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Welcome, crazy cat people!
We all want to make sure our cats are clean and smelling good, cats are one of the cleanest animals and spend a lot of their day grooming themselves without human input but can we use baby wipes on our cats if needed?
I did some research so I can answer your question and I also answer some of your other related questions below.
Baby wipes are not safe for use on your cat. These wipes contain harmful ingredients such as aloe, detergents, propylene glycol and other chemicals which can irritate your cat’s skin and even worse your cat may ingest these ingredients while grooming which could lead to gastrointestinal distress.
So in a nutshell, never use baby wipes on a cat!
In the rest of this post, I look at why you cant use aloe vera wipes on your cat, why should NEVER use antibacterial wipes and we look at some safe alternatives for when your cat may be a little dirty and they need an extra clean.
Keep reading to find out more!
What cat products do I recommend in this post?
Pogi’s pet grooming wipes, Hypoallergenic Pet Wipes for Cats – Plant-Based, Earth-Friendly, Deodorizing cat Wipes – You can find these on amazon here! These are completely free of parabens, alcohol, and harsh chemicals.
Breezytail pet shampoo – Hypoallergenic Cat Skincare Shampoo -Veterinarian Approved and Formulated, all-natural.
Can I use wet ones on my cat? – (A detailed look at why you shouldn’t)
When we think of baby wipes and wet ones most people would assume that because they are safe on baby’s skin and are safe for use on your own skin that they would be perfectly fine for use on your cat’s fur and skin.
I can imagine this is a mistake that lots of people make, a very easy mistake.
A lot of people when using wipes opt for the sensitive wipes and yes for humans they may be better for our skin than the wipes that contain more of the harmful chemicals but we need to be aware that just because they are okay for our skin they are definitely not alright to be using on your cat.
These wipes may not only irritate your cat’s skin and cause rashes but we have to remember just how long cats spend grooming themselves. According to the research, cats spend 25% – 30% of their day on grooming! That’s up to one-third of their awake time grooming!
So if you use a baby wipe on your cat they are then ingesting all those harmful chemicals which could lead to a number of problems plus they are far too acidic for your cat.
What chemicals are found in most wipes?
Aloe vera
We will discuss in the next section why some forms of aloe may not be good for your cat.
Citrus
If you know anything about cats then you know that they really hate the smell of anything that contains citrus, so why would they want it on their coat which would then make them not want to groom themselves and could cause them to feel stressed.
Perfumes and even worse essential oils!
I love essential oils and cannot think of anything more relaxing than a hot bath with lavender but for your cat, essential oils are very toxic especially lavender.
Some wipes contain these essential oils so please AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!
Soaps and detergents
These contain all sorts of nasties called surfactants that can cause a wide array of problems in cats, not only allergic reactions but also respiratory issues and oral irritation and cats are more prone to this than other animals due to their grooming habits.
One of the ingredients sodium lauryl sulfates can cause breathing problems, I avoid this one myself because it dries up my skin so imagine what it does to your cat?
Propylene Glycol
This can be poisonous in cats if they eat too much in fact according to the MSD manual ingesting this chemical can lead to what is called ”Heinz body” which destroys red blood cells in cats leading to anaemia.
Another reason to avoid baby wipes!
We often don’t realise what various cosmetic products contain but I hope this has helped you realise how important it is to really take care of what you put onto your cat’s skin and coat.
Are aloe vera wipes safe for cats?
The aloe vera plant. For humans, aloe can provide so many health benefits. I use aloe in my diet to help with my digestion and it can be amazing for our skin and help soothe sunburn when we have spent too much time absorbing some rays.
A great plant for humans but… Is aloe safe for cats?
Aloe vera is called a succulent plant and according to PetMD, it contains components known as saponins which are toxic to cats and can cause gastrointestinal distress, vomiting and diarrhoea. It’s actually the outer, white latex part of the plant that is poisonous to cats and not the centre of the plant!
