Baby wipes are fantastic, a real-life-saver for parents everywhere. You can use them to clean up your baby or toddler on the go, and you can also use them to remove your make-up quickly in the evening. Any parent will give you several un-intended uses for baby wipes that make everyday life easier.
It’s understandable to think that if they are suitable for babies’ sensitive skin, they must be safe for our pets. But unfortunately, baby wipes aren’t safe to use on your cat. Even the unscented and sensitive baby wipes can be toxic for your cat.
Cat Grooming
Cats will spend up to 50% of their day grooming. They are fastidious in their grooming habits, licking and cleaning themselves for up to half of their waking day. That’s a lot of licking and cleaning. Anything that goes onto their fur or paws gets licked clean. This is where there is a problem with using baby wipes to help your cat clean themselves. Any ingredients from the wipes go onto their fur or paws, and then the cat licks it off.
Baby Wipe Ingredients
If we look at what ingredients are used in baby wipes, we can further break this down. Pampers have a sensitive baby wipe called Aqua Sensitive Water Baby Wipes, and these should contain less harmful ingredients than other wipes. Their ingredients are:
- Water
- Citric Acid
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Sodium Citrate
- Sorbitan Caprylate
- Sodium Benzoate
- Disodium EDTA
Cat’s don’t like anything citric, so they will actively try to clean it off if they have citric on them. However, essential oils from citrus are poisonous to cats. So even though the amount of citrus from the wipe may not be enough to poison your cat, it could cause them discomfort if ingested. Not to mention your cat doesn’t like the smell of citrus, so they will be miserable to have the citrus smell on them. Cats have an acute sense of smell, which will annoy them.
Hydrogenated castor oil and Sodium Citrate are laxatives. You don’t want to give your cat this, especially if you use wipes to clean the bottom area.
Baby Wipe Risks For Cats
While these ingredients are perfectly safe for us humans, the ingredients in a mild baby wipe are enough to give your cat an unsettled stomach and put them in a very bad mood. The last thing you want to do is give your cat diarrhea and risk vomiting.
What Can I Use To Clean My Cat
If you need to help your cat clean themselves, a damp soft tissue used gently will work. There are also pet wipes available in pet stores, Chewy and Amazon. Some popular brands are Earth Rated Dog and Cat Wipes, Pogi’s Grooming Wipes, and Dhoohoo Organic Pet Wipes. All of these brands are highly rated by pet owners.
Considering how fastidious cats are about cleaning themselves, you should ask yourself why you need to use wipes on your cat, especially if you have to help them frequently. If a cat isn’t grooming itself, there may be a medical reason. A check-up at the vet will be required.
Final Thoughts on Cat Wipes
Sometimes you do have to clean your cat if they have vomited or had diarrhea, and you need to clean them quickly before they get it all over your sofa. Rather than use baby wipes, it’s much safer to use some damp kitchen paper towels or pet wipes. My personal preference is damp kitchen paper towels.
Pet wipes have been specially developed to be safe for your pet. The last thing you want to make your cat more sick by using a product designed for humans.
However, if you find that your cat needs help frequently to clean themselves, a check-up with your vet would be best. Your vet will be able to find out why your cat has stopped grooming.
I hope that you found this article helpful.
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