Do all cats have naturally dull, scruffy fur?

Question

My 3 cats (indoor housecats) all have wonderful, shiny, soft, healthy-looking coats, (which also shed quite a bit). Now, all the other cats I have seen in shelters, as well as my own friends' houses and relatives, all have dull, almost dry feeling fur. I was wondering about a few different things, like:

-Is there a special diet that makes the fur softer and shinier?

-Does age have anything to do with the condition of the coat?

-If the cat goes outside daily, or just a little, does that change how the coat looks at all?

Any comments would be helpful. :)

Answer 1

Diet and health can affect a coat. As can proper care.

My indoor Bengal always had a GORGEOUS coat, right up until the day he died. My Snowshoe has a scruffy coat and it's basically always been like that. It's one of the curses of a medium length light coat.

Answer 2

Animal fur/hair is the first thing that shows poor nutrition and the last thing that shows good nutrition. If a cat has dull fur it is probably because he/she has not had a steady diet of good nutrition. All the good stuff in the food has gone to keep the internal organs and muscles in shape rather than getting to the fur.

A special diet? No, not really. Just a diet that provides all the animal needs to keep it's body in good shape.

Good food will also help keep an animal from shedding excessively. That, along with a good brushing every few days helps a lot.

Age can have an effect on the coat but if the animal is in good shape the coat should show it.

As for going outside, that should have little to do with the look of the fur. I've seen show dogs, ranked first nationally, allowed outside all the time and their coats are great! English Setters, Gordon Setters mostly.

Kev

Answer 3

age has alot to do with it as an older cats grooms itself less and may have bad kidneys. most outdoor cats have shinny coats because they are exposed to wind and sunshine, some cats have a dull somewhat chunched up coat which indicates some sort of heath or stress related problem. I noticed some cats that are declawed on the back feet have crumy coats .Some breeds of cats do not have shinny coats like long haired cats, smoke grey cats and most white cats. Most long term caged shelter animals are under alot of stress and do not maintain a good coat or weight , i work at the dog pound and all of the dogs have dull coats until they get a new home it's because they are so stressed from people walking around and being in small cages nearly 24 hours a day. as far as your friends who knows maybe the cats are stressed do they have alot of visitors and do the cats always run off? Fish oils or mineral oil helps maintain shine as well

Answer 4

Illness and diet have a lot to do with coat condition. Poor quality food will give a scruffy coat, a good balanced diet will give the fur you describe your cats having. Outdoor cats will have harsher coarser coats, but if they are in good shape, they should still look slick and shiny.

Age can be a factor, some older cats lose teeth, have arthritis etc and are unable to groom themselves, usually the cat-slave (owner) would help them out with a brush every day or two to keep the coat looking good.

Answer 5

A healthy cat's coat should be soft and shiny. I suggest to feed your cats a cat food enriched with the Omega vitamins (Omega 3 and 6 I think). I just picked one from the pet store today. It's Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix dry cat food. But there are other brands that have these two vitamins.

Answer 6

No, not all cats have dull, naturally scruffy fur. The fur condition is usually related to the food they eat on a regular basis. Not going outside or going outside has nothing to do with their fur. They need to eat a good cat food!

Answer 7

I don't know if there is a special diet. Age definitely has stuff to do with it, because a kitten has soft down like fur and older cats don't. I know different breeds have different textures of fur. My cat lives outside, and he has extremely soft and shiny fur.

Answer 8

Age and health do affect the coat. So does diet and grooming.

Going outside daily can add dirt to the coat.

My cats eat Iams dry food, plus treats, and have great coats. I also bathe them every two months.

Answer 9

Not all cats have dull, naturally scruffy fur. The fur condition is usually related to the food they eat. don't ever give them to eat dry fish or salted food due to the fur will become dull.

Answer 10

I think along with a healthy food it sometimes depends on the breed of cat.

My domestic long-hair has beautiful silky and shiny fur. She doesn't mat and there is shedding of course but nothing major.

My other cat is himmie/persian mix. He's white and orange, his white areas are silky, like my other cat, but his orange areas are prone to mats, and are soft but have that dull, dry feel to them. He's a clumping shedder....but he also hates to be brushed while she loves it. Other than that, they eat the same food. Neither of them go outside. They're the same age. Some of it has to be genetic...