Can a change of environment cause a cats fur to change from really dry/rough and not very soft to ve

[tangerinemango]

When I got Butterscotch on Thursday I noticed that her fur was very dry/rough to the touch compared to my other two cats and had no softness to it. When I was petting her yesterday and earlier this morning, I noticed that her once dry/rough fur was now very soft to the touch.

The only thing different that I know of is supplementing her dry food with wet food, but that only started today.

I'm kind of dumbfounded as to what caused the change.

 

[2bcat]

Seems a short time for such a dramatic change, but the food would make a difference for sure. Could be just a different dry food would contribute if she was eating a really low quality food before. Then the wet food would help even more.

 

[momto3cats]

I've noticed that a difference in a cat's hydration level can make an almost immediate change in how their fur feels. It doesn't seem possible but apparently it is. More hydrated = softer and smoother.

 

[tangerinemango]

 
I've noticed that a difference in a cat's hydration level can make an almost immediate change in how their fur feels. It doesn't seem possible but apparently it is. More hydrated = softer and smoother.

I never thought of the hydration part. Maybe her old owners weren't giving her enough water. I have one of those watering station things that looks like a mini water cooler you see in offices.

 

[Margret]

This sounds very strange to me. Where did Butterscotch come from? A shelter? If she has naturally soft fur that had gotten rough from a lack of hydration, then she hadn't been receiving proper care. I'm very glad to hear that she has a forever home now, but I'm concerned about other cats who may not be getting enough hydration.

Margret

 

[rubysmama]

Have you brushed her fur since you got her?

 

[misterwhiskers]

Is it possible there was something on her fur? Dried dust or something?

 

[momto3cats]

Maybe she's grooming herself more now, if she's feeling better/happier/less stressed? Whatever the cause, it's clear something has changed for the better. I'm glad she has a good home with you now.

 

[tangerinemango]

This sounds very strange to me. Where did Butterscotch come from? A shelter? If she has naturally soft fur that had gotten rough from a lack of hydration, then she hadn't been receiving proper care. I'm very glad to hear that she has a forever home now, but I'm concerned about other cats who may not be getting enough hydration.

Margret

No the shelter only had her for 4 days. She and her litter of kittens were abandoned/surrendered by the original owners to the animal hospital/vet I take my two 9 month old male kittens to. It's my understanding that the original owners didn't do a very good job taking care of any of them.

So this wasn't a result of shelter issues, it was the result of poor care by the original owners.

 

[Margret]

That means that the change in environment is not as recent as you might think. It began when Butterscotch was taken to the shelter, not when you adopted her, which makes a great deal more sense. The change in her fur only seems sudden because it became noticeable shortly after you adopted her.

Margret

 

[tangerinemango]

That means that the change in environment is not as recent as you might think. It began when Butterscotch was taken to the shelter, not when you adopted her, which makes a great deal more sense. The change in her fur only seems sudden because it became noticeable shortly after you adopted her.

Margret

That makes sense. I just put 2 and 2 together and never took into consideration, the 4 days or so she had been at the shelter. For the life of me I kept trying to figure out what I was doing differently. In the end it's not what I'm doing differently it's her going from a bad environment to a good on at the vet/shelter and continuing that process on to a good environment at my house.