Skin Care in Cats and Kittens
In order to take care of your cat’s skin, it’s important that he’s taught from as early an age as possible to accept being regularly groomed. This experience can be pleasurable if dealt with as if the cat’s being stroked. Be gentle but be persistent – the cat must learn that you decide when the grooming session’s finished and not him otherwise caring for the cat’s skin will become very difficult.
Your cat’s skin – and his coat too, of course – reflect the condition of the cat. If he’s healthy he will have clean skin without dry or scaly patches. Proper nutrition is also important when caring for your cat’s skin and is something that should be discussed with your veterinary. Once a feeding regime has been decided upon, you’ll be able to order good quality foods from either online stockists or pet food stores.
Skin care in cats can be affected by parasites such as fleas and ticks. You should always check your cat’s coat and skin thoroughly for any parasites whenever you groom him as a flea infestation could quickly affect his skin and overall condition. Again, your veterinary will be able to advise you as to the most suitable products although medications such as Frontline and Advantage are highly recommended.
When it comes to caring for your cat’s skin, happily very few cats need bathing. Should this be necessary, however, it’s suggested that a very mild shampoo is used, that the cat’s coat is rinsed thoroughly and he’s then dried with towels and, if he’ll allow it, a hair dryer.
When it comes to skin care in cats it’s important that any mats in his coat are carefully cut away so as not to damage the skin. It’s very easy to nick the skin when coming close under mats so this is a procedure best done when the cat’s relaxing, often late in the evening and after a meal.
Your cat’s skin can easily be torn or punctured – he will probably be in many situations during the day where he could easily damage his skin. Just think what might happen while he’s climbing or, worse, during cat fights. Skin abrasions can lead to bacteria and fungi growing in the skin, allergic reactions and immune diseases. In other words, skin care in cats is a subject that should be taken seriously.
Luckily, a cat’s tongue is designed to take care of most minor skin problems. The saliva has natural anti-septic properties and the rough surface sloughs off dead skin cells and removes some surface parasites.
Caring for your cat’s skin will probably save you both money and hassle in the long term because the problems that can arise may well lead to expensive veterinary treatment and repeated visits that could have been impeded if the necessary skin care had been given earlier.
