Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo??

I've been washing my two kittens with:

Mane and Tale shampoo

http://www.walmart.com/ip/10293243?...25736390&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=34818893710&veh=sem

 for as long as I've had them. Leaves them soft, clean and because it contains proteins and moisturizing agents, it makes their coat look AMAZING!!! too bad the shampoo did not work for me but i'm glad i'm able to put it to some use!

Recently I've noticed...that i've been getting some allergies around my cats...which sucks tremendously. =(

This is my first time owning cats, so it could be that over time (span of 2 months since I've had my cats), I've slowly developed an allergy to them. Its nothing serious..for the most part. I can deal with the sneezing bouts. But sometimes it gets so bad i HAVE to take a Benadryl, and drown my eyes with eye drops every hour that i'm with them. 

Giving up my babies is OUT OF THE QUESTION. 

I wanted to know if any of you on the site have used any hypoallergenic cat shampoo on your babies, for those of you that might also have an allergic reaction sometimes, and if it has helped??

The ones I've seen in the pet store are these:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...048&lmdn=Cat+Grooming&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...079&lmdn=Cat+Grooming&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

I'm interested in purchasing, but I don't want to waste my money and time on this if they're are baloney...

I am forever grateful for all of your input! and also, if you guys have other suggestions, that would be great too =)

While I don't agree to bathing cats unnecessarily, I can understand your want. However, I do think that you may be fighting a losing battle here. Most folk are allergic to the dander, which contains saliva and that is part of the allergy. Unless your cats stop grooming in between baths I think you may be doing this with little effect?

I am allergic to cats too, luckily the Bengal I have has been ok for the most part. I would try keeping them out of the bedroom and hoovering any carpets etc regularly and washing their bedding and any sofa cushions that they sleep on etc. You could also try an air purifier/filter - I had one of these as a kid which helped no end with hayfever as a kid and they work for other allergies too. Oh, and washing hands all the time after handling your cat helps too!

Good luck, it is miserable for sure being allergic.. I hope your own body fights it soon too as you build up a resistance.

I don't bathe them often. So like ever 3 or more weeks. Charlie has gotten a batch twice already since me having him...and Jet only once. 

Thanks for that input...about the allergies being in their saliva mostly...that makes Hypoallergenic Shampoos seem like a waste...

I do have an air purifier/filter for which i clean out the filters also every 3 or more weeks (i've kinda made it so that the same day i give my kitties a bath, its the same day i'll keep the filter. 

I have hardwood floors and NO rugs or carpet....but i do sweep everyday and use the swiffer wet mops...I was hoping that maybe the shampoo could help..

I guess i'll wait it out and hopefully i build up a defense to it..and hope my allergies don't take a turn for the worst..

Thanks! i hope others will chime in as well

Every 3 weeks or so is actually quite a lot. Too many baths can dry out the skin and make your allergy problem worse. Tbh, there is little reason to give a cat a bath, they are self-cleaning. It's really only if you need a flea bath or if they get covered in something horrid that a bath is needed.  Perhaps you could try bathing your cat less and see if the dander problem subsides because the skin isn't too dry?

Tbh, because cats are all about grooming there is very little that can be done with a cat allergy, other than antihistamines. They are safe to use, but used every day can cause thinning of our hair.  I've always been allergic to cats and dogs and grew up with both. Cat allergies were harder for my body to cope with but the dogs I always built up a resistance pretty quick.  Washing hands every time I touched them was probably the most useful because we touch our faces more than we think.

Both my husband and I are allergic to cats, I take Zyrtec every day, and I use a product called Allerpet C on my cats.  I get it at my veterinarian.  It works great and keeps the dander down.

I also use Zyrtec everyday. I noticed a reduction in allergens when I switched them to raw, but some raw feeders say that it didn't make a difference for them.

cprcheetah said:

 
Both my husband and I are allergic to cats, I take Zyrtec every day, and I use a product called Allerpet C on my cats.  I get it at my veterinarian.  It works great and keeps the dander down.

