The best foods for cat fur and mistakes when choosing cat food

Absolutely any person who has a cat at home wants their pet to always be healthy and not need absolutely anything. Also, most owners make great efforts to ensure that the animal has an excellent appearance and beautiful coat, which will indicate the excellent health of the cat. However, sometimes situations occur when a cat's fur loses its attractive appearance. In this case, the owners’ mistake is that they select only one drug, but in this case it is necessary to use an integrated approach.

Great attention should be paid to proper nutrition of the animal, and various procedures related to the cat’s fur should be carried out. However, you should not overdo it with water procedures. The cat also needs to be given vitamins and fish oil, thanks to this it will be of better quality. All cats, like people, need to eat properly and their diet should be balanced. If you use specialized food for wool, you can deliver all the necessary elements to the body. If the animal’s diet does not supply the required amount of vitamins, the wool will lose its attractive appearance. This article will discuss the main recommendations related to cat nutrition. There will also be information about the best foods that will give your cat a very smooth, shiny, and silky appearance.

Natural food for cats

To ensure that your cat's fur always looks attractive, you need to follow some recommendations.

Naturalness

Many cat owners follow various marketing tricks and use only industrial food. However, this approach is incorrect, since ready-made feed contains a smaller amount of useful microelements intended for animals than in ordinary food. That is why the cat needs fresh fish, meat, and vegetables. In order for a cat to always be healthy, its food should contain 80% meat. The other 20% can be vegetables and grains. At the moment when a cat eats fish and meat, fatty acids enter the body; a lack of such fatty acids can lead to the condition of the cat's coat greatly deteriorating.

Milk and fish

Unfortunately, few people know that fish, as the main source of food, is completely unsuitable for cats. Also, a large amount of fish can cause severe harm to the animal’s body. The problem is that fish contains a huge amount of minerals that the cat’s body cannot cope with. The body simply will not remove all these minerals. Also, many people believe that cats love milk, however, cats have a very difficult time digesting milk. Milk is simply not capable of bringing all the necessary vitamins into a cat’s body.

What vitamins do cats need for their fur?

The most important element for a healthy coat is biotin. The substance is produced as a result of the interaction of vitamin B with amino acids. Biotin is involved in metabolic processes occurring in the layers of skin and muscle tissue. Through such metabolic mechanisms, the cat's hair follicles receive nutrition and sufficient oxygen.

Eukanuba

Vitamin B deficiency immediately affects the condition of the animal's coat.

The following substances are also necessary for a fluffy coat:

Vitamin A,
Vitamin E,
Amino acids Omega-6, Omega-3,
Calcium,
Zinc,
Phosphorus,
Taurine,
Iron.

Of course, the cat’s body also needs other substances, such as vitamin C, magnesium, and sodium. But it is the above elements that greatly affect the pet’s coat and skin condition.

Dry and wet food

Under no circumstances choose the most popular and advertised foods, and do not listen to salespeople. If you want a healthy cat whose fur will be beautiful, you need to pay close attention to the cat's nutrition; the cat should become your child. First, study the information written on the packaging or jar. In order for the animal's fur to always be healthy, the pet's diet must contain meat, rice, and a variety of vitamins. The food should not contain preservatives or various chemicals.

Kittens' first molt

Kittens have their first moult

is accompanied by the replacement of undyed hairs with the hair of adult animals and
occurs
, most often,
at the age of 5-7 months, in spring or autumn
. When purchasing kittens, you should understand that their color will likely change. Shedding starts from the head and gradually continues throughout the kitten's body. The animal's head will receive its permanent color before other parts of the body, and the rest of the body can molt for a whole year or even more.

Mistakes when choosing food

The problem is that each animal’s body is individual, which is why sometimes you need to visit a veterinarian. After the specialist examines the cat, he will give certain recommendations on how to feed the animal. Food can be varied. In this regard, it will be very easy to make a mistake when choosing food. Select food depending on how active the animal is and its coat type. If you feed your cat only professional food, then it is better not to give the animal vitamins, as this may result in an overdose of vitamins and the animal’s hair will simply begin to fall out.

In addition, you should not panic if the animal has bad hair. Sometimes you can simply bathe your cat using a specialized shampoo, after which you need to use a spray to remove any hair that has fallen out. When feeding an animal, you cannot combine regular food and artificial nutrition. This will cause your pet's fur to deteriorate. If you often change the type of feeding, digestion is disrupted, some problems will appear that will lead to an imbalance in the animal's body.

Grooming

An adult cat in good health cleans its own fur, sometimes licking itself for several hours a day. However, the owner’s task is to help her get rid of fallen hairs and emerging impurities. This will require brushing and bathing procedures.

Combing helps solve 3 problems at once:

Improve skin blood circulation and coat appearance.
Prevent the formation of tangles - matted dense lumps of hairs that have fallen out and become entangled in the fur.
Relieve your cat from having to swallow and then excrete a large amount of hair.

The frequency of the procedure depends on the breed.

Short-haired cats with or without undercoat (Abyssinian, Siamese, Burmese, British) are brushed several times a week using brushes or a special mitten.
Long-haired cats are combed daily or once every 2 days, devoting up to 1 hour to the procedure. At the end, the wool is lightly fluffed with a brush, and combed upward on the neck to form a beautiful collar.

For combing, you need brushes with natural bristles or slicker brushes, combs with sparse, non-sharp teeth, tangle cutters (if necessary), a “stroker” - a wide flat brush for combing the tail of long-haired cats, a special mitten, a piece of silk or suede. Combs are used as the tooth frequency increases. That is, you need to start the procedure with a sparse comb and end with a thick brush.

