Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Grooming and Bathing Your Cat
• Method 2 of 4: Nutrition and Supplements
• Method 3 of 4: Consult your veterinarian
• Method 4 of 4: Cleansing Cat Dandruff at Home

Dandruff is dead skin cells that naturally form and exfoliate in cats on an ongoing basis. If the animal is infected with parasites (for example, fleas or skin mites), skin infections, hormonal disorders, or is not properly fed, then dandruff may form even more actively. Externally, dandruff looks like flakes on the surface of the skin. In this case, the skin itself can appear dirty and even exude an unpleasant odor. Cat dandruff often causes allergies in people, with symptoms such as eye redness, itchy skin, and allergic rhinitis. It is possible to reduce the amount of dandruff in your cat by properly grooming and bathing your pet, feeding properly with high quality food, and using fish oil supplements. If your pet's dandruff problem worsens, it may be necessary to consult your veterinarian for advice.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Grooming and Bathing Your Cat

1. 1 Brush your cat's coat regularly. Provide your cat with proper grooming and be sure to brush her coat at least once a day. This will prevent dandruff from accumulating on the skin of the animal and will help cleanse the hair of loose hair.
   • Older cats, obese cats and cats with musculoskeletal system problems should be given special attention and thoroughly combed their hair, especially in the back area, as they are not able to take good care of this area on their own.
   • For long-haired cats, grooming procedures are very useful, as they themselves need to do a lot more work to get their coat in order.
2. 2 Bathe your cat using cat shampoo and conditioner. Bathing a cat can be quite difficult at times, but weekly water treatments for "her fluffy majesty" will help control the formation of dandruff and prevent it from accumulating on the skin. It is best to bathe your cat with a cat shampoo specifically formulated for dandruff.
   • Shampoos with aloe vera and oat extract also soothe irritated skin, exfoliate dandruff and free the hair from loose hair.
   • After shampooing, be sure to use a cat conditioner to help soothe and moisturize your pet's skin.
   • Follow the recommendations on the conditioner label and be sure to thoroughly rinse all shampoo and conditioner off your pet when you bathe.
3. 3 Use monthly remedies for parasites such as fleas and ticks. Protect your cat from fleas and ticks that can cause dandruff to worsen by treating your cat's skin monthly to treat these parasites. These products are sold at pet stores. Use them at least once a month after bathing your cat again.
   • If a cat gets fleas or ticks, it will be necessary to apply a special insecticide at home, which will destroy the parasites themselves and their larvae. You can also wear a flea collar on your cat to keep them away from your pet's fur.
4. 4 Use a furminator to remove loose hair. Furminators help remove loose hair from the cat's coat and keep her skin clean, thereby preventing unnecessary dandruff formation. Most cats enjoy the weekly furminator brushing routine, especially in the spring and summer when cats shed the most. The furminator allows you to remove hair that has already fallen out, but does not shorten the cat's hair or cut it off from the hair follicles. You can find a furminator that suits you in a pet or online store.
   • The furminator will also help you reduce the amount of cat dandruff that stays on your furniture and clothes.
   • Furminator combing procedures are especially useful for long-haired cats. They help to reduce the incidence of hairballs in the stomach of animals, so they will not be superfluous for cats prone to this problem, for example, the Himalayan or Persian breed.

Method 2 of 4: Nutrition and Supplements

1. 1 Choose an all-natural cat food. Choose a high quality cat food that will keep your pet's skin healthy and beneficial to its overall health. Be sure to check the composition of the food to make sure it is completely natural.
   • It is also necessary to check that meat is listed in the first place in the ingredients. Any by-products and fillers in the form of grain ingredients should be listed far down the list.
   • Try not to feed your cat too much dry food, as this can cause dehydration and adversely affect nutrient absorption. Make sure that the weight of the cat remains at an optimal level, as obesity can provoke difficulties in self-care of the pet and increase the formation of dandruff.
2. 2 Make sure your cat's diet is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Make sure to feed your cat food that is fortified with omega-3 fatty acids. This will help reduce the formation of dandruff in your cat and reduce the likelihood of dandruff aggravating the skin condition.
3. 3 Give your cat a fish oil supplement. Fish oil supplements can provide your cat with essential fatty acids that can reduce inflammation and other health problems. And inflammatory diseases can provoke an increase in the formation of dandruff. Fish oil for cats is available in the form of capsules and liquid drops.
   • Feed your cat about ¼ teaspoon of fish oil daily by adding it to your cat food. To extract the fish oil from the capsule, it must be pierced, and you can collect the fish oil in the form of drops using a pipette.

