Owning a Maine Coon can be a blessing and a curse at the same time because grooming them and especially their majestic hair can become the very thing you hate the most.
They are a long-haired breed, and so you will have made the assumption that keeping that amazing coat clean will be a priority.
Firstly then, let me warn you, that ‘human shampoo’ is unsuitable for use on felines. It is completely unsuitable for use on a cat because of the different pH levels.
A cat shampoo is needed that will work with the long flowing fur of your Maine Coon, penetrate the deep layers and leave them silky smooth, without leaving anything poisonous to them.
It does seem a little contradictory doesn’t it. An animal known for fastidious self grooming and vanity with a range or products to effectively circumvent or at least add to their habits.
It’s somewhat akin washing your cars windscreen, forgetting it has windscreen washers.
So why might you want to wash your Maine Coon?
Well, firstly, it’s an unbeatable bonding experience with your cat.
Your Maine Coon is not stupid, it fully recognizes you are doing something for them. Especially when it results in a silky coat, without any effort.
It helps keep shedding down to a minimum as well, a good shampoo and grooming routine will keep those loose hairs at bay, preventing hairballs and the possible infections that come from them.
It’s good for very active outdoor cats, especially in rural environments, where they roll around on the ground, catch vermin, and go through rough undergrowth.
The shampoo degreases the skin and fur, getting rid of all the detritus and garbage that sticks in there.
It keeps ringworm at bay.
Keeping the skin clean and healthy on a regular basis, massively reduces the chance of getting the ringworm fungus.
It gets rid of fleas, ticks and mites as well.
These horrible little critter carry all sorts of diseases that can be passed along as they feed on your Maine Coons blood.
A good, deep shampoo and bath will go a long way making sure they are not a big problem.
Older cats, that are suffering and no longer care for their vanity, might be ably assisted by you having them well cleaned and bathed.
The same is true for obese cats. Or ones that are lazy, but then you might just be encouraging bad behaviour.
So don’t worry, you came to the right place, and you will learn how to groom your Maine Coon and what shampoo is best for this job.
A quick search, brings up a lot of contenders, but i have narrowed it down to a few that seem to be well received and should be worthy of your consideration.
Shampoo Name | Price(RRP) | Feature 1 | Feature 2 | Rating |
Premium Pet Oatmeal Shampoo – Pets are Kids too | $16.99 | Anti-itch | Deodorizing | 4.7/5 |
Kelco Filthy Animal Shampoo | $19.98 | Concentrate | Deep cleaning | 4.2/5 |
Burt’s Bees Hypoallergenic Shampoo | $6.49 | Natural | No colorants | 4.4/5 |
BotaniVet Organic Pet Shampoo | $26.99 | Manuka Honey | Natural | 4.4/5 |
Most cats, you probably know don’t like water, thus bathing and grooming them is more difficult than it should be.
Having a Maine Coon should be a lot easier, as they are one of the few breeds that, as a general rule, don’t mind it.
Bathing is healthy to your cat, and is beneficial to you as well, as you will tighten that ‘special friendship’.
You only need the right tools to give your cat an enjoyable bath.
The first tip when bathing your cat, and I make no apologies for reiterating this, is to use special cat shampoo, as any other type of shampoo such as human ones can harm your pet’s skin and coat.
Using a dog shampoo is not recommended as well, because those contain ingredients intended to kill parasites, and if you are going to use it on your cat, it might lead to health problems.
When choosing a cat shampoo, you should read the ingredients carefully, and parabens, alcohol, phenol, permethrin, pyrethrins, pyergroids or any other synthetic ingredients shouldn’t be amongst them.
This is because those ingredients can harm your cat’s tissue and organs.
Even some natural ingredients such as linalool which is derived from citrus fruits are toxic for your cat.
The best way to choose the best shampoo for your Maine Coon cat is to talk with your veterinarian, if in doubt and see what they recommend to you.
After some research I came to the conclusion that the next cat shampoo, the Premium Pet Oatmeal Shampoo is the best for a Maine Coon.
This is the one I use, and I have to say, I am very happy with it.
There are others though, so I will take you through the list.
Premium Pet Oatmeal Shampoo is created by pet lovers, and they use the products they make on their pets as well, so probably you can trust them that they are not telling untruths about the efficiency of the shampoos.
You can find this cat shampoo on Amazon which for the quality they offer it as good as it can get, in my opinion.
Product highlights:
As a bonus, you can help pets with cancer by buying this shampoo.
If you take a photo of yourself and your cat using the Premium Pet Oatmeal Shampoo, then they will donate a portion of the profits to pets which suffer from cancer.
Also, this shampoo is not only for cats, and it can be used on dogs, as well.
Especially for cats and dogs of large breeds.