First, the sides, neck and back are combed, then the “pants”, belly, and tail. Finally, you can pet the cat with hands moistened with water to collect any remaining uncombed hairs. Short-haired cats can also be wiped with a piece of silk or suede cloth - this will add shine to your pet's coat.

You should wash your cat as needed, taking into account the characteristics of the breed. For example, hairless cats are washed once every 1-2 weeks, while smooth-haired cats can be bathed once every six months during shedding. For the procedure you will need:

towel;
basin with warm water. Some owners prefer to bathe their cat in a bathtub or sink;
shampoo for cats.

It is better to choose shampoos from professional series adapted for home use. For example, “Elite” for deep cleaning of wool. The product combines a mild detergent complex and an exclusive composition of amino acids, vitamins, proteins and natural plant extracts. The shampoo gently but thoroughly cleanses the coat, makes it easier to comb, helps prevent dandruff, brittleness and tangling of the coat, and adds shine and silkiness.

When swimming, follow a few rules.

The water should be at a comfortable temperature for the cat (36–38 °C).
Bathing is carried out before meals or no earlier than 4 hours after meals.
You don't need to immediately put your cat in a basin or bathtub of water, because it may get scared. It is better to wet the wool gradually from the ladle.
Rinse off the shampoo thoroughly.
While washing, talk to your pet in a gentle and encouraging voice and stroke it.
Keep shampoo and water away from your cat's eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
When drying wool, do not allow the temperature in the room to drop or drafts.

Feed rating

Below are all the best foods from manufacturers.

Royal Canin Indoor Long Hair. This food is preferred by all those owners who care about their pet. This food contains plantain seeds. Also, with the help of this food, hair is removed well, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is improved. This food contains buckwheat oil, which improves the functioning of the circulatory system.
Royal Canin Hair & Skin. This food is not only professional, but also very well balanced. If you feed your cat this food, you can notice the effect within a month. After a month of eating this food, your cat's coat will look healthier. Cats also really like this food; it contains fatty acids, which improve the protective function of the skin.
Pro Plan Elegant. This is premium food and is suitable for adult animals. This food can perform several functions at once; it maintains the health of the animal’s skin, as well as the shine of its coat. Also, formed lumps are removed from the wool.
Brit. This is a very balanced food that can be classified as super-premium. It is perfectly absorbed by the body, its composition is balanced, fatty acids perfectly maintain the skin in a healthy condition. The wool becomes very beautiful.
Farmina. This is a complete diet. This food can improve not only the condition of your cat’s skin. This food contains components whose fat content is reduced.
Monge. This is premium food. This food contains chicken, which contains a lot of fiber, as well as vegetable protein. This food contains magnesium, vitamins, and calcium; the food will help remove hair from the body.
Wellness Core. This is a natural food that does not contain grains. This food contains only fresh meat with a small amount of carbohydrates, a large amount of protein, and also fat.

When choosing food, consider the cat's age, coat condition, and general health. If you have any doubts regarding food selection, contact your veterinarian. If you decide to choose food on your own, then read the information on this matter.

Food for wool and skin

Just like human hair, a cat’s fur can deteriorate: it can become greasy, fall out, form into “icicles,” and become tangled. If this happens even with proper care (combing, bathing), this most likely means a lack of certain microelements in the cat’s body. And the easiest way to solve the problem is to switch the animal to food to improve its coat.

Of course, hair problems can be solved with the help of special, separately purchased vitamins. But to select them correctly, you need to consult a veterinarian, while medicated food can simply be bought at any store. In addition, they solve the problem comprehensively. Therapeutic food for good wool does everything to prevent it from getting tangled and tangling.

The most famous foods for hair loss:

Royal Canin Intense Beauty is a wet complete food that improves the appearance of the animal. Thanks to its composition, it strengthens the coat. If you want to keep fur away, but your cat is not happy with dry food, this food is your solution.
Pro Plan Derma Plus - this food will make your pet's coat shiny and silky.
Arden Grange Sensitive Cat is a super premium food that does not contain grains or preservatives. Thanks to the oceanic white fish in its composition, its long-term use will protect the cat from many problems with both the fur and the stomach.

Why is fur in the stomach dangerous?

Cats shed fur by regurgitating, and this normally happens up to four times a month. The most difficult time is the molting period in autumn and spring, when too much hair accumulates in the stomach. Using a furminator alone will not solve the problem. This is where special products come to the rescue that facilitate the removal of hairballs (trichobezoars) in a natural way. If you do not help the animal, unpleasant problems will appear:

Appetite will decrease - the lump inside creates a feeling of fullness. As a result, the animal will not receive enough nutrients;
digestion is disrupted - hairballs cause irritation of the mucous membranes, constipation occurs;
problems with the intestines will appear - there is a risk of developing obstruction in the small part.

Particular attention to preventing the accumulation of hair in the gastrointestinal tract should be paid to owners of long-haired cats, weakened and aged animals, sedentary animals, those suffering from metabolic disorders and obesity.

To avoid health problems, monitor your cat’s behavior. If she spits up too often, sometimes with mucus or particles of undigested food, if her fur begins to look worse, she needs help. Without timely prevention of the accumulation of trichobesars in the stomach, bloating, hard stools will appear, and the animal will look depressed.

Stress.

Some cats shed more when they are nervous, scared, or stressed. Solution: Check your cat for other signs of stress, such as hiding, trembling, or trouble urinating. Remember what changes have recently occurred in your home (the appearance of a new pet, loud noises, etc.) and try to change the environment so that it is less annoying to the animal. Make sure your cat has a couple of places where she can hide and feel safe.