Cat Dandruff

My girl Rosie has had some bad dandruff recently. She's a black cat so it's quite noticeable. I've tried combing her fur and wiping her with a wet cloth but it doesn't really do much. She is terrified of baths so that's not an option either. Does anyone know way to get rid of dandruff with cats? Here's a photo of it, it isn't usually this noticeable but I've been petting her and that's when it gets bad. I appreciate any advice!

If you're positive it can't be flea eggs then you can look for a waterless cat shampoo that has conditioners, or add a teaspoon of olive oil to her food every day, or every other day.

Another idea: My cat gets Hartz hairball preventer in a tube. He gets a dollop a few days a week. It contains fish oil...this might be something you can try. It leaves his coat almost oily at times, so it does seem to reach the skin after he eats it. It does help with his dandruff too, I think.

If your cat's diet is made up of a lot of dry foods, or foods they might have a previously-unknown allergy to, sometimes dry skin conditions that might cause dandruff can be remedied by feeding the cat a diet which has a lot of inherent moisture/water content in it, like canned food. But there could be several reasons (sometimes medical) why a cat might have dandruff, so it the cat seems particularly itchy and uncomfortable, a vet visit might be a good idea. You might want to rule out feline diabetes, etc., via testing.

What food does your cat eat?

Both of my cats came from the shelter (where they were fed a mix of low quality dry foods) with dandruff. After switching them to wet food and brushing often, their dandruff cleared up on its own.

I recently had the same problem with my black DSH. I noticed weithin a week of turning my heat on here that he was showing some flakes. I wiped him down as you did and it removed the topical dander, but it was showing again within 24/48 hours. *sigh* He is 20 months old and never had dander before - at least none to the naked eye that I could ever see. I attributed it to the dryness in the air since we have electric heat (actually, I noticed my arms and legs were extremely dry before I noticed him). 

So, I purchased a bottle of Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil as a food additive for the extra Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils ... Not! Even adding the slightest amount to their food caused both my cats (I also have a Maine Coon) to turn their noses up to their food and walk away. So, now what?, I thought. Giving Keeker a bath is not an option. As I said before in other posts, to attempt to give him a bath, I would need 10 men, a block and tackle, coat of armor and 911 on speed dial! LOL If your cat isn't persnickety, you might want to add about 1/4 teaspoon of salmon oil to her food for a few days, then cut back to a few times a week, but for me (and my cats) it was a wasted purchase; not to mention - it stinks! 

I started out by getting out my 'soup pot' and filled it with water and put it on the stove to simmer, releasing steam and moisture to the air (gotta keep an eye on the pot throughout the day and keep adding water so it doesn't evaporate, and turn it off at night before going to bed!). It also warms your house and moisturizes your skin and respiratory tract! I toss some orange peels in mine and it leaves my house smelling good at the same time! 

Next, I continued to wipe him down a couple times a day with a damp, micro-fiber cloth. (rub both up and down- with and against the grain for fur).That helped 'some'. When I was young, my Dad raised sheep and I could remember him always running his hands through the sheeps wool whenever he was in the barn. The lanolin oil kept his hands so soft, smooth and moisturized. So, I got some pure lanolin oil and using a VERYYYY little bit, I rubbed it between my palms , then ran my hands through his coat and massaged it in (make sure you work it down into her fur so it gets down to her skin and not just on the top of her fur). I did this for a few days and saw a vast improvement. I still do it about 2 - 3 times a week. It moisturizes his fur and skin and leaves him silky and shiny. It also softened my cuticles! You can also run some very warm water in your bathroom sink and add a few drops of lanolin to the water and then dip your micro-fiber cloth in it, ring it out so it's just damp and use that as a fur wipe and work it in. You can also get some aloe gel and add that to the water with the lanolin. (NOTE: The aloe gel is perfectly safe for your cat, but don't go out and buy a plant. The plant, actually the white fiber of the plant, is toxic to cats!). 

I considered buying some cat moisturizing wipes, but why pay the hyped up price for a 'special cat wipe' when it's so much less expensive to make your own? 

Go to Walmart and purchase a fine toothed comb and comb your cat everyday. I actually got a 'lice' comb because it has very fine teeth that easily removes the flakes from his fur and they only cost about $1. Or get a man's pocket comb - they have fine teeth at one end and slightly thicker teeth at the other end and are also generally about $1. No need to go spending $10+ for a 'cat' comb. You can also use a soft bristled brush and give daily brushings. Then I massage him for as long as he will tolerate it (he doesn't like being 'over-handled). Massaging (and brushing) promotes blood circulation and his natural oil production.  

Within less than a week, Keeker's fur is back to it's natural, soft and glossy black! 

Tip: If you happen to 'over shoot' the oil and she starts having an oily appearance to her fur, take a break for a day or two and let it absorb. Just a very little bit of lanolin goes a long way! I actually keep it in the shower and rub a few drops on my hands and rub it over my skin just before getting out of the shower and my skin is now moisturize too! 

I hope this helps!

Gracie also had dandruff.  I never found out the cause, but I suspect it was her diet.  She refused all I put out for her and the others and would only eat FF Flaky Tuna.  She always wanted a bite of the roast beef I cooked sometimes, and also rotisserie chicken.  Other than that, she only ate FF tuna.  Only during her brief and final illness did she start eating anything else I put down for them.  Her appetite became ravenous because of the Prednisone, I suppose.  Her glucose and thyroid labs were within normal limits.  The vet did a thorough skin check but had no solution for her dandruff.  

Thank you all! I'm new to this site so I'm not sure if this reply box notifies you. Rosie has a bowl of dry food out but for her meals she eats wet food. She's never scratching and doesn't seem to notice it at all so I'm pretty positive it's dandruff as opposed to a medical issue. I'll definitely try the tips everyone recommended 

We have cats that "pop dandruff" when they are startled or get upset by something. If they are skittish it's even worse. My Luckman, on the other hand, had to get pretty dang upset before he'd pop dandruff.