We keep hearing from our TCS friends in the US how wonderful Dawn dish soap is for bathing cats and for flea removal etc. But it is not available in Europe (at least I have never seen it in the three European countries I am familiar with). I wonder if anyone could help by explaining what it is about the ingredients of Dawn that make it both safe and efficient to use on cats. Then maybe we can try and find a European equivalent. Also, who are the manufacturers? Then we can look among their products and see if it is here under a different name.

This might help, Jenny!

Dawn Dishwashing Soap (http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/safety/MSDS/DAWN%20LIQUID%20DISHWASHING%20DETERGENT--PROCTER%20&%20GAMBLE%20--.htm)

Wow! I think reading all that about eye irritation etc, I would never use it on a cat! Even anywhere near one! It's only ethyl alcohol.

I know! That was my reaction too!

Typically you do not use Dawn on the head area. It is simply used to degrease the body coat, and does a bang up job in that regard.
In fact any shampoo is best kept away from the cats head during bathing- we do the entire head only with a damp washcloth and never lather it up at all.

Similarly, GOOP is quite effective, and is our grooming shop preferance on cats with oily coats.

I used Dawn on Phenom and it worked the first time.No more fleas!! I didn't wash her haed or face with it but she did get it everywhere else. Nothing is good to get in your cats eyes unless its medication prescribed by your vet. You just have to be careful with it as you are all chemicals!

Dawn is also the only soap that removes poison ivy. If you've been exposed to it but only recently and you haven't developed a reaction, you can avoid one by washing the area with this soap.

And if the chemicals are harsh as far as soap goes, they are certainly better than the possibly-lethal flea shampoos.

It's great for dishes too...

Dawn is also the only soap that removes poison ivy. If you've been exposed to it but only recently and you haven't developed a reaction, you can avoid one by washing the area with this soap. Really?!? I've never heard that before! I'll have to tell my husband -- he is horribly allergic to poison ivy.

Dawn is also used to clean up animals in oil spill areas. They used to have this really cute commercial about cleaning a duck.

Dawn is also used to clean up animals in oil spill areas. They used to have this really cute commercial about cleaning a duck.
My sister-in-law's cat came home once after some idiot dunked it in an oil tank. I was at her house when Melvin came home and our collective thoughts were to wash him in Dawn. They advertise that it cuts grease better than anything and that is pretty much true. Melvin survived the ordeal thanks to Dawn. I've been a convert ever since.

I agree, any cleaning/grooming products shoul be kept away from the eyes.... and yes, the biggest thing Dawn is known for is its grease cutting abilities... they do use it on ducks, penguins, etc that are in oil spill areas (and if you notice in the commercial, they're pretty careful about avoiding the eyes) and in my experiences in North Carolina, fishermen will throw some Dawn overboard if/when someone spills some gas during a fill-up.... you can see the gas pretty much disappear, it's kinda cool

I love Dawn but I also use Method dish cleaner. It is supposed to be non toxic and does a great job on their litter boxes.
I've never cleaned a cat with it though. I really don't bathe my cats unless they REALLY need it and then only with vet recommended shampoos.