Cats are known for their glossy coats and twinkling cat eyes and one area of their appearance that often gets overlooked is their skin. Your cat’s skin health is essential to her overall wellness, so it’s important to support your feline and her skin to prevent cat skin problems from causing your kitty to be uncomfortable. Here’s what you need to know to help you protect your pet and her skin health:
How To Check Your Cat For Skin Health
Cats are seemingly constantly grooming themselves, so it can be difficult to determine if your cat is paying extra attention to her skin or not. Because this is the case, it’s essential that you frequently check on your cat’s skin and coat health by routinely brushing and petting her. She likely won’t mind the extra attention—and can have peace of mind knowing that you’ll be on top of things if you notice a skin issue developing. Here’s how to check out your feline friend to make sure her skin is healthy:
- Gently brush her fur: Grab your favorite grooming tool and get to brushing. If you know your cat’s skin is irritated already, make sure you take things slowly and approach her slowly. If you’re doing routine grooming, you don’t need to be quite as cautious, but it’s always a good idea to handle your feline friend with caution.
- Move your hand along her body to examine her skin: After you’ve brushed your cat, take things a step further and examine her skin. She’ll think you’re just petting her and won’t mind one bit, but you can take a closer look. Pay extra attention to areas that are prone to skin issues, like under her arms, on her nose, and near her belly.
- Check with your Vet: If you’re unsure about anything, check with your Vet! Whether you found a lump and you want to know if you should be worried, or you’re not sure if a rash is cause for concern your Vet can give you a professional opinion based on years of education and experience.
Signs Your Cat Has A Skin Issue
While every cat will react to skin issues differently, many felines experience similar symptoms. But, every cat will act differently when they’re not feeling their best. Some kitties prefer alone time when their skin is bothering them and maybe more distant than normal. Others get clingy and just want affection from their pet parents when they’re seriously uncomfortable. If you notice your cat behaving in a way that’s not normal for her, check things out and examine her skin for potential issues. Here are some common signs that suggest your cat might have a skin issue:
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Itching or Aggressive Scratching: Sure, it’s normal to scratch an itch every once in a while. But if your cat is seemingly obsessive about itching herself, it’s probably because her skin is incredibly irritated.
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Hair Loss: Notice a bald spot or a sparse patch in your cat’s fur? This suggests she might have something going on with her skin health.
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Redness: Redness, inflammation, and puffiness are all signs that your feline friend has some sort of skin problem going on. Take a closer look if she appears to be red or irritated.
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Dry Skin: If your cat has dry or flaky skin, it could mean there’s something more serious going on. It’s usual;y not cause for concern, but if cat dry skin is something that’s been going on for a while, it’s a good idea to talk about it with your Vet.
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Dull Fur: If your cat’s normally glossy coat appears lackluster, her skin health could be to blame. Skin and coat are closely connected, so skin issues affect your cat’s coat health, as well.
- Excessive Grooming: We all know that cats love to keep themselves clean, but excessively grooming, like all...the...time...is cause for pause. It suggests your cat has some sort of irritation or issue going on with her skin.
Common Cat Skin Issues
While there are countless reasons your cat may be experiencing skin issues, there are some that affect many, many of our feline friends. Here’s a look at some of the most common causes behind cats and skin irritation, itching, and discomfort:
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Mange: Mange is no fun for anyone, but especially your cat. There are a couple of different types of mange but they both have the same cause—mites. Those tiny creatures are so small but can make things seriously uncomfortable for your cat. And cause skin damage. Plus, they’re so tiny your human eye can’t see them, so kites can be tough to identify. They’re quite common though, so it’s worth mentioning to your Vet that mites could be causing mane for your feline friend.
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Ticks and Fleas: Similar to mites, ticks, and fleas are parasites that can cause skin issues for your cats. Fleas have potent saliva that often causes irritation and makes kitty itchy! Ticks don’t typically cause your cat to get irritated or itchy straight away, but they can carry diseases that lead to long-term health issues that affect your cat and her skin for years to come. Both of these parasites are creatures you want to help your cat avoid.
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Allergies: Your cat could develop an allergy to just about anything. Like us people, cats can be born with sensitivities or develop allergies as they get older. Some cats are affected more than others and the allergy symptoms vary. But one thing that is quite common is for cats to get super itchy when they’re allergic to an allergen.
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Hair Loss: If your cat seems to be losing lots of fur, a skin issue could be to blame. While there are lots of skin issues that could cause your kitty to lose hair in certain areas, a common one your cat could be experiencing is alopecia. This is an autoimmune disorder that is most likely triggered by stress and anxiety—so it most commonly affects pets that experience prolonged stress. Alopecia can cause your cat to have a couple of bald patches here and there or significant fur loss.
- Feline Acne: Did you know that your cat can get blemishes? Black beads and feline acne are actually more common than you might think. They typically appear around your cat’s mouth or chin area. And while acne is pretty harmless, it can be quite uncomfortable for your pet if she’s breaking out and her acne is irritated.
How To Help Your Cat With Her Skin Health
To support your feline friend, there’s a lot you can do at home to help with skin health. Of course, if you suspect there’s a serious skin condition affecting your cat, take her in to see a Vet. But, once you determine that her skin issue is not a big deal, try these things at home, too:
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Feed Your Feline A Balanced Diet: To support your feline friend and her skin health, make sure you’re feeding her a balanced diet that’s full of all the nutrients her four-legged body needs! Cats need to eat plenty of animal protein and the more Omega-Fatty Acids you can add to her diet, the better.
Feeding a fish-filled diet is a great idea, and adding in ingredients that nourish your feline’s skin health is a good idea too. Treat your kitty to fresh fish, superfood fruits like blueberries or cranberries, and add in some
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Sprinkle In Some Soothing Supplements: If your cat is incredibly itchy, look for supplements that contain skin-soothing ingredients like chamomile, aloe vera, Omega Fatty Acids, and more. Supplements designed to support skin health will help offer immediate relief thanks to fast-acting ingredients and will help prevent future skin issues from becoming a problem for your kitty.
- Help Your Kitty Stress Less: Your cat’s skin issues could be caused by stress, which makes it incredibly important to do everything you can to help your cat with her anxiety. Ca’s are notoriously on edge and it’s all too common for our pets to get stressed. But, the good news is, there’s plenty you can do to help calm your kitty down and help her find her zen. Look for mood-boosting ingredients like Omega-Fatty Acids and other healthy fats. Or, grab something soothing like hemp or CBD for cats.
PetHonesty Products For your Cat
When you want to support your cat and her skin health, add Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil For Cats to her food dish. It’s formulated with wild-caught salmon oil that’s packed with healthy fatty acids to support skin health from within. Plus, fish oil has been shown to be a mood booster that can help your stressed cat calm down and improve her mood.
Another supplement to consider is Digestive Probiotics+ Powder For Cats. Your cat needs a strong immune system to support skin health and adding probiotics to your cat’s diet helps keep her immune system strong. Plus, this blend also includes prebiotic fiber, another ingredient that helps keep your kitty’s immune system and skin health strong!
Sources:
https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/resources/common-skin-problems-in-cats/
https://www.animaltrust.org.uk/blog/cat-skin-problems/
https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/common-cat-skin-conditions