I personally wouldn’t use aloe vera wipes made for humans but the pet ones with aloe extract are generally safe. What I would say though is to make sure you are using a well-known brand of pet wipes.
Can I use antibacterial wipes on my cat?
Disinfectant wipes and antibacterial wipes are extremely toxic to cats, they contain ”phenols” particularly phenol chloroxylenol and at worse bleach so should not be used at all on your cat’s skin or coat. These can lead to a wide array of health problems as a cats body cannot process these chemicals.
I think that is all we need to say on the matter, NEVER use antibacterial or disinfectant wipes on cats and also avoid cats treading on any floors cleaned with these wipes as they have a tendency to then clean their paws, ingesting all those chemicals.
You may wish to read this article by the PDSA to find out more about what cleaning products you can safely use. (Don’t worry the link opens in another browser window so you can come back to finish reading this post when your done)
Should you clean your cats bum?
In general, cats will clean their bum themselves but if they don’t it is fine to use plain water and a warm washcloth to clean this area for them. Long-haired cats are more prone to this problem as well as cats with less fibre in their diets.
If you spend some time observing cats together you will notice that they spend so much time cleaning, in my opinion, they are the cleanest animal around, they like to be presentable and look their best at all times.
They clean their own bum as well as other cats bums who share the same household.
Ewww….. gosh, imagine if us humans went around cleaning each other’s bottoms! Cats will be cats.
Some cats do have a tendency to get poo stuck in the fur that surrounds their bum for a number of reasons, Long-haired cats tend to have this problem so it’s important to keep on top of grooming.
In fact, when you go to visit a groomer they will normally do a maintenance trim around the bum area to make sure there is less hair in this region, if they don’t you can normally request this.
Some other reasons for not cleaning this area is if your cat is overweight, I didn’t realise that I was feeding my cats far too much dry food until I researched this for a blog post I wrote.
If you want to read more about the best type of food for cats and the best feeding methods it might be worth taking a look at my blog post which goes into detail about different food types and methods of feeding your cat.
What should you use when you clean your cats bum?
I would recommend just a plain washcloth with plain warm water, it’s the best way to ensure there are no chemical nasties going onto your cat’s skin or fur.
What can I use to wash my cat?
It is always recommended when washing your cat to use specially designed cat wipes which are normally Hypoallergenic and Completely free of parabens, alcohol, and harsh chemicals.
You can also just use a wet washcloth if you want to with just warm water or if you live in a warm climate you may wish to use cool water which will actually help to cool down your cat when it’s warm.
When it comes to bathing a cat it’s not always necessary to do this as most cats will be fine cleaning themselves.
I know with my two cats that bathing them is a big No, No! They hate water and even when I’m in the bath and they sit there starring at me as soon as I move and splash around a little they can’t stand it.
If you do decide to bathe your cat then again never use human shampoo always use one that is safe for your cat skin like the one below from Breezytail which is approved and formulated by veterinarians while being natural and effective!
Just introduce your cat to bathing slowly and if you do this from a young age you never know they may learn to love bathtime or at least tolerate it!
What wipes are safe for cats?
Pogi’s Grooming Wipes – These wet wipes for pets are hypoallergenic, they contain no chemicals, no alcohol and no parabens so are perfect for your cat’s skin in any areas you need to wash.
In this pack on Amazon, you get 100 wipes to use and they are really big wipes so take a look and see what you think and check out the reviews 🙂
Key takeaways : Can I use babywipes on my cat?
- If its a product made for humans then to be on the safe side don’t use it on your cat.
- Make sure if using aloe products that it is a pet-safe approved product.
- Chemicals, parabens and other nasties inside baby wipes can irritate your cat’s skin and cause gastrointestinal distress.
- Never use antibacterial or disinfectant wipes on your cat.
- Good luck bathing your cat! (Feel free to email me some pictures) 🙂
As always take care of yourself and your little babies!
Mark (The Crazy Cat Man)
