Cat Dandruff

Cat dandruff is a problem that cat owners often feel wary of.



It is one of the most common problems that cat owners face. Even a small amount of dandruff on the cat’s skin can mar the beauty of its coat. If your cat is black, the white flakes on the beautiful coat can be especially distressing. In most cases, even after the cat owners repeatedly wash their cats, the dandruff may not go away.



This is because dandruff is a skin condition which requires medication to be cured.

There are plenty of cat skin conditions. However, dandruff is one of the skin conditions which are not considered dangerous. Cat alopecia, another skin condition, is the primary cause of cat hair loss and therefore should be treated by a practicing vet.



Cat dandruff on the other hand can be treated just the way you would treat your own dandruff condition. Repeated washing may not always be the best solution for cat dandruff. Therefore, examine the skin of the cat first. Cat dandruff is very different from dander. Dander, which is the natural shedding of the cat’s dead skin, can cause allergies. However, dandruff in cats is a condition where the cat develops dry and itchy skin which becomes dead rapidly. Even though cats keep themselves clean, they may not always be able to reach to all the areas of their body. This causes some of the areas to remain unclean and that is how dandruff starts to spread. The back and the rear of the cat are usually the areas where the cat can’t reach. In these areas, dandruff can be cured by just giving the cat a warm bath.  

Many cat owners make the mistake of bathing their cats with anti dandruff shampoos meant for humans. This is not a very good idea as it can damage the delicate skin of the cat. Instead, if you really want to treat cat dandruff, make sure that you use a dandruff shampoo meant for cats. When you are bathing the cat, use a soft body brush. After washing the cat, rinse thoroughly while using the brush on the coat. This is to remove any traces of shampoo and other chemicals. For cats that have thick coats, shampooing must be repeated more frequently. Cat grooming too should be more frequent in case of cats with thick coats. This allows the loose hair in the undercoat to be removed.