Can You Bathe Cats With Dish Soap. The soap will dry up the fleas, and after about 15 minutes you can vacuum away the residue. I’ve heard cat owners talking about using dawn dish soap to rid their pets of fleas for years.
If you must bathe a cat, i would recommend going with a detergent formulated specifically for cat skin. If you have already tried dawn dish soap on your cat and they still have fleas i strongly recommend talking to a vet about dealing with the fleas as many over the counter flea medications and sprays are too harsh for cats and can actually be fatal to kittens. However, you might try just wet brushing him to get the worst of the muck off him, and then let him do the rest.
If dawn is effective and gentle enough for wildlife, you may be wondering if it can kill those pesky fleas on your cat or dog, too.
You can use soapnuts which have antibacterial properties and are harmless. The amount of soap you use will depend on how large your pet is, as well as how badly it’s infested with fleas. Gently massage your pet with a solution of one part cat shampoo (human shampoo can dry out her skin) to five parts water, working from head to tail, in the direction of hair growth. If you have already tried dawn dish soap on your cat and they still have fleas i strongly recommend talking to a vet about dealing with the fleas as many over the counter flea medications and sprays are too harsh for cats and can actually be fatal to kittens.