One of our rescues came in with a very thick undercoat, requiring numerous grooming sessions due to her levels of stress. This is the perfect time to discuss undercoats and the importance of grooming.
(Pile 2 of 3 removed from a rescue kitty)
Let's start with what an undercoat is and yes even short haired cats can have them.
Undercoats are the fur closest to the skin that is used for insulation. Outdoor cats shed seasonally while indoor cats tend to shed constantly so it is important to brush your feline friend often to avoid parasites and skin irritation. Brushing your cat will help keep its coat clean and you will be able to spot coat issues faster and can also be a wonderful bonding experience for you and your kitty.
Thinning of a coat or bald spots can mean trouble for your frisky feline and its best to discuss any changes of your kitties coat with your veterinarian. Issues can range from allergies to thyroid troubles and your vet knows best.
Now our newest kitty is probably suffering from another ailment but her undercoat was so thick we had to remove it to be able to view her skin to rule out parasites. We did find out that she is absolutely suffering from dandruff, the fleas are gone and she seems to feel much better without all that extra weight.
Overall it's best to keep your kitty indoors, ensure you feed them a high quality diet, and brush them often, even once a month is better than not at all.
We do our best to feed a high quality diet but in rescue sometimes we have to use whatever food that has been donated so we understand how hard it is. Sometimes we have to just do our best and make sure we are doing everything we can to help them.
We hope this post is helpful to you and you continue to follow us to learn more about your feline companions.
To read more about skin ailments check out Cornell's Veterinary informational website:
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