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I was actually looking into allerpet c...i saw it on amazon. but i'm not quite sure how it works....i'm worried it might have issues with the kitties skin? have you noticed any issues on your cats? dry flaky skin....or anything else?? like excess shedding.....??

I will look into Zyrtec. I think my boyfriend is currently taking that as he has been allergic to Charlie and Jet since day one...I should take some of his. lol

My vet told me it helps keep the dander down. I use it weekly on 5 Cats and hhaven't noticed any skin issues with any of them

cprcheetah said:

My vet told me it helps keep the dander down. I use it weekly on 5 Cats and hhaven't noticed any skin issues with any of them

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I will give it a shot! I love cuddling with my babies. Especially Jet. She LOVES to be coddled. I just hate scaring the day lights out of her when i'm trying to give her love and i have a sneeze attack... =/

Personally I would stay away from the shampoos you linked.

As nearly as I can tell reading the descriptions of the hypoallergenic shampoos, it looks like they're intended to help with the cats' allergies, not people's allergies. They're also both scented, which I would not use on my cats. The first one says it's not available for purchase or shipment to California, which makes me wonder exactly what is in it.

GoldyCat said:

Personally I would stay away from the shampoos you linked.

As nearly as I can tell reading the descriptions of the hypoallergenic shampoos, it looks like they're intended to help with the cats' allergies, not people's allergies. They're also both scented, which I would not use on my cats. The first one says it's not available for purchase or shipment to California, which makes me wonder exactly what is in it.

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what would be a good shampoo that you would recommend?? keep in mind my babies are not show cats like yours! lol.

Regular, unscented, baby shampoo works well. It's very gentle and doesn't dry their skin out. No matter which shampoo you use be sure to rinse well. Rinse, rinse, rinse, and when you think all the shampoo is out, rinse again.

Are you looking for a hypoallergenic shampoo, which is a shampoo that is generally meant to be free of allergens (usually meant for pets with sensitive skin or who have allergies themselves) or are you looking for a shampoo made to help with your allergy to the cats? Those are two different things.

A good hypoallergenic cat shampoo would be Earthbath Clear Advantages Shampoo or Earthbath Hypoallergenic Shampoo. These contain natural ingredients, no harsh detergents or dyes and no fragrances.

If you are looking for a shampoo that is made to help you with your allergic reaction to the cats, that would be something different. There are a few products like that but I don't know how well they work, especially if they aren't getting baths very often. I know one is called Allerpet, another is Nature's Miracle Dander Destroyer shampoo.
 

Nekochan said:

 
Are you looking for a hypoallergenic shampoo, which is a shampoo that is generally meant to be free of allergens (usually meant for pets with sensitive skin or who have allergies themselves) or are you looking for a shampoo made to help with your allergy to the cats? Those are two different things.

A good hypoallergenic cat shampoo would be Earthbath Clear Advantages Shampoo or Earthbath Hypoallergenic Shampoo. These contain natural ingredients, no harsh detergents or dyes and no fragrances.

If you are looking for a shampoo that is made to help you with your allergic reaction to the cats, that would be something different. There are a few products like that but I don't know how well they work, especially if they aren't getting baths very often. I know one is called Allerpet, another is Nature's Miracle Dander Destroyer shampoo.
 

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yes someone mentioned allerpet c earlier in this thread. which is what i'm looking into. the whole shampoo aspect of it is not making sense the more i think about it, because my cats will be bathed like once a month. but the allerpet c i noticed is something you rub on the cats once a month. i also found a cheaper alternative to allerpet c which is nature's miracle dander destroyer pray. They've both gotten great reviews on amazon so i might give those a try. 

GoldyCat said:

Regular, unscented, baby shampoo works well. It's very gentle and doesn't dry their skin out. No matter which shampoo you use be sure to rinse well. Rinse, rinse, rinse, and when you think all the shampoo is out, rinse again.

