Leave in conditioner?

[mydaddysjag]

Are there are good leave in conditioners for cats?  Our new kitten was a barn kitten before we got him, and wasnt fed great.  His coat is rough, and has a ton of static (hes long haired and very fluffy).  I thought a leave in conditioner spray might help with coat quality and also with static.

 

[lamiatron]

 
Are there are good leave in conditioners for cats?  Our new kitten was a barn kitten before we got him, and wasnt fed great.  His coat is rough, and has a ton of static (hes long haired and very fluffy).  I thought a leave in conditioner spray might help with coat quality and also with static.

how old is your kitten?

There might be something at a pet store, like pet smart or petco. not a leave in, but more like a conditioning cleanser, something spray on. I have not personally used anything like this so I couldn't say more about it

i would not recommend using any leave in conditioner that was meant for humans to use, on your kitten. they contain harmful chemicals that might make your kitty sick once he ingests it (upon grooming himself).

If you kitten is still very young, and up until recently has had a bad diet, i would consider just giving kitty more time. When i first adopted my girl Jet, she was 8 weeks old with the most ragedy looking coat! she was sick from the day i brought her home, health problems one after the next. but over time, with proper care (brushing daily) and a proper diet, her coat has transformed. I think the same might be the case with your kitty. he needs time and a proper diet.

once in a blue, and i seriously mean, rarely, i will put some organic coconut oil on her coat, but that's whatever residue i have left after applying on my hair, and again, its rarely. 

hope this helps. I hope others chime in with more info!

 

[mydaddysjag]

Hes 8 weeks old, and Im sure with time and good nutrition his coat will do a complete turn around.  In the meanwhile its so dry and staticky that litter clings to his whole body everytime he visits the litter box lol.  I was hoping there was a leave in conditioner that could help so he wasnt as staticky making a heck of a mess with litter.

 

[lamiatron]

 
Hes 8 weeks old, and Im sure with time and good nutrition his coat will do a complete turn around.  In the meanwhile its so dry and staticky that litter clings to his whole body everytime he visits the litter box lol.  I was hoping there was a leave in conditioner that could help so he wasnt as staticky making a heck of a mess with litter.

yea my girl Jet was the same way.

you could use pet grooming wipes to help clean your little fella up after the litter box, as i also had to do with my girl Jet

the ones i use are linked below:


it helps a bit with conditioning the coat, and skin. I would recommend using it every other day, as i did with my girl. 

it did help make her coat feel instantly smooth and soft.

again, over time, and as your kitty gets healthy, the condition of his coat should improve.

You can also try implementing flax seed oil into his diet. i use this for my girl Jet, and my cat Charlie:


i use much less than the recommended dose. i give them half a teaspoon each every other day, or every two days. i mix a bit of it into their wet food for one meal. this has helped with their coat health, and shedding over time. I would recommend implementing this into your cats diet when he is at least 3 months of age, again, just based off of my own experience

you can also look into omega 3's for your cat, or salmon oil (do a quick amazon search of this for products and reviews) but from what i've read on the forums, sometimes that can be messy (cutting open fish oil gel tablets), or have odor (fishy smell, which the cats might actually like)

 

[peaches08]

What about using a tiny amount of olive oil or coconut oil?  When I say tiny, I mean 1/4 to 1/2 of a pea sized amount.  Rub it through your hands, then smooth over the coat.  It may help and it's not harmful. 

 

[GoldyCat]

I use an antistatic spray on my cats at shows when it's really dry in the show hall. One of my friends uses just plain distilled water in a mister to spray on her longhaired cats. I know it works in the short term at shows, but don't know how often you would have to use it at home to keep the static down.

 

[spiffykitty]

The best way to improve the coat is to give the cat a bath and blow dry, or at least a bath and towel dry. Comb him out after he is bathed and dried, to avoid knot formation.

You can first use a degreaser like Dawn dishwashing detergent, diluted with 10 times more water than detergent. Then you can use a contioning shampoo meant for pets.  Follow the directions on the bottle. Be sure to keep the shampoo and detergent out of the cat's eyes, even if the shampoo is described as tearless. 

The degreaser strips the coat of grease & dirt, then the conditioning shampoo restores the coat to a good condition. 

Be sure you choose a pet shampoo that is listed as being safe for kittens on the label.

It's good to get them used to bathing at an early age.

Have fun!