I Fostered 6 Cats Last Year, and This $10 Waterless Cat Shampoo Makes Bathing a Breeze

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Avoid the dreaded bathtub struggle with this rinse-free shampoo

I’ll be honest: washing my cat is probably the last thing in the world that I want to do in my free time. Anyone who’s attempted to bathe a cat knows how challenging the process can be. Even the sweetest tempered kitty might unintentionally scratch their human while they try to claw their way out of the water.

But what if washing your cat could be easy? That’s what the Burt’s Bees for Cats Waterless Shampoo aims to do — and I’ll be the first to admit that I was skeptical that any one product could make bathing a cat painless. The spray-on shampoo promises to clean a cat’s fur without rinsing. The pH-balanced formula is sulfate and paraben-free and chock-full of nourishing and coat-shining ingredients like honey and apple extract.

I tried this waterless shampoo on my two-year-old rescue cat, Miso, and the results surprised me. Keep reading for my full review of Burt's Bees for Cats Waterless Shampoo.

Burt's Bees for Cats Waterless Shampoo

$9 at Amazon

$9 at Chewy

Size: 10 oz. | Key Ingredients: Apple extract, honey, glycerin | Meant For: All cats and kittens

How We Tested

There was only one way to find out whether the Burt’s Bees for Cats Waterless Shampoo does what it says it will: I put on a thick shirt to cover my arms in case of incoming claws and armed myself with my cat’s favorite treats to make her feel at ease before I started the cleaning process. Following the instructions on the bottle, I sprayed the product directly on my cat’s back. She immediately scurried away at the sound of the bottle, but I was able to call her back over with the promise of treats a few seconds later.

For my second attempt to apply the shampoo on my feline’s fur, I decided to spritz the product onto a washcloth rather than directly on her back, then rubbed the damp cloth across her back in gentle strokes that mimicked the petting motion she usually loves. While she didn’t purr approvingly, my cat did allow me to apply the product to her coat while she nibbled at her treats. Once her coat appeared slightly damp, I followed the instructions on the packaging again and brushed the product through her fur.

The Results

There were a few things I was looking for during my testing of this waterless cat shampoo:

• Ease of Application: Spraying the product directly onto my cat's coat frightened her, but spraying it onto a towel first and then rubbing the product onto her fur worked well. The towel method wasn’t quite as simple as directly spraying the product onto the cat, but the process was, overall, incredibly easy.

• Scent: The product promises to get rid of bad pet odors without the need for a traditional bath, and I found that the waterless shampoo absolutely delivered on its promises. The spray left my cat’s fur smelling fresh with the light smell of honey and, although my cat’s fur didn’t smell bad to begin with, the light, sweet scent was a pleasant addition.

• Coat Appearance: After combing the product through my cat’s medium-long hair, her coat had a glossy sheen that looked healthy and smooth. Her coat looked and felt softer after just one use of the Burt’s Bees shampoo, and I didn’t need to expose her to any water in the process.

All in all, my journey with cat shampoo was more than successful — it was downright pleasant. My gorgeous cat’s coat was left shinier and softer than ever before and didn’t require me to submerge her in water. Overall, the process was shockingly painless. As sweet as my feline best friend is, her claws can leave a mark, so the fact that I wasn’t scratched at all is a huge feat. And, while my cat scurried away at the sound of the spray bottle, this probably won’t be true of all cats, so the application process may be even easier for less fearful felines.

Pros:

• The no-rinse shampoo is easy to apply and doesn’t require you to wrangle your cat into a bathtub (because neither of you will enjoy that).

• The formula includes apple extract to nourish feline skin and honey to shine the coat.

• It has a light scent that’s not overwhelming (even for someone very scent-sensitive like myself).

Cons:

• The sound of the spray bottle caused my cat to scurry away, so I wasn’t able to directly spritz the product onto her fur.

What to Consider When Buying Cat Shampoo

Formula

Not all cat shampoos are created equal, and not all of them are applied the same way. Unlike traditional shampoos, the Burt’s Bees for Cats Waterless Shampoo doesn’t need to be rinsed off after it’s applied. Other formulas may require your cat’s fur to be damp before application and require rinsing after you lather the product across your pet’s coat. Traditional shampoo formulas are better for achieving a deep clean, but for lighter touchups in between visits to the groomer or full baths, waterless shampoos are an easier way to clean and shine your cat’s fur.

Ingredients

It’s important to check out the ingredients of any product that you’re planning on applying to your cat’s skin. This Burt’s Bees shampoo uses apple extract to nourish the skin and honey to shine the coat, but other commonly used ingredients to look out for are glycerin to hydrate skin and oatmeal and aloe to soothe.

Some chemicals can be potentially harmful or cause allergic reactions, so it’s a good protocol to check with your veterinarian before applying anything new to your pet’s skin if you have any concerns.

Other Cat Shampoos to Consider

John Paul Pet Oatmeal Shampoo: If you’re looking for a cat shampoo that lathers, we love this one from John Paul Pets. We regularly use this on our cat with anal gland issues and find that the formula works well to remove any odor without irritating the skin. The gentle formula does require rinsing, so we only use this product when absolutely necessary (like when our cat has an accident or rolls around in something messy).

Is Cat Shampoo Worth It?

If you’re looking for a way to hydrate your cat’s skin and fur while removing odor, then cat shampoo is absolutely worth the money. Our favorite cat shampoo from Burt’s Bees costs less than $11 for a 10-oz. bottle, and I only needed a few spritzes to fully coat my cat’s fur with the waterless shampoo. Cats naturally groom themselves, so washing your cat may not be a necessary task often unless your cat gets into something messy or doesn’t often lick itself clean.

I was more than skeptical about cat shampoo — I was downright scared to try it. But, after using it just once and seeing the shiny-coated results, I would definitely recommend this shampoo as an easy-to-use solution to clean your cat without the bathtub.

Why Trust PEOPLE?

As a shopping writer and bonafide cat lover, Cai Cramer often tests out the best and buzziest new pet products. Cai has been fostering cats for two years and currently has a two-year-old rescue cat named Miso. Miso is curious, cuddly, and picky — so you can trust her taste when it comes to the best treats, toys, litter, scratching posts, and other feline-friendly products. 

Related: These Are the 17 Very Best Cat Toys of 2024, Tested by Our Picky Cats

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