11 Best Cat Shampoos for Shedding – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Our pet cats offer us endless benefits: early morning serenades, mice for breakfast, and a furniture redesign. Just kidding! We love our cats for their love, loyalty, and companionship. But having cats means we also have cat fur at home.

Most cat breeds will shed, especially as the seasons change and their undercoat adapt to changing temperatures. It can be tiresome vacuuming every day or sneezing when you get a face full of cat hair. Managing your cat’s shed is key to reducing the mess in the home and promoting a healthy shed.

While bathing a cat is not always a pleasant experience, baths can help remove loose shed hair, and nourishing shampoos can help restore the skin and coat vitality.  To help you out, we’ve hand-picked our favorite shampoos for de-shedding, each backed with genuine reviews.

 

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

The 11 Best Cat Shampoos for Shedding

1. Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo – Best Overall

Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is this year’s pick for the best overall cat shampoo for shedding. It balances eco-friendly and naturally derived ingredients with effectiveness.

It targets not only the shedding issue but dryness and allergens in your cat’s fur, helping to keep their skin and coat healthy. The shampoo is full of hydrating, natural ingredients so you know it will be gentle on your kitty’s skin.

Thanks to the pH-balanced recipe and colloidal oatmeal formulation, this combination shampoo fulfills several needs. First, it cleanses and conditions the coat, lifting excess fur and dander, and leaves it with a subtle cucumber and aloe fragrance of freshness. Second, it moisturizes and nourishes the skin. And third, it reduces any existing irritation and prevents pets from scratching post-bath. 

All in all, we think this is the best cat shampoo for shedding.

---

2. EZ Groom Filthy Beast Pet Lover’s Edition – Budget Buy

Our pick for best budget buy cat shampoo for shedding was “Filthy Beast” by EZ Groom. The 16-ounce bottle is already very affordable, but reviewers say the bottle also lasts a long time. Only a small amount of product is needed to create a cleansing lather.

The shampoo helps to lift and remove shed and detangle and de-mat areas of neglected fur. The formula is “tearless,” so it is gentle on the eyes. This is especially important for those whose cats don’t still nicely for a bath—99% of us!

The formula is paraben-free but still contains sulfates which may dry out extra sensitive skin. It’s infused with botanicals for anti-inflammatory properties, which creates a pleasant scent, but it’s also supplemented with artificial fragrance.

---

3. TropiClean OxyMed Medicated Oatmeal Treatment Rinse

For a shedding cat experiencing a lot of irritation and itching, something more powerful may be required. This medicated shampoo rinse from TropiClean utilizes chemical and natural ingredients for fast-acting relief.

Alpha hydroxy acids (Ahas) penetrate the skin to target irritations at their root. Ahas remove the top layers of dead skin—taking dander and shed with it—and increase the thickness of deeper layers of skin.

After a deep skin clear out, natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, oatmeal, aloe, and vitamin E restore moisture and reduce inflammation. As a medicated product, it’s most effective when it’s left to sit on the skin, which can be a real challenge for impatient cats.

---

4. Envirogroom Natural De-shed

There is not much negative to say about this natural deshedding shampoo from Envirogroom. The product seems to perfectly balance the line between a product that works and natural ingredients.

It only contains seven ingredients in total, and all are naturally derived. It manages to do an excellent job at de-shedding, cleaning, and nourishing the coat that even seasoned groomers are raving about—all without harsh soaps!

Due to the organic components, the shampoo is safe for pets of all ages, while many other shampoos aren’t suited for kittens. However, the product is a concentrate and while they say it can be safely used as is, it’s probably best to begin use as a dilution. This will ensure the shampoo agrees with your cat’s skin.

---

5. Earthbath Shed Control Green Tea & Awapuhi

This shed control shampoo from Earthbath is another top choice for cat shampoo for shedding. It balances eco-friendly and naturally derived ingredients with effectiveness.

It targets not only the shedding issue but dander and allergens in your cat’s fur, helping to keep their skin and coat healthy and your home free from fur and cat allergens. The shampoo is full of moisturizing ingredients but is also complemented with a separate conditioner. For best results, the use of both is recommended by the manufacturers.

---

6. Best Shot Ultra “Dirty” Wash

For the most part, cats stay out of situations where they may get dirty, but some more adventurous cats may return home looking extra bedraggled. This “Dirty” shampoo from Best Shot deeply cleans the greasiest of messes while stripping the shed from the coat.

It’s naturally scented with a “musk” fragrance packed full of citrusy and floral components. However, Best Shot recommended the use of two additional products—conditioner and mist spray—to get the best results.

---

7. Shed Defender Shed Defense

Shed Defense from Shed Defender targets loose sheds specifically. Vitamin E and omega acids soften skin allowing shed to be stripped with ease. The formula also aims to improve the general health of the skin to reduce future excess shedding.

The shampoo is free from all the common irritants like sulfates, parabens, dyes, and fragrances so it has a high chance of working for most cats. However, Shed Defender has a range for sensitive skin also.

---

8. Best Shot UltraMax Conditioner

Amongst the reviews for this shampoo from UltraMax are multiple groomer recommendations. The product may be finicky to use on a squirming cat as it’s designed for post-shampoo use (sometimes it can be hard enough to wash your cat just once!)