If you think the Premium Pet Oatmeal Shampoo is not suited for your cat’s needs than you can find another option listed below:
The shampoo is a concentrate and pet owners who want to save up some money might be interested in this option. It does not contain detergent or soap, and it is made only from natural oils and herbs. It removes odor and cleans all the filth from your cat, dog, horse, ferrets, etc.
Product highlights:
This is the cheapest option from this list, but it is safe, effective and natural, so a low price doesn’t mean that your cat will suffer from it. It is a hypoallergenic shampoo as well.
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This is the most expensive option from the list, but the price is justified because this shampoo is 100% organic and they key ingredient is manuka honey, which we know it is expensive on its own.
Pets can be allergic to many chemicals, and by buying this eco-friendly shampoo, you can be sure that you won’t encounter any issues.
This shampoo can also be an option for Maine Coon cat owners, and we would recommend it to buy it if your cat has allergies.
Product highlights:
Definitely one for the pampered feline this one.
As mentioned earlier, I use the Premium Pet Oatmeal Shampoo and am very happy with it.
I’d recommend reading the Amazon reviews, so you can reach the same conclusion, I hope.
It is an excellent shampoo for pets with sensitive skin and the owners can’t stop bragging about how good their pets smell after using this Pets are Kids too shampoo.
Of course, for some owners, the product didn’t help their pets with the itching.
But each pet is different, and maybe the itching problem a particular cat has might not be solvable by any cat shampoo.
Also, the fragrance can be a little too much for some pet owners as it is described as being too sweet and smells like cotton candy.
Personally I like the result, but there you go……..
Tangled mats can develop really quickly if you don’t groom your Maine Coon cat regularly, and the majestic fur isn’t so noble after that happens.
Also, your cat is stressed by mats and will try to unpick them by themselves which is impossible.
To prevent that you would be required to brush your Maine Coon cat’s fur on a daily basis, and a piece of advice is to start doing this when they are kittens so they would get used to it by the time they become adults.
Beside brushing their fur every day, you should bathe and shampoo it regularly.
The coat, because it is long haired feline, can get dirty really easy and can catch leaves or twigs in their hair like no other.
Using a good and specialized cat shampoo can guarantee you that your Maine Coon cat will not get irritated or develop health problems.
Again, right now, because so many people do it, I will reiterate not to use a human shampoo, or one that is primarily used on dogs.
After you finished bathing and shampooing your Maine Coon cat remember to rinse as it is critical to remove as much shampoo as you can from their fur.
They will lick it off within minutes regardless though, at least that’s my experience.
If you are going to ask your veterinarian what shampoo should you use for your Maine Coon, he would probably recommend you a type of shampoo and not a brand.
After that, it is your job to decide which brand is better for your cat.
Choosing a shampoo from the Pets are Kids too is an excellent choice as they are known for the high-quality of their products and they do not mess with the product by adding harmful chemicals.
The Oatmeal Shampoo you might want to buy for your Maine Coon as owners have reported it will stop your cat itching, and at the same time, it will smell amazing after each bath for an extended period of time. It is 100% natural, so you can be sure no allergic reaction will occur as it is 100% hypoallergenic.
It is non-toxic and alcohol-free. All good qualities
Besides you can support a good cause by helping the pets with cancer if you are going to buy their products.
If you think this brand or kind of shampoo is not suitable for your Maine Coon Cat, or it is too expensive or whatever reason you might have.
Then I hope you can choose a shampoo from the another three listed in this article, as even though I don’t consider them as good as the Oatmeal shampoo, they are pretty close to being the best shampoos for cats available.
I have to say, this is quite funny and made me giggle;
I have a question regarding Maine Coon cat behavior,we lost our Big Boy Maine Coon cat last March. We were devastated and heart broken by his sudden death he died of a heart attack at 10 years old. After his death I really wanted to learn as much possible about this wonderful breed of cat.All the behavior characteristics they described as being characteristic of a Maine Coon cat my Big Boy exhibited and as a result I knew I could never replace him but I wanted another cat like him.The most precious thing he did believe there were multitudes of things he did that I loved but he used to come jump on my bed and snuggle under my left arm and he would continue to borough his head till he got it directly in the spot he wanted it. To make a long story short in October we got a Maine Coon kitten from a breeder I really prayed he would do the same thing .The first night he spent with us to my delight and tears of joy this little guy who already isn’t so little did the same thing.Can you explain to me what that is all about and why they do that believe me no complaints I truly don’t understand it but I wonder if it’s quite characteristic for Maine Coons.
I just used Johnson’s baby shampoo on my mainecoon and he hasn’t had a bath since day one I got him last year , is that okay and it wasn’t like gulps of it I put it in the water and he soaked in it for a few mins .