Burt’s Bees Waterless Shampoo for Cats smells as sweet as a spring day thanks to natural infusions of apple and honey.

Oh my. When I heard that Burt’s Bees had a waterless shampoo for cats, I felt a weight lifted.

Misha and Tippy had a bad case of diarrhea when we first got them, courtesy of their new wet food (*cough*Wellness*cough). Giving them a bath was an absolute NIGHTMARE. It needed to be done, but I didn’t get away without quite a few vicious scratches.

Using Burt’s Bees Waterless Shampoo For Cats Is So Much Easier!

We’ve tried this waterless shampoo before, but when we heard about the opportunity to try the new formula/packaging, we jumped at the chance. The old bottle said that you had to spray the shampoo on, massage it into your cat’s fur, and then wipe it off with a towel.

Even though it was much easier than an actual water bath, it was challenging at times. The new instructions make it simple. All you have to do is spray the shampoo on from head to tail and brush it through. You can do this along with your cat’s regular brushing routine.

What Are Its Ingredients?

Burt’s Bees Waterless Shampoo for Cats claims to be 99.7% natural. Now, as the definition of ‘natural’ can mean a lot of things, I don’t take much stock in the term. However, the shampoo is cruelty-free, fragrance-free (no essential oils, either!), has no sulfates or colorants, and is “pH-balanced for cats”.

The ingredients list includes:

• Water
• Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate (mild surfactant, good for sensitive skin, biodegradable)
• Coco Betaine (mild to medium surfactant)
• Glycerin
• Honey
• Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract
• Potassium Sorbate (mild preservative, alternative to harsh parabens)
• Decyl Glucoside (surfactant, foaming agent)
• Citric Acid (used to balance pH levels)

There is one more ingredient, and this is the one I’m concerned about… phenoxyethanol. An article from Truth In Aging warns of the dangers of this compound due to its potential as a neurotoxin. Although it is a favorite alternative to parabens, it just doesn’t seem like the benefits outweigh the risks.

Thankfully, this ingredient is near the very bottom of the list (ingredients are typically listed with higher amounts/concentrations at the beginning).

What Our Cats Thought Of It

Izumi is the only cat who doesn’t mind being sprayed, so she was our first test subject. The shampoo made her smell oh-so-good! She was a little squirmy, but it was only because she doesn’t like being brushed. Loki was unsure about it. He seemed quite surprised when he got (gently) sprayed from head to tail and brushed.

I didn’t even dare try this on Misha, but I did give it a go with Tippy. She has this thing where every time I brush her, I apparently don’t do a good enough job, so she has to re-groom herself. Tippy was particularly displeased this time, but she got over it very quickly.

It took less than five minutes to bathe three out of the four cats! Thank you, Burt’s Bees.

The Final Verdict

I’m going to have to give this 4 out of 5 meows. If it weren’t for the potential neurotoxin (see the ingredients list above) in the midst of all the good stuff, this waterless shampoo would be purr-fect.

The scent of the shampoo doesn’t hang around in the air or linger too long on your cat. This is a good thing, as most cats don’t like fragrance (natural or not) covering up their natural scent. From the kitty’s perspective, this shampoo is ideal.

You can get Burt’s Bees Waterless Shampoo for Cats from Chewy for only $1.75 or pick it up at your local Target store.

We received a bottle of Burt’s Bees Waterless Shampoo for Cats for free from the Chewy Influencer program in exchange for our fair and honest review. All thoughts are our own. There are affiliate links in this blog post. Any purchases made from these links will not cost you anything extra, though the blog owner may earn a small commission from said purchases. Commissions earned go toward feeding the cats.