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based on the responses from your replies, i guess there is really no such thing as an allergy reducing shampoo for cats...(reducing allergies for humans). I have come across some wipe that say they help to keep the dander low....i might look into that. maybe use the wipes once a week..?

currently i'm using mane and tale on my kitties...it was indented for animals, but humans can use them too. i bought a bottle for myself a while ago (before i ever got the cats) and it just did not work for my hair...but it seems to be working for the kitties. what are your thoughts on mane and tale...have you ever used it before?? I know the formulation contains some protein that's good for hair/fur..but it is scented...

also, this probably sounds silly, but if i shampoo my kitties, do i need to follow with a conditioner??? I see cat shampoos with accompanying conditioners at the pet store...or is that for perhaps long haired cats?

Personally I wouldn't use baby shampoo, it can actually be quite harsh and drying. The only way it is "gentle" is that it has an alkaline ph so it doesn't sting the eyes. Baby shampoos may also contain ingredients/chemicals or fragrances which aren't good for cats to ingest, and detergents which can dry out the skin/coat.

You don't necessarily need to use a conditioner, it depends on the condition of their skin/coat and how often you are bathing them.

Well, I know I'm late to this thread, but just wanted to say I've ordered the Allerpet C (until this thread I had no knowledge any product existed to reduce dander ). Will post again once I've tried it...

Everything I looked at seems positive, but I'm not using much to begin with just to see how my cat responds. My sister is severely allergic and my bf's daughter almost anaphylactic to cat dander, and even I am beginning to sneeze around him...and the anti dander wipes I got at Petco basically turned out to be nothing more than cat shampoo with a sickening cucumber smell, so I'm getting desperate. With my cats recent uri and the cold weather I am unwilling to bathe him. So Allerpet C sounds like a miracle , if it works safely.

sillywabbit said:

Well, I know I'm late to this thread, but just wanted to say I've ordered the Allerpet C (until this thread I had no knowledge any product existed to reduce dander ). Will post again once I've tried it...

Everything I looked at seems positive, but I'm not using much to begin with just to see how my cat responds. My sister is severely allergic and my bf's daughter almost anaphylactic to cat dander, and even I am beginning to sneeze around him...and the anti dander wipes I got at Petco basically turned out to be nothing more than cat shampoo with a sickening cucumber smell, so I'm getting desperate. With my cats recent uri and the cold weather I am unwilling to bathe him. So Allerpet C sounds like a miracle , if it works safely.

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Let me know how the allerpet c works out for you. I'm seriously considering it. Just trying to save up some money first. My boyfriend has always been allergic to my kitties. He's still so amazing though. He takes zyrtec to be around them and me, and he plays with them helps me feed and take care of them. I was initially looking into Allerpet c for him, so it will be easier for him to deal with the kitties...but recently I've noticed i've been feeling allergic towards them too...sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, stuffiness =/

based on the reviews for allerpet c it really sounds like a miracle. please do let me know how it works out for you. I'll probably order it next week...

I purchased the whisker city hypoallergenic wipes for my cats since this thread has started...and I must say, it does help a bit. Me and the bf both noticed a difference...but its very temporary..

Nekochan said:

Personally I wouldn't use baby shampoo, it can actually be quite harsh and drying. The only way it is "gentle" is that it has an alkaline ph so it doesn't sting the eyes. Baby shampoos may also contain ingredients/chemicals or fragrances which aren't good for cats to ingest, and detergents which can dry out the skin/coat.

You don't necessarily need to use a conditioner, it depends on the condition of their skin/coat and how often you are bathing them.

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I have a friend who used baby shampoo on her show cats, taking them all the way to Grand Champion or Grand Premier without using specialty shampoos. She's never mentioned any issues with the shampoo being too harsh or causing problems.

I read an article that mentioned just using plain water to bathe cats.
They were testing pet shampoos and found that the control group, who were bathed in plain water, had almost the same dander reduction as the ones bathed using product.

Alternately, you could use a little bit of baking soda dissolved in water, followed by a little bit of vinegar diluted in water. Really small amounts, like a teaspoon. As mentioned before, rinse, rinse, rinse