Degreasing Cats? Video
Why You Shouldn’t Degrease Cats: Key Takeaways
In this Teaching Moment, Dr. Cliff Faver, DVM explains why the long-standing practice of degreasing cats with strong degreasers often makes greasy coats worse.
- Degreasing starts a cycle. Stripping the oils from a cat’s coat often means it has to be degreased again and again, because the skin either overproduces oil in response or stops producing it properly.
- Think about your own hands. A dish degreaser used on your hands removes their oils and causes inflammation, dryness and irritation. The same thing happens to a cat’s skin.
- Use CLOSE-OPEN-CLOSE instead. The first conditioner helps break down old, built-up sebum on the coat, the shampoo washes it away, and the final hydrating (humectant) conditioner replaces it with healthy moisture.
- The skin should improve with every bath. If each bath leaves the skin worse, the products or technique need to change.
Gentle Degreasing Routine for Cats
- Apply a hydrating conditioner first and work it through the greasy areas.
- Wash with a mild shampoo, diluted about 1 part product to 3 parts water.
- Finish with a hydrating conditioner and leave it on for about 5 minutes before rinsing.
- Dry thoroughly.
Shop our products just for cats and de-greasing products, and read our article No Blue Dish Soap, Please!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you degrease a greasy cat without stripping its skin?
Use the CLOSE-OPEN-CLOSE technique: a hydrating conditioner first to loosen old sebum, a mild shampoo to wash it away, and a hydrating conditioner again to restore moisture.
Why does my cat get greasy again after degreasing?
Stripping the oils with a degreaser often makes the skin overproduce oil in response, so the coat becomes greasy again quickly.
Is it safe to use dish soap on a cat?
Dish soap and heavy degreasers strip the skin’s natural oils and can cause dryness and irritation. Gentle cleansing followed by conditioner is a better approach.