, but do bear in mind that products bought from vets are often quite expensive and can usually be bought cheaper online.
To give you an idea of my routine of cleaning our cats I would say we use flea shampoo every 6 weeks or so and bathe them every 2-3 weeks. If you use the flea shampoo every second wash, then this should ensure your cats are flea and tick free.
If your cats go outdoors you may need to wash them more often, but both of my cats are indoor cats. Milo, my Persian cat, has only had fleas once and coincidentally this was after a visit to the vet and he’s never had them since. I still wash him with the flea shampoo as it’s a good preventative measure and does no harm.
I always dry my cats with a pet dryer which makes the process slightly easier.
Let me know which shampoo you like to use on your Persian cat and why, leave your comments below.