Expert: Jessica - 8/10/2011

Question
Our office was adopted by an abandoned white calico spayed female cat, +/- 3-yrs old. Cali has been to the Vet and had her shots and was given a bill of good health. Cali has medium length hair. Well, the ladies in the ofc 3 besides myself, will brush this cat 5-6 times a day with a fine toothed metal brush, because she is shedding. We are fortunate to work on the top driveway on the side of a hill and across out parking lot is a "wild" hill, forest, brush, trees, etc, perfect for a kitty.  Anyway, I have noticed Cali's fur getting dull and coarse. She loves the brushing/attention. Is this brushing too much? Cali was left behind by her owners on top of the hill when they moved, she didn't like their dog and they could not find her. She was scared to death when she first started to hang around here but slowly adopted us. She is attached to our manager's hip. She's a wonderful kitty. Please let me know about the brushing. Thank you

Answer
Hi Barbara,

Brushing once a day is usually sufficient for long-haired cats. Over-brushing can sometimes pull out healthy fur and strip oils from the coat. I would recommend that you try combing her through with a steel-toothed comb to get out tangles and loose fur, and then finishing up with a slicker brush. The slicker brush will rake out loose fur from the undercoat, as well as dead skin, and will help distribute oils throughout the fur to maintain a healthy shine. I'm not sure which type of brush you have, but it sounds like you may be using one of these already.

Coat condition often suffers in outdoor cats during the summer months due to UV exposure and high temperatures. You can apply a leave-in detangler for cats to help condition the coat.

Also, be sure she is eating a high quality diet, since lots of protein is required to maintain a healthy coat. I recommend grain-free foods and a combination of canned and dry food if possible. If you can feed her treats of chicken or limited quantities of tuna (no more than a few bites three times a week), this will provide her with protein. There are also skin supplements that will help her fur by providing Omega-3 fatty acids if you are very concerned. One is Dermaquin.

If the kitty seems to be losing any weight at all or shows any other symptoms, it's best to have her checked by a vet. Poor coat condition is the first symptom of many illnesses, ranging from infection to kidney disease. Often, dental disease can cause a shabby coat, since cats will deposit slimy, infected saliva on their coats when they groom. Your vet can check her vital signs and do a physical exam and determine if anything seems to be amiss. Some blood tests or x-rays might be suggested if warranted.

Good luck!

Jessica