Method 3 of 4: Consult your veterinarian

1. 1 Take your cat for a veterinary check-up. If all your attempts to reduce cat dandruff with home remedies are unsuccessful, you will need to see your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will examine your pet's skin and take some tests from it.
   • Skin scraping. For this analysis, the surface layer of the skin is gently scraped off with a scalpel. The resulting material is examined under a microscope for the presence of skin mites, bacteria, yeast and other problems.
   • Bacterial culture of the skin. This test analyzes the composition of bacteria on your pet's skin that can cause dandruff.
   • Adhesive tape test. In this case, a transparent tape is applied to the cat's skin, and then the remaining marks on it are checked for the presence of parasites.
   • Skin biopsy. This test involves taking a small sample of the cat's skin and examining it under a microscope for fleas, ticks, and other problems.
   • Allergy tests for food allergies. The test can be used to check if the dandruff problem is caused by allergies.
2. 2 Check with your veterinarian if your cat is diabetic or obese. A blood test will be required to check for diabetes in a cat. Cats are prone to diabetes mellitus, which usually leads to increased dandruff formation.
   • Your veterinarian may also check your cat for overweight or obesity, as this will likely require dietary changes and possibly even weight loss medications. Losing excess weight will allow your cat to start taking better care of itself, thereby preventing the development of dandruff.
3. 3 Get your veterinarian's prescriptions. Once your pet's test results are ready, your veterinarian will be able to prescribe medications or advice on caring for your cat. All of these measures should be aimed at reducing the formation of dandruff for a specific reason.

Method 4 of 4: Cleansing Cat Dandruff at Home

1. 1 Wipe off dust daily with a damp cloth. Dust should be removed from various work surfaces, baseboards, walls, ceilings by wiping them daily with a clean cloth soaked in hot water. You can also use an all-purpose cleaner to reduce dust and dandruff deposits on the various surfaces you regularly use.
   • You can even look for specialized cleaning sprays that can remove cat dandruff (they can be sold at pet and online stores). Look for plant-based, non-toxic cleaners, especially if you intend to use them on food surfaces and items that you often touch, such as a kitchen countertop.
2. 2 Clean upholstered furniture with a sticky roller and dust brushes. Removing dandruff from the textile surfaces of sofas, cushions, carpets and curtains can be difficult. To do this, you can use special brushes and dust rollers, which, among other things, do not collect dandruff well when you run them over the surface of the furniture. Try to clean your furniture once a day or at least once a week, as you should avoid the accumulation of excess dandruff on its surface.
3. 3 Wash curtains, rugs, and upholstery covers once a week. You can also fight dandruff by washing all curtains, rugs, and covers in the washing machine weekly. Use a detergent specially formulated for upholstery to avoid accidentally ruining anything. Curtains, furniture covers and rugs are recommended to be washed once a week also for the reason that they accumulate more dandruff in themselves than all other items.
   • A more drastic step would be to abandon textiles in areas where your cat spends most of the time. For example, she can spend a lot of time in the hall, so the absence of curtains or carpets in the hall will reduce the amount of cleaning and washing you need.
4. 4 Vacuum your home with a HEPA-filtered vacuum once a week. HEPA filters are very effective at capturing the smallest dust particles, so a vacuum cleaner with such a filter allows you to effectively clean carpets and other textile surfaces from cat dandruff. In the future, purchasing a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will save you a lot of time on cleaning and will give you cleanliness without cat dandruff.