My Kitten's Undercoat is Dry

My 3 month old kitten's undercoat seems to have changed recently. It is drier and dull or something. I'm not sure how exactly to describe it. I've read that a kitten's/cat's fur is a good indicator of overall health so I'm wondering if this means my kitten is not getting adequate nutrition or is sickly or something?

I've been feeding him Friskies Pâté canned food which claims to be complete and balanced nutrition for cats and kittens. Should be feeding a food specifically for kittens instead of "cats and kittens" to make sure he is getting everything he needs? Or is the problem just that the Friskies Pâté is not a very good food? Or am I simply over-thinking this whole thing and the undercoat being a little drier is normal? 

I feel like such a bad cat owner because there is so much I still don't know.   I'm trying to learn though so Dexter can get the best care possible and be a healthy, happy kitty. 

The Friskie's pate foods are a good, inexpensive food to feed. But most commercial foods, just like our human meats, are high in omega 6s and have little in the way of omega 3s. This might account for it: you can consider feeding your kitty a sardine as a snack once or twice a week (tinned in water, no salt). You can also consider feeding him an egg yolk once or twice a week - either "as is" or mixed into his food. :nod: These have a lot of calories, so when he's older, you'd have to watch for weight gain. But egg yolks are nutrition packed little packages with lots of healthy fats in them for cats.

Another option is supplementing with 500mg of Evening Primrose oil. This is great for skin and coat; many breeders use this for silky, shiny fur.

Of course, a vet visit to make sure he's healthy is always a good idea.

My kitten is 8 months and I noticed his fur seems dry. The vet said he was perfectly healthy besides the torn claw we came in for.
I take Nordic Naturals DHA oil @LDG, do you think I could add a few drops to Carl's dry food. Currently he eats Simply Nourish kitten food and I plan on switching to BB grain free once he gets 12 months. I want to eventually switch over to raw chicken and turkey but I still have some more reading to do.
I think Nordic Natural makes fish oil for pets but I don't want to buy it if it is similar to mine.
Please let me know what you think!

-Sarah

I'd need a link to the product to know what's in it... can you find it? I couldn't just based on the info. Here's a link to the products page of their website: http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/General_Public/Nordic_Naturals_Products/97

I know Nordic Naturals is a company with high quality products.... it's just EPA and DHA work together, and we need to know if there's anything else in there, etc.

But generally speaking, yes, fish oil, the higher quality the better, should help with skin and coat. :nod:

In fact, it's better to give none at all than one with potentially problem ingredients, because rancid oil is worse than nothing at all.

How old is your kitten? Whatever you use, it should be at least half the adult dose or less (the adult dose is 500mg).

The fats in canned foods are less processed, so benefit your kitty more.... can you work in a meal or two of canned food a day? That would very likely help too. Personally, I'd take a dull coat to mean the food isn't very healthy. Can we help you figure out healthier food options based on your budget? :dk:

LDG said:

I'd need a link to the product to know what's in it... can you find it? I couldn't just based on the info. Here's a link to the products page of their website: http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/General_Public/Nordic_Naturals_Products/97

I know Nordic Naturals is a company with high quality products.... it's just EPA and DHA work together, and we need to know if there's anything else in there, etc.

But generally speaking, yes, fish oil, the higher quality the better, should help with skin and coat.

In fact, it's better to give none at all than one with potentially problem ingredients, because rancid oil is worse than nothing at all.

How old is your kitten? Whatever you use, it should be at least half the adult dose or less (the adult dose is 500mg).

The fats in canned foods are less processed, so benefit your kitty more.... can you work in a meal or two of canned food a day? That would very likely help too. Personally, I'd take a dull coat to mean the food isn't very healthy. Can we help you figure out healthier food options based on your budget?

Click to expand...

Can you give them Evening Primrose oil thats unrefined? Can you use supplements humans take in their food? I was going to buy some on eBay but I want to make sure first.

I prefer to give my cats human-grade supplements. But not ALL supplements are appropriate for cats, so it completely depends on what the supplement is, whether or not it is appropriate for cats.

Evening Primrose oil is one that is safe for cats. It is high in GLA, an omega 6 that has anti-inflammatory properties. Cats have the ability to convert it to DGLA, unlike the plant-based omega 3s (ALA): cats lack the digestive enzymes necessary to convert them efficiently into the EPA and DHA, which is why they need them pre-formed via some type of fish oil.

I use NOW Evening Primrose oil, 500mg capsules I puncture with a knife and squish onto Chumley's food.

@LDG, The fish oil I use is Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil [http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Products/Product_Details/514/?ProdID=1418] 

I'm sorry I didn't know who you were talking to in your reply about "finding healthier food options" I don't want to take over @NamelessAria thread. 

I can use ANY advice! I'm a first time cat owner and it's not as easy as I though I'd be  .

Well, unless your cat needs vitamin A, it's best not to use Cod Liver oil. Most commercial cat foods contain sufficient quantities of vitamin A, and using cod liver oil runs the risk of providing too much vitamin A, which is not a water soluble vitamin, so it can collect in fat tissue and cause toxicity.

When supplementing EPA and DHA, it needs to be given in just a fish supplement, such as salmon oil, "fish oil," sardines....