However, the formula is deeply conditioning and can help maintain skin and coat health, effortlessly pulling out old fur.

It’s also reviewed well as a detangler, so it’s an excellent choice for cats with long, unruly fur. Hydrolyzed silk protein treats hair follicles to strengthen fur with use, reducing further shedding issues gradually.

---

9. Frisco Shed Control Conditioner with Aloe

Frisco’s shed control conditioner is designed to be used to return moisture to the coat after the use of the “sister product” shed control shampoo. This product can be used on its own if you aren’t looking for a cleaning effect (your cat has already got that under control) but want assistance in shed control.

Natural oils and proteins nourish the skin, strengthen the coat, and manage loose, tangled fur. Reviewers that didn’t like it say they saw no difference, while positive feedback says that the results take time, but this product helps with long-term healthy shedding.

---

10. Perfect Coat Shed Control Tropical Mist

This shed control shampoo from Perfect Coat may just do the trick for you for something simpler and cheaper. It contains artificial additives like colors, preservatives, and fragrances, so it may not suit sensitive skin.

These artificial additives are the price you pay on affordability, though, and this shampoo comes in a decent-sized bottle for a low price. It contains some moisturizing agents to reduce shedding and sweep away loose sheds.

Some owners didn’t like the amount of product they had to use to build a lather, but this shampoo is non-lathering. This makes the shampoo a lot easier to rinse out of the fur without leaving behind any residue and making the whole bath shorter.

---

11. FURminator FUR deShedding Rinse-Free Foaming

Not all cats are bath-able, or at least without some serious damage to their egos, your hands, or both! Instead of wrangling an angry cat into a bathtub of water, you may want to try some like this waterless deshedding shampoo from FURminator.

Your cat’s fur does not need to be wet before application, and the shampoo itself does not need to be rinsed out. Simply massage the shampoo into their fur. Owners like this dry shampoo as it is a foam applicator, not a spray that freaks their cat out.

Some people didn’t like it because the scent is overwhelming, and the texture can be pretty sticky.

 

Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Cat Shampoo for Shedding

After browsing through our list today, you may realize that not all shedding shampoos are the same, and each has different ingredients and benefits. Picking out what shampoo will be best for you and your cat comes down to personal circumstances. Here are some things to consider.

What To Look for In Cat Shampoo

Ingredients

You know your cat better than anyone, and if they have overly sensitive skin, you should opt for gentler ingredients. Look for shampoos that are free from drying compounds such as parabens and sulfates and incorporate soothing additives like aloe or oatmeal.

If your cat has allergies, you should seek vet advice on shampoo recommendations as common allergens can be hiding in plain sight on pet product ingredient lists.

The Reality of Bathing Your Cat

If you have a cat that sits nicely while you bathe them or even enjoys a bath, consider yourself very lucky! Generally, cats are reasonably intolerant to water, especially being man-handled in a bathtub.

The whole bathing experience can be stressful for both you and your moggy, so look for shampoos that will make the ordeal smoother. Consider products that are easy to rinse out, so you can half the time spent in the tub.

If the reality of getting your cat into a bathtub is laughable, look into purchasing a waterless shampoo that can offer similar benefits without a bath time battle.

Eco-friendly

The environmental impact of shampoo probably means very little to your cat, but for many humans, our product use is significant to us (and rightly so!) There are many natural and plant-derived shampoo options, some of which have graced our top ten list today.

Some of these may vary in efficiency when lacking commercial chemicals, so read the reviews closely to hear others’ experiences. These products can often garner higher price tags due to ingredient quality.

Added Benefits

Of course, you are aiming for a shampoo that will help manage your cat’s shed, but many offer even more benefits than just this. Many of these will help promote your cat’s general skin and coat health, which can contribute to healthy sheds in the future.

Tips For Reducing Shedding In Cats

Shedding is normal for most cats, some shed all year round, and others have one or two heavy seasonal sheds. The amount of shedding generally relates to your cat’s breed and coat type, two things you can do nothing to change!

However, you can utilize a few tricks to reduce the amount of shedding if you are experiencing excess shed.

Grooming your pet is a process that they either love or hate.

If your cat tends to despise their grooming sessions, you can make it a bit more enjoyable with our Hepper Cat Brush. With soft pins and a one-click button for easy clean-up, this brush is something that both you and your cat will enjoy. This is our product, but we love it so much we just had to share! 

Causes of Excess Shedding in Cats

Your cat shedding more than usual can be frustrating. You may not have the cleaning equipment needed to keep on top of the fur, or the extra dander can cause mild allergies. If your cat’s shedding has changed recently, it is likely a cause.

Conclusion

Our favorite deshedding shampoo for cats is Hepper’s Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. This naturally derived product does not sacrifice effectiveness for sustainability and hits both marks perfectly. Backed with great reviews, it’s simply a great all-round product.

For best budget buy, we picked EZ Groom Filthy Beast. This deeply cleansing shampoo is super affordable, and the product itself goes a long way. You can’t go too wrong with a simple but effective deshedding shampoo.

---

Featured Image Credit: Vladeep, Shutterstock