11 Best Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoos in 2024: Reviews & Top Picks

Your cat is a top-notch groomer that spends around 50% of their day cleaning themselves. With a coat as complex, long, and soft as a cat’s, how could they not? However, even with their extensive beauty regime, they need a bit of help from us too. Getting their nails cut, teeth cleaned, and coat brushed are all important steps to help your cat stay well-groomed.

The least favorite yet important grooming task—for both owners and cats—is a bath. Although not required often, a bath is necessary to kill fleas or remove substances from their coats. You may need to bathe them because they can’t groom themselves due to certain physical problems.

Bath time is tricky enough without having to find the right shampoo for your cat’s sensitive skin. To help, we’ve gone ahead and listed 11 of the best hypoallergenic cat shampoos that won’t irritate your cat’s skin.

 A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

The 11 Best Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoos

1. Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo – Best Overall

The best hypoallergenic cat shampoo available today is the Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. Its all-natural, pet-safe formula is made without the use of harsh soaps, dyes, sulfates, and other common allergens or additives. This shampoo helps lift excess fur and dander, eliminates irritants, and nourishes your cats skin, leaving a gentle aloe and cucumber scent behind. If your cat also suffers from a dry and itchy coat, Hepper’s shampoo will hydrate the most brittle of coats, restoring that kitten-like fluffiness!

Help ease your cat’s allergies by choosing Hepper Colloidal Pet Shampoo since it is geared towards cleansing, protecting and flighting common allergy triggers. Our only complaint with this product would be that not all cats are keen on a scented shampoo, which this is.

At PetKeen.com we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

• All natural, pet-safe ingredients
• Formulated to soothe dry, irritated skin
• Free of soap, gluten, dye, DEA, sulfate, and phthalat
• Mild, yet long-lasting scent

• Some pets may not like the scent

2. Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo – Budget Buy

Most of us assume that if a shampoo is recommended by vets, it’ll be very expensive. Thankfully, this isn’t true for the Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Hypoallergenic Shampoo, which is our pick for the best hypoallergenic shampoo for the money.

This brilliant cat shampoo aims to maintain moisture in your cat’s dry, itchy, and red skin. It’s able to combat these symptoms with its powerful and natural ingredients, such as vitamin E, lactic acid, and allantoin, which exfoliate the skin and create good blood circulation.

This hypoallergenic shampoo is kind to your cat’s skin and coat but also leaves it ultra-clean, soft, and shiny. A little bit of this shampoo will give you a lot of lather, so it’ll last a long time.

• Recommended by vets, yet affordable
• Has beneficial ingredients that rid your cat’s skin of itch and dryness
• Leaves the coat soft and shiny
• Long-lasting

• Can’t be used on kittens

3. Hyponic Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo

The Hyponic Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo is our third choice. Even though it’s a bit less affordable than many other cat shampoos, it does everything your cat’s coat needs in one lather, without requiring a separate conditioner—and saving you a bit of money at the end of the day.

This hypoallergenic shampoo is very open about the ingredients it uses and passes all of EWG’s standards—an organization that rates the safety of a product’s ingredients. Therefore, you can have peace of mind that each ingredient inside this shampoo is safe to use on your cat.

Not only will the Hyponic Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo hydrate your cat’s coat and make it soft, but it cleans well, removing any dirt, grease, or oil. It may leave a bit of a floral/herbal scent in your cat’s coat.

• Doesn’t require a conditioner
• Passes EWG’s standards
• Uses natural and safe ingredients
• Cleans well

• Has a strong fragrance

4. Frisco Hypoallergenic Shampoo with Aloe for Kittens

Finding a shampoo that is safe to use on your kitten is pretty stressful. However, we can recommend the Frisco Hypoallergenic Shampoo with Aloe for Puppies & Kittens. This unscented shampoo has limited ingredients that are plant-based that gently clean your little one.

It contains beneficial ingredients such as Aloe Vera juice, Vitamin B5, Vitamins A and E, and is free from dyes, fragrances, and parabens. This product is also cruelty-free, so you can wash your kitty happily, knowing that no animals were treated poorly in the making of this shampoo.

When washing your young cat, make sure to avoid their eyes as this shampoo isn’t tearless. However, a little shampoo does go a long way as it’s great at lathering. It’ll strip all the grime from their coat without stripping any of their natural oils.

• Unscented
• Plant-based ingredients
• Clear from harmful additives
• Cruelty-free
• Lathers well

• Not tearless

5. HyLyt Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo

If you’re a cat parent to a whole lot of sensitive cats, you may need the HyLyt Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo that is available in a 1-gallon bottle. Not only will this product be gentle on their sensitive skin, but it helps treat seborrhea and removes the red, itchy rash. It also lowers the amount of flaking it causes.

