Indoor cat???

Question

Everytime i brush my cats fur she seems to get what looks like dandruff. She is in general good health otherwise. Is this something to be concerned about??

Answer 1

Hi there. Lots of different answers to your question are here, but speaking from the voice of experience (I deal with this every single day), there are a few questions for you to answer before I can officially (lol) answer your question! :)

1) What kind of food does your kitty eat?

Lower end quality foods such as Whiskas, Meow Mix, Friskies and Cat Chow are like the equivalent of McDonalds for cats. There is more filler and 'junk' in those foods and as such, they are not getting the proteins that kitty really needs. They're great when you're in a pinch, but as a staple food, I wouldn't recommend them.

2) Is kitty on dry or wet food (or a combination of both)?

If kitty is on strictly dry food, then consider giving your friendly feline a little wet food as a treat - perhaps when you're eating your dinner! (Unless, of course, there is a medical reason why kitty should not be eating wet food!) If wet food would be an option for you, consider getting a small bottle of flax seed oil from your supermarket, or local health food store. Flax seed oil is fantastic for dry skin in animals, and you will see a fantastic improvement in kitty's health, skin and coat, and general health. We're not talking enough so that your kitty has to lap it up like water... just a little drizzle (1/4 teaspoon or so) in the wet food, stir it all in, and kitty will go nuts for it!

3) Is kitty drinking lots of water?

Cats, as a general rule, don't get enough water in the first place. Adequate hydration is vital to a cat's overall health.

4) Your kitty is an indoor cat as you mentioned, so what kind of coat does she have? Is she Long haired, short haired, medium haired.... no hair! (which if you're brushing her fur isn't an option, I know! - just trying to create a little laugh!) Sometimes kitties that have longer fur do have a tendancy to have dry skin. I'm not really sure why, but it's just what I've noticed.

If you have any other questions, you're more than welcome to email me with the answers from those questions above, and I can help you get kitty's skin back to it's kittenish form!

If you DO decide to switch your kitty's food, please do so over a 10 day period...

Day 1 - 90% old food, 10% new food.
Day 2 - 80%, 20%
Day 3 - 70%, 30%
Day 4 - 60%, 40%
Day 5 - 50%, 50%
Day 6 - 40%, 60%
Day 7 - 30%, 70%
Day 8 - 20%, 80%
Day 9 - 10%, 90%
Day 10 - Kitty should be completely on new food alone.

This is recommended so that the new food is not a shock to your new animal's system, and if there is something that is in the new food's formula that your cat, or dog for that matter, doesn't agree with, you can catch it in time to return back to the old food. It aids in preventing such intestinal problems when introducing a new food - such as diarrhea, gas, constipation, etc.

Good luck - let me know how your kitty feels later!

Answer 2

It's probably not an infestation of small creatures like mites, but could be. If she's always indoors, it doesn't sound like shes caught it from another animal. We once had an outdoor cat which had them - looked like dandruff- possibly caught from a rabbit.

Our mainly indoor cat had something similar and we switched her slowly to less dry food in her diet, which did the trick. Most animals have a weak point in their bodies, mine is my stomach. She could just have had a little stress to her system tho.

If it persists or gets worse, I'd take her to a vets for a check-up.

Good luck! Rob

Answer 3

In my experience this would be nothing to worry about at all its not dandruff as we know it, cats pretty well look after themselves very well, in fact if she's short haired I would'nt even brush her as scent plays a big part of her life and generally she will distribute this wherever she feels it should go. Just love and feed her and she will really be the cats whiskers most of all just enjoy her. Hope that helped.

Answer 4

No not really. Sometimes cats fur can get like that. But if you are really worried about it take your cat to the vet. I'm sure it's nothing. You can also call your vet on the phone and describe what your cats fur is doing. This way he can tell you if it's necessary to bring her in or not. Good Luck

Answer 5

The lower back and the base of the tail are common areas for dry, flaky skin to develop in some cats. Cats that are overweight will often develop greasy, flaky skin in areas where they cannot lick themselves. You didn’t mention your cat’s body condition, so I don’t know if this is part of the problem. I would suggest trying a new type of food for your cat or consulting a doctor.

Answer 6

Hi,

You can also add a tiny bit of olive oil to her dry food. Not only will this help her skin, it'll make her fur shiny and it really helps to prevent hairballs (which is the main reason why I do it).

You don't have to use a lot, just a few drops at a time. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

I was told by a vet that cats get dry skin just like us in the winter from the dry air suggestion just brush & add just a touch of tuna oil to their water...

Answer 8

You should try putting a few drops of evening primrose on her food. We give our cat a capsule (just the inside) once a week and his coat is fantastic. Our vet advised it (you can buy stuff from the vet if you want too)for our cat I''d check with your vet first though.

Now our cat has no skin problems and his coat is sooooooooo fluffy:)

Good luck

Answer 9

there are alot of good answers already here. it sounds like dry skin. you can either add oil to her food or switch to another brand of cat food. ask your vet which cat food is good for your cat for her age and dry skin. it may be a little pricey at the vet's but there are alot of pet warehouses that carry the same brand

Answer 10

I had a roommate with a cat like that. She hated getting a bath too so what could we do? I switched her from Meow Mix cat food to Iams and her coat and skin were much healthier. So try a different (and better) cat food and see what happens.