I have a few questions about my cat?

Question

details about my cat:
He's 12 months old,he's a boy,and he's had fleas for a long while and i've used Advantage 9 for kittens but they are still on him.

ok here goes:

1. How do I get my cat used to water so i can bathe him easily?
2. What do I do to keep him from rolling in mud ?
3. Is it normal if his testicles have black dots on them like the fur has been plucked out ?
4. I think he has flea allergy dermatitis(FAD),what do I do to reduce this ?
5. Should I pour olive oil over his food to make his skin soft ?
6. Please do help ?

Answer 1

first of all, do not bathe your cat as you would a dog. it isnt healthy. the natural oils that keep them slick get washed off, which causes skin problems, and the cats will lick themselves clean after the bath, which will cause them to ingest whatever chemicals were in the products you used to wash them with. cats clean themselves. it has been working for them for thousands of years. unless you have a really good reason, don't do it. my 10 year old cat has had one bath in her entire life, when she was a kitten and she tried to make friends with a rather unfriendly skunk.

rolling in mud is something animals do for very good reasons - cools them off, gets rid of lose hair (and probably parasites), feels good. don't worry about it, he will clean himself up afterwards. if this is a problem for you though, keep him inside.

for 3, 4, and getting rid of fleas, see a vet.

if you quit giving him baths and let him be, the natural oils he produces will keep him nice and slick.

one last thought. mother nature was pretty wise in making things that are bad for you distinctly unpleasant, and the things that are good for you really attractive. if you try to something to your cat and he fights you all the way, there's a big fat clue that you should not be doing it. and he insists on doing something you don't think he should be doing. like rolling in the mud, there's probably a good reason for it.

Answer 2

1. Most cats just dont like water.
2. Keep him in the house where there is no mud.
3. Ask a vet.
4. Take him to a vet.
5. I've heard raw eggs can keep fur and skin soft.
6. Hope this helps.

Most likely wouldn't have fleas if kept indoors. I've never had that problem.

Answer 3

If he's a year old, you can upgrade the Advantage. It's determined by the cat's weight anyway so he's probably not getting enough to kieep the fleas off.

Bathing: good luck. Get a friend to help you the first few times. This won't be easy, but he'll adapt.

Mud: You probably can't stop him unless you keep him inside or in an area where there is shade but no mud. Bummer, I know.

Flea allergy: In all probability, it will go away once you get the right dose of Advantage.

Forget the olive oil, but put about a teaspoon of mineral oil in his food once a week to prevent hairballs.

Answer 4

There really isn't a way to get cats used to water... some cats are more laid back, others aren't. They do have shampoo wipes at your local petstore as an alternative to water bathing. However, it is pointless to bathe your cat if he is primarily an outdoor cat. Cats can groom themselves.

Don't let your cat outdoors if you don't want him rolling in the mud.

Yes, the cats testicles are fine. However, if your cat is outdoors, you need to get him neutered. As Bob Barker says 'Help control the pet population - get your pet spayed or neutered.'

There is a shot the vet can give to your cat for the flea allergy - but you need to make sure that is what he has. A vet visit is in order. Again, you need to keep your cat indoors to reduce the risk of fleas and worms. Flea prevention won't work as well if your cat is outdoors (usually won't repel the fleas, and it doesn't matter if they die AFTER they've bitten your cat)

A balanced diet will help with your cats skin and coat - however, cats who are primarily outdoors will not have as shiny coats as cats that are indoors. Olive oil probably will not make a huge difference.

Answer 5

#1 - Try Frontline Plus for cats; I think (in my opinion) it works better than Frontline.
#2 - He might not get used to water at all so don't try it. Use instead dry shampoo if you still want to bathe him. You sure don't want to traumatize him.
#3 - I haven't really paid attention to a cat's testicles, but you might want to consider having him spayed & neutered so he don't run away as soon as he smells a female in heat.
#4 - To reduce the FAD = get rid of the fleas. That's probably why he rolls in the mud (have you seen on Animal Planet the elephants rolling in the mud to bugs don't bite them?)
#5 - DO NOT GIVE THE CAT OLIVE OIL... he's a cat! Find a special diet. For mines, I personally like Purina Indoor Formula (in the green bag).

Hope it helps.

Answer 6

1.Your cat may keep getting fleas because the fleas may be in your carpet. vacuuming helps.
2. Keep trying to give your cat a bath once or twice a week.
3. I don't know. Sorry!!!
4. U might want to ask your vet about that one.
5. Same thing as #4.
6. No olive oil. just warm water. But not to warm.
7. Sorry I couldn't answer all your questions.

Answer 7

1 - I doubt you'll get him used to water. He shouldn't need a bath. They wash themselves. Unless you're really into showing... like REALLY into it.
2 - Rolling in the mud - you can't stop it, but animals generally do this for fun or as a way of itching. So, try entertaining him lots more or give him lots of scratching and help him shed out.
3 - Please get your cat fixed! Just visit any animal shelter website, and you'll know we have an animal (cat!) population problem. You and he will both be SO much happier. I don't actually know about the black dots.
4 - really sorry, no clue. try call a vet about this and # 3.
5 - why does he need soft skin? who cares - he doesn't. again, if you brush him and help him shed, his coat will be fine. also, constant or lots of sun exposure can 'burn' coats and make them rather rough.

Answer 8

It sounds like he needs a trip to the vet! First off, I would keep him indoors, and use the Advantage on him after a bath (you might want to enlist a helper - I've never had a cat who liked getting a bath). Our cats were always healthy and happy. Plus we put up birdfeeders by the windows to keep them entertained. He'll skip the dip in the mud too, plus keep the fleas off once you're able to get rid of them.

Answer 9

for starters most cats never get use to the water and he is probably rolling in the mud to get rid of the fleas, my suggestion to you if you can take him to a vet and olive oil will help his fur but tuna in oil is better for that, sorry I couldn't help anymore we don't have fleas where I live. Also have you tried that bio-spot you can get it at Pet Smart or one of the stores like it.

Answer 10

5. I wouldn't "pour" olive oil over his food. A very small amount, say even as little as a half teaspoon should be sufficient. Salmon oil is much better for your cat. You need to get that in capsule form from a health food store. A half a capsule two days of every week should be OK>