We love that this shampoo is soap-free because soap can dry out your cat’s skin. Instead, it contains all the necessary ingredients, including protein, to nourish, build up, and moisturize the skin. You can use it on cats with short hair or long hair. With this shampoo, your cat’s skin will be back to normal in no time.

• Large-sized bottle
• Treats seborrhea
• Lowers dander
• Soap-free
• Nourishes and moisturizes the skin
• Suitable for all hair types

6. Earthbath Hypo-Allergenic Cat Shampoo

Another great hypoallergenic pet shampoo is Earthbath Hypo-Allergenic Cat Shampoo because it treats your cat’s skin kindly while adding moisture back into it as it cleans. It’s ideal for sensitive cats that have allergies to a range of ingredients and can even be used on other animals that are older than six weeks. This formula is so mild that it’s even kind to your cat’s eyes, keeping them tear-free.

Although it’s not formulated to kill fleas, it won’t wash off the flea treatment you’ve put on your kitty while also soothing uncomfortable skin from flea bites. It has limited ingredients that are all-natural, making this product safe for your cat or kitten.

If you’re sensitive to strong smells, get your hands on this product because it’s fragrance-free, only giving off a slight smell from the tearless ingredients. You won’t have to feel pressured to use up this shampoo quickly because, thanks to the natural preservatives, it doesn’t expire. If all the shampoo hasn’t been washed out, you may experience a slimy residue.

• Gentle on your cat’s skin
• It can be used on different pets
• Tearless formula
• It doesn’t wash off flea treatment
• Soothes flea-bitten skin
• It doesn’t expire

• It can be hard to wash out

7. Burt’s Bees for Cats Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo

If you’re looking for a cat shampoo brand that is responsible about where it gets its ingredients, Burt’s Bees for Cats Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo is the one for you. They’re even responsible with their packaging and use a bigger bottle than the volume inside to avoid the possibility of leakage or spilling that could occur due to temperature or pressure changes during transit.

Burt’s Bees is a well-known pet care product brand, and this hypoallergenic shampoo is recommended by vets—reassuring you that it’s safe to use on your sensitive cats. It’s made with high-quality ingredients that clean and softens your cat’s coat. The shea butter used in this product moistures their skin but doesn’t make them oily. It doesn’t deodorize, though, and isn’t the best shampoo to use for bad odors.

• Bigger bottles are used to avoid leakage
• Ingredients are responsibly sourced
• Well-known and recommended by vets
• High-quality ingredients
• Shea butter moisturizes the skin without leaving them oily

• Doesn’t remove odors

8. Purina Pro Plan LiveClear Rinse-Free Allergen Cat Shampoo Spray

To save water and time, you can skip the bath with the Purina Pro Plan LiveClear Rinse-Free Allergen Reducing Cat Shampoo Spray. We know how stressful bath time can be for a cat, and we know the scratches that you may have to endure trying to convince and hold them in the water. This rinse-free shampoo allows you to skip all the stress and move you straight to the good part—massaging the product into your cat.

This hypoallergenic shampoo is made up of 99.8% natural ingredients, is pH balanced, and is super gentle on your fur baby. Don’t worry about your cat grooming themselves after the clean as this product is non-toxic and won’t cause any discomfort in their stomachs. It reduces dander on your cat and helps many customers experience fewer allergic reactions around their cat.

• Saves water, time, and stress
• Easy to use
• Made of 99.8% natural ingredients
• Non-toxic and gentle on your cat’s skin
• Reduces dander and allergic reactions in cat owners

• Can leave behind an oily residue

9. TropiClean OxyMed Hypo-Allergenic Oatmeal Cat Shampoo

We’ve seen some great hypoallergenic cat shampoos that do a wonderful job on your cat’s coat but don’t deodorize. The TropiClean OxyMed Hypo-Allergenic Oatmeal Dog & Cat Shampoo does, ridding your cat of bad odors after a mischievous day.

This shampoo soothes and provides relief to cats with sensitives as it nourishes and moisturizes their itchy skin. If you love this product on your kitten, you won’t have to worry about looking for a new one when your cat becomes an adult because it is suitable for all life stages.

This shampoo is all-natural but doesn’t have the best smell to it. The packaging could also be improved as several customers have received their order with little shampoo inside due to leaking.

• Deodorizes your cat
• Suitable for all life stages
• Natural ingredients

• Some cat owners don’t like the smell
• Poor packaging

10. Mighty Meow Waterless Cat Shampoo

We’ve got another great hypoallergenic shampoo for you that doesn’t require any water—the Mighty Meow Waterless Cat Shampoo. This waterless shampoo is suitable and safe for both kitten and adult cats.

With this shampoo, you’re promised only clean, biodegradable ingredients. It is also cruelty-free and made in the USA. It’s easy to use on your cats after a day of rolling around in the dirt, and it doesn’t leave any scent or sticky residue on them. You’ll notice a difference in your cat’s coat as it’ll be much softer.

