Best Cat Shampoo (2026)
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Quick picks
Best overall
Burt's Bees Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo
Most cats who need an occasional bath.
Worth knowing: A small bottle, though a cat needs very little per bath.
Check price on AmazonBest for sensitive skin
earthbath Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo
Cats with sensitive or itchy skin, and multi cat homes.
Worth knowing: Costs more per bottle than the Burt’s Bees.
Check price on AmazonBest no rinse option
Burt's Bees Waterless Cat Shampoo spray
Cats who panic in water, seniors, and quick freshening between baths.
Worth knowing: Maintenance, not a deep clean: a greasy or soiled coat still needs a bath.
Check price on Amazon
Cats are fastidious groomers, which is why most of them never need a bath. When one does, a long haired cat with a greasy coat, a senior who can no longer reach his back, or a cat who found the one muddy corner of the house, the shampoo matters more than it would for a dog. Whatever stays on the coat gets licked off and swallowed, and a few ingredients that are routine in dog products are genuinely dangerous to cats.
Our picks are research based: we compared the manufacturers’ published ingredients and claims and looked at who each formula is actually made for. We do not claim to have bathed a test panel of cats with each one.
At a glance
Our Top Picks
Best cat shampoo for most cats
Burt’s Bees for Pets Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo, Best Overall
Made specifically for cats, pH balanced for feline skin and fragrance free, with shea butter and honey to soften the coat. Burt’s Bees says the formula is made without sulfates, parabens or synthetic fragrance, which is exactly the short list you want for an animal that will lick the coat dry afterwards. No scent also means one less thing to upset a cat who already resents the sink. It is a small bottle, but a cat needs very little.
Check price on Amazon →Best for allergic or very sensitive skin
earthbath Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo, Best for Sensitive Skin
earthbath’s cat formula is fragrance free and soap free, pH balanced, and built on coconut based cleansers with aloe vera and vitamins. The brand lists it as free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, alcohol and synthetic dyes, and it is made in the USA. It suits cats with sensitive or itchy skin and multi cat homes where one bottle has to work for everyone. It costs more than the Burt’s Bees for a bigger bottle, so per wash the gap is small.
Check price on Amazon →Best for kittens
Burt’s Bees for Pets Tearless Kitten Shampoo, Best for Kittens
A tearless formula with buttermilk, made for kittens rather than adapted from an adult product. A kitten’s first baths teach it what to expect, so a gentle shampoo that does not sting if it reaches the eyes is worth having. Keep baths short and warm, because small kittens lose heat quickly, and ask your vet before bathing a very young kitten.
Check price on Amazon →Best for cats who will not tolerate a bath
Burt’s Bees for Pets Waterless Cat Shampoo, Best No Rinse Option
A spray you mist onto the coat, work in with your hands or a soft brush, and towel off, with no rinsing. For a cat who panics in water, a senior, or a quick freshen up between baths, it is far less stressful for everyone. It is maintenance, not a deep clean: a greasy or soiled coat still needs a real bath.
Check price on Amazon →Ingredients that are dangerous for cats
Cats process some chemicals very differently from dogs, and they swallow whatever is left on their coat. Three rules keep bath time safe:
- Never use a dog flea shampoo or dog flea product on a cat. Many contain permethrin, which the ASPCA and the American Animal Hospital Association warn is highly toxic to cats and a leading cause of feline poisoning calls. If a cat is exposed, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center straight away.
- Avoid essential oil formulas, including tea tree, and heavily perfumed shampoos. Fragrance free is the safest default.
- Rinse completely. Residue left in the coat ends up in the cat’s stomach and can irritate the skin.
Does your cat actually need a bath?
Most short haired cats keep themselves clean. A bath is worth it for long haired breeds whose coats turn greasy or matted, for seniors and heavier cats who cannot groom their backs and rears, for cats who got into something sticky or smelly, and when your vet asks for it. Brushing does more day to day than shampoo ever will, so a good brush from our cat brush guide is the better first purchase for most owners.
When to call a groomer or a vet
Book a professional groomer for a heavily matted coat, which often has to be shaved rather than washed, and for a cat who fights every bath, since a stressed cat in a slippery sink is how people get scratched. See your vet instead for flaky, red, scabby or bald patches, constant scratching, or a sudden greasy coat, because those are often signs of a skin or health problem that no shampoo will fix.
If your groomer works with cats, ask whether they keep notes on each one. Salons that run on GroomBoard keep a record of every pet, including the products that suited a sensitive cat and the handling that kept her calm, so the next visit starts where the last one left off.