Expert: Tomay - 9/28/2006

Question
Hi my cat is a short hair tabbly.  She goes outside at times, but mostly has been an outdoor cat.  I've noticed that all of a sudden she starting have dry skin and parts of her hair became mattered.  This happens once before when I live in an apartment, when I moved into this house, it when away.  I though maybe the fresh air, because my apartment was very hot during the winter.  She was fine until August, it's gotten bad to the point I have to cut the hair and take her for grooming, please help thank you

Answer
Hello Armando,
Dry skin can be caused by a number of different things, but usually can be related to diet.  Be sure that your kitty is on a good diet of premium type foods.  Precise, Wysong and Innova are good choices.  Matting can also contribute to the dry, flaky skin.  This happens when the undercoat is being shed, and the new growth is growing in rapidly, before the undercoat is completely out.  You will notice more shedding during the change of seasons, especially fall and spring.  It is important to keep, even a short haired cat brushed and combed, to stay ahead of the shedding coat.   Your groomer should be able to help you with the right tools to use at home for your pet.
I hope this has been helpful for you, and thank you for your inquiry and your intrest in this site.
Tomay