The Mighty Meow Waterless Cat Shampoo needs to be shaken before squirting out foam from the durable pump. It is effective, even on long-haired cats, and neutralizes bad odors but doesn’t deodorize them.

• Waterless
• Suitable for all life stages
• Clean, biodegradable ingredients
• Cruelty-free and made in the USA
• Durable pump
• Neutralizes odors

• It doesn’t deodorize

11. Breezytail PetO’Cera Cat Shampoo

Recommended by vets is the Breezytail PetO’Cera Cat Shampoo, which is hypoallergenic and contains over 10 botanical extracts. The brand is known for making excellent cat care products specifically designed to improve, rejuvenate, and moisturize coats and skin to relieve pets of dryness, itchiness, and irritation.

You can use this shampoo on both dogs and cats. It’s gentle and soothing with a pleasant smell that isn’t overpowering. It is more expensive than other hypoallergenic cat shampoos, but it’s made of high-quality ingredients. It increases the softness of your cat’s coat, which will make brushing them easier, even if they have long hair.

• Natural
• Improves, rejuvenates, and moisturizes skin
• Can be used on dogs too
• Has a pleasant smell
• Increases softness

• More expensive than other similar shampoos

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo

Understanding what your cat needs in a shampoo can feel overwhelming. We’re here to guide you through the buying process by making it as simple and easy to understand as possible. Read through the points below for a further understanding of what to look out for in a hypoallergenic shampoo.

Age

Whether you’re using a hypoallergenic cat shampoo or a standard one, it’s important to know whether it’s safe to use on kittens or only adult cats. Kittens are delicate and require a gentle shampoo, so look out for kitten-friendly shampoos to give them the best care.

Breed

For the best bath time results, make sure you get the right shampoo for your cat’s breed, or more importantly, coat length. A cat with a long coat needs the right kind of shampoo that’ll make it soft, silky, and shiny, which reduces tangling and prevents matting.

Health/Purpose

If your cat has any health problems, it’d be best to chat to your vet about the types of shampoos you should use on your cat. Your cat may need a specific type to clear up a specific condition. However, if your cat has allergies, it’s safe to say that a hypoallergenic shampoo is the best option for them.

If your cat has fleas, many of the hypoallergenic shampoos will clean and soothe your cat’s skin without washing away the flea treatment you’ve put on them. However, these shampoos aren’t likely to solely rid your cat of fleas because they don’t contain strong ingredients that are necessary to do so.

Ingredients

Hypoallergenic shampoos should be safe for any cat because they’re made from natural, limited, and safe ingredients. Often your cat will get an allergic reaction from a shampoo that has added fragrances, harsh chemicals, dyes, sulfate, etc. Hypoallergenic shampoos can be used on cats with sensitive and dry skin without causing flare-ups or uncomfortable reactions. However, always read the ingredients label on a product, as there might be something on it that you don’t feel comfortable rubbing into your cat.

The only time you should use a cat shampoo with those ingredients in it is if your vet has recommended one after evaluating your cat, as the shampoo could be necessary for certain health conditions. Make sure to follow the instructions your vet gave you when using it and keep it out of your cat’s face as you don’t want your cat to ingest any of it.

Many hypoallergenic shampoo brands are eco-friendly and zero-waste. But remember that even though all the ingredients may be natural, it doesn’t mean that the product is hypoallergenic.

Ease of Use

Most of us can’t imagine a world where bath time for your cat could be easy. Thankfully, vets and other companies have developed certain shampoos that do, in fact, make the process a little easier.

If your cat simply cannot be near water, there are waterless shampoos available that only need to be massaged into your cat’s coat. They not only clean your cat’s hair and skin but bring back the shine and moisturize their skin. This process will also cause you and your cat to bond. They’ll think you’re giving them a massage, and you’ll benefit from their purrs. It’s a win-win without any stress!

If you can manage to get your cat into the bath and under some water for only a couple of seconds, make sure the shampoo you’re interested in doesn’t require you to keep it in the coat for a couple of minutes before rinsing. Certain cat breeds love water and can manage leave-in shampoos. Know your cat and purchase the shampoo that will be easiest for both you and your cat, causing the least amount of stress possible.

If nothing seems to work for your cat around bath time, and you cannot manage them alone, there is nothing wrong with taking them to a groomer who is trained to care for anxious and difficult cats and will give them the products your cat’s coat and health conditions need.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for good cat shampoo, you can’t go wrong with Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. It has all the needed natural ingredients that your cat’s skin and coat need. Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Hypoallergenic Shampoo is your best option on a tight budget, while Hyponic Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo is a good option for a more liberal budget.

If the shampoo you’ve found is suitable for all ages, your searching journey can stop there. If your cat doesn’t react well to a specific shampoo, try another. If it’s the water that they hate, give one of the waterless options a go.

Featured Image Credit: 135pixels, Shutterstock

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