Like humans, a cat may experience dry skin, which can be very uncomfortable for them and even hurt. As soon as you realize, ‘oh, my cat has dry skin!’, it is best to get this issue resolved.
Why It Happens
A cat’s dry skin may become a problem in the wintertime. This is when the problem usually exacerbates. The air is often so dry at this time of the year, with little to no moisture. Thus, all the moisture from a cat’s skin is sucked out by the air. This means your cat’s dry skin will be left with little to no elasticity.
This can be quite painful for your cat and means they are more prone to getting hurt, such as getting their skin cut when they fall or playing around with other cats and their sharp nails.
Another problem with the winter is that we usually turn on our heaters to stay warm. This further dries out the air and leaves it left with almost no humidity in the room. To tackle this problem, there is something you can do. Invest in a humidifier.
This will keep the air around you humid so that your cat’s dry skin can heal or perhaps prevent itself from drying out in the first place. One thing to keep in mind is that humidifiers often come with essential oils incorporated into them.
While these may be beneficial for humans, they can be dangerous for cats. So, if you plan to buy a humidifier, buy one that does not incorporate essential oils into the healing.
Grooming
It is very important to keep up with your cat’s grooming. This keeps your cat’s skin and also coat healthy. Cats have an instinct to groom themselves. They keep themselves clean by licking themselves. This helps heal a cat’s dry skin too.
However, some cats are unable to groom themselves. They may be too old, too sick with arthritis or obesity, or just never developed that instinct. If this is the case and your cat does not groom themselves, their natural oils may build up under their coat, on their skin, over time.
This will not allow the dead hair to fall off and will create a build-up there eventually. Another possibility is that it may create clots in your cat’s hair.
What You Can Do To Help Your Cat’s Dry Skin
Regularly grooming your cat will make sure its coat and skin stay healthy. Brush your cat regularly, which will help clear out any clots in its hair (these clots can be quite painful. Yikes!), and keep the oils its skin secretes in check.
Shampooing your cat is also a great idea, as it will clean out your cat’s dry skin and make sure there is no dirt build-up on top.
Cat Food For Dry Skin
Do you want to maintain healthy skin for your cat and get rid of your cat’s dry skin? You need to pay more attention to your cat’s diet. If you feed your cat a diet that is not balanced or low in nutrients, it may become deficient very quickly.
This is a leading cause of a cat’s dry skin. It may be too low on essential nutrients to keep its skin elastic and healthy. Some people prefer feeding their cats home-cooked food. This is also a healthy option, often healthier than packaged food.
However, the tricky part is making sure you fulfill all your cat’s dietary needs through home food. Consulting a veterinary doctor can be useful, as they can provide a list of foods you should be providing your cat with daily.
Beneficial Foods
Research has shown that foods with higher fat and protein content can help fix the issue of your cat’s dry skin. If your cat’s skin is doing fine currently, it is still a good option to incorporate these into their diet so that you can prevent your cat’s dry skin.
Supplements are also a good idea. Just like us, humans have supplements for iron, vitamins, and other nutrients; cats need them too! Ask your veterinary doctor what supplements will be a good fit for your cat, especially for your cat’s dry skin.
They will probably prescribe omega three and omega six supplements to solve your cat’s dry skin issue and restore its natural, luscious fur coat.
Bathing
Cats do not generally need to be bathed very often because they naturally groom and clean themselves. But a warm bath from time to time can do more good than harm. To combat your cat’s dry skin, use an oatmeal-based shampoo. This will help moisturize your cat’s dry skin and keep it clean to avoid bacteria and oil build-up.
Another point to note is that when bathing your cat, make sure the water is warm, not hot. Warm water will help your cat settle in more comfortably, as cats naturally do not like being around water or being wet. However, warm water may help your cat feel more comfortable, and this, in turn, will make your job easier. Another benefit of warm water is that it helps slowly break through the build-up of bacteria and germs. So your cat’s dry skin can heal itself, and its coat stays healthy and shiny.
Brush your cat
Brushing your cat can help keep her healthy. This distributes the oils in her skin that secrete naturally and help your cat’s dry skin heal itself.
Conclusion
A cat’s dry skin is nothing to be too worried about. It is usually not fatal, and there are many home remedies you can use to prevent and heal your cat’s dry skin.
Just make sure you are giving it the right amount of attention and don’t leave it to the end of winter, because then your cat would have suffered for a long time. Use shampoo, a healthy diet, and a humidifier to heal your cat’s dry skin!
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