Is is ok to use those baby wipes to wipe her down and get rid of some of that dandruff looking stuff or will it irritate her skin/coat? While I'm at it, do you guys wash your cats? I've heard they were "self-cleaning" (LOL, makes them sound like ovens) and don't need to be.......it would be *so* hard to wash her....she's had one bath all her life (and my brother did it, so I'm not sure how it went).......thanks for any input! :razz:

Don't know about the dandruff, but I did try to wash both of my kitties a while ago, and have I learned a valuable lesson :bigeyes:
In usual, everyday circumstances, I just let them be their self-cleaning selves :mrgreen:

Hope you'll get some advice on that dandruff!

My Missy (dog) has a bit of a flaky skin but she does not get bathed too often as it does not seem to bother her.As long as your cat is not distresssed by it I would leave things to her :wink:

My cats have a bit of this too. not too much, though. brushing them seems to help :smile:

I think a little bit of dandruff is normal for some cats. Especially if they are very fat and can't clean themselves well.

But it can also be a result of stress. Our kitty was in the hospital because of his diabetes. And I have never seen that amount of dandruff on a cat before. When you petted him, it looked like it snowed. The vet said being sick and under stress will sometimes give cats lots of dandruff.

My cat had dandruff too until we switched to a better brand of catfood. Helped his skin, his mood, and his weight.

I haven't had to deal with Kitty skin for awhile but our dogs have always gotten about a tsp of Safflower in their food morning and night - the linoleic acid seems to be the crucial part here and Safflower is frankly cheap and has about the highest of most oils. Maybe about .25 tsp for starters would be something to try.

If you do decide to bathe the Gato, and many people do, the most important thing is getting the soap off. Pet stores have conditioning rinses - I believe Buddy Wash makes on for cats as well as dogs and that stuff is very nice - you can use it if Kitty doesn't like it :inlove: ... that's about all I can think of ...g

That reminds me...
Also, at the PetsMart here, you can get cat wipes. Like baby wipes, only with cleasers for cat fur. They are good if your cat can't tolerate baths at all, and will shred you into mincemeat if you try giving them one. We tried them on Bastet, and they work really well. His fur was soft and clean afterwards.

If its not an allergy or other medical condition, your cat may just need a Omega Oil suppliment for his diet. Ask your vet if they can help you get the powdered kind for the food instead of the gloppy oil. It will help his coat out a lot.

My cat (he stays at my parents house so they actually care for him because my bf already had one of his own, and I do want them together but anyway...) has semi long hair (a bastard, we got him from a shelter) and a lot of tangles... we've been to the vet a couple of times and there is no real cause.. (no fungus or other infection) his fur is quite greasy and flaky... we think this contributes to the tangles (not just tangling, but more like hair getting glued together forming lumps) in combination with the brand of cat food.
My mom decided to try and wash him. He likes it a lot ! he is even begging for it ! Lately she decided to add some of my dad's anti-dandruff shampoo (mild one!) and the results are even better. We do not bath him, just rub him with a wet washcloth.. His fur is less greasy and the amount of tangles has decreased.

Normally a cat should be 'self cleaning' but if there is any reason to offer him/her some help, why not.. Do not put the animal in the bathtub right away, but let it gradually adjust to the treatment ! we mostly take him on our knees or just on the floor in the bathroom.... that is less scary for him.

HTH,
Niph