Enter a keyword below to search for articles and products.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘cat’? It's probably a cat covered in smooth and shiny fur, right? Not only does it look majestic, but every time we pet a cat, it also feels like we are running our fingers through silk. A shiny coat is no less than a divine blessing. However, this heaven-sent beauty can lose its shine if you stop taking care of it. While grooming plays a vital role in maintaining healthy cat fur, there are multiple other factors that influence its look and feel. If you are not aware of how to care for shiny cat fur, continue reading. This article covers everything around cat fur health.
If your cat’s fur looks dull, instead of directly jumping on to quick fixes, try understanding its cause. Here are a few common reasons why cat fur loses its shine:
Now that you know the causes of dull cat coats, you can work towards bringing its shine back. Here are a few ways to make cat fur shiny:
Use the right shampoo: Picking the right shampoo is imperative, especially because the wrong ones can strip off a cat’s natural skin oil and damage the fur.
Avoid excessive bathing: Frequent bathing can lead to dry and flaky skin. Hence, do not make your cat take a dip unnecessarily.
Follow a healthy diet: We all know that hair strands are 90% protein. Hence, providing protein-rich meals becomes vital for maintaining a shiny cat coat.
Skin is the largest organ. And with cats, this organ is generally fully covered with fur. They shed and regrow hair strands multiple times in their entire lifetime. However, a poor diet can slow down the regrowth process. Basically, lack of nutrition can eventually lead to bald spots. A diet that not only includes high-quality protein but also vitamins, minerals, good fats, and other nutrients will fast-track the hair growth process, maintain a shiny coat, and strengthen the immune system.
IAMS™ Proactive Health™ Indoor Weight & Hairball Care cat food is loaded with omega-3 and 6 fatty acids to give your cat a shiny and healthy coat. Other essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals in this premium cat food support your feline friend’s overall health.
Cats can lose their coat’s shine due to multiple factors. Here are a few common reasons why your cat’s coat is not shiny:
Maintaining a healthy and shiny cat coat boils down to two things – hygiene and nutrition. As a cat parent, you must ensure that your feline friend doesn’t groom itself too frequently. However, you cannot neglect hygiene either. Based on its lifestyle and vet recommendation, make sure that your cat doesn’t over or under groom. Moreover, follow a nourishing diet that is packed with proteins, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Not only will it maintain your cat's shiny fur but it will also boost healthy hair regrowth.
Although applying oil on your cat’s fur might not do any harm, it is best to consult your veterinarian regarding the same.
Cats’ fur can say a lot about their overall health. If your feline friend is nourished and healthy from within, it will be reflected through its skin and coat. So make sure that your cat receives nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids in the right quantities to help maintain a cat's coat.
When a cat's body gets sensitive to its environment, it develops allergies. So, if you notice that your cat is feeling unwell and is constantly sneezing or scratching itself, it could be due to cat allergy reactions. These allergens are unpleasant substances that may or may not irritate you, but when your cat's body tries to rid itself of them, it may exhibit a variety of symptoms.
While it’s normal for cats to show different symptoms depending on the allergy, those that affect their breathing are the most serious ones. So, if your cat suffers from breathing issues due to allergies, it can take a life-threatening turn. Sometimes, the itchiness can also cause skin irritation leading your cat to chew on its paws or tail relentlessly.
Fortunately, cat allergy is treatable once the allergen affecting your cat is identified. Therefore, knowing how to detect if your cat has allergies and what’s causing these allergies can help you prevent problems in the future.
The first step toward treating your cat’s allergies is finding out what’s causing them. A visit to the veterinarian is the simplest way to identify your cat’s allergy stimulus.
Causes of cat allergies could be due to several reasons, all of which fall under one of the three categories. These categories are, namely – flea allergy, food allergy, and environmental allergy (atopic dermatitis).
One of the most common cat allergy signs is flea allergies. These allergies are generally caused by flea bites or flea treatment medicine. Excessive itching is the most predominant symptom of this type of allergy. It's likely that your cat is allergic to fleas if you find it scratching or frequently chewing on its fur, especially directly above the tail.
Food allergies in cats can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and even itchy skin, especially around the neck and head. This type of allergic response might cause your cat to shed patches of fur in severe circumstances. In such extreme cases, your vet can help you detect which foods are causing irritation and develop an appropriate diet for your cat.
Environmental allergies may have different triggers, including plants, pollen, and mold. This type of allergy can also be induced by cleaning products, or the fragrance included in some types of cat litter. Another type of environmental allergy is feline atopy. It is commonly known as feline atopic dermatitis, a severe allergic reaction in cats that causes extreme itchiness in their skin. As a result of this condition, your cat may suffer from skin soreness, redness, scabbing, and even hair loss.
Depending on the kind of allergy your cat has, symptoms can range from unpleasant to life-threatening.
Diarrhea is frequently related to staining of the fur around the hind end in some breeds. In normal cats, you can observe some variation in the consistency of their stool. Dietary changes can also cause temporary changes in their stool. But, if you notice frequent semi-liquid or liquid stools for more than two days, you should consult your vet.
There are different causes to why a cat makes a wheezing sound. It could be due to a hairball stuck in its stomach or allergens like pollens, mold, or cigarette smoke. However, this wheezing sound can also be linked to discomfit or stress. Because each cat's triggers are unique, it's critical to be aware of the surroundings and activities in your cat's environment that could be causing stress-related wheezing.
Watery or glossy-looking eyes are other prominent cat allergy signs. While a cat's moist eyes maybe caused by allergens such as mildew dust or household cleaning products, it could also indicate something more serious, such as a bacterial illness or virus.
Itchiness or skin redness in cats is associated with a skin condition called cat dermatitis. When this happens, your cat’s skin becomes swollen, red, and irritated, often with small blisters, as a result of an external agent directly irritating the skin or causing an allergic reaction to it.
If your cat is suffering from moderate allergy symptoms with only limited itching, medicated shampoos or rinses can help.
Anti-itch and anti-inflammatory medicines such as corticosteroids are particularly effective in treating extreme itchiness in cats. When used correctly, they can be quite safe and effective in cats. Consult your vet to identify the best course of action.
Treating your cat with flea preventatives will prevent your cat from being bitten by fleas. Plus, to lessen the chances of your cat being bitten, you should treat your home during the warmer months when fleas are more frequent. In fact, even cats who aren't allergic to fleas should use a flea preventative to avoid tapeworm and other flea-related illnesses.
To figure out which food is causing your cat's allergies, you must first put it on an elimination diet. After that, gradually reintroduce food items until you find the problematic allergen. The top three allergenic protein sources are beef (18%), fish (17%), and chicken (5%). Avoiding these foods will enable your cat's allergic reaction to be less severe.
The most common allergy symptoms in cats are skin reactions, regardless of the cause, and they can appear at any age. Just because your cat didn’t have allergies as a kitten doesn’t mean she won’t have them as an adult. If your cat suffers from any of the following symptoms, take her to the vet for a consultation:
Allergies can vary from cat to cat, so it is important that you work with your vet to make sure your cat gets the best possible treatment. You’ll both be happier as a result.
