Black Cat Dandruff: 3 Important Things to Consider…

Do black cats get dandruff? Dandruff is a common ailment among us humans. Black cat dandruff is also a thing too. It’s very common and of course, it’s not exclusive to black cats.

Causes

Upon doing a little research on cat dandruff, there appear to be multiple causes.

Nutrition, hydration, parasites, health issues, and allergies seem to cover all bases when addressing black cat dandruff.

Diet and Hydration

Just like all creatures, cats need to get the necessary nutrients to thrive and remain healthy.

Many cats are nutritionally deficient and one of those missing nutrients is often fatty acids.

A lack of essential fatty acids may lead to dry skin, a dull coat, and the appearance of dandruff.

Hydration is very important for cats and they are used to getting their hydration from food. Many domestic cats these days eat a lot of dry food and therefore have to drink a lot of water.

It’s not natural for the domestic cat to drink a lot of water as they originate from the desert where water is scarce.

If a cat was to eat a mouse around 70% of that meal would be fluids, providing the cat with the appropriate hydration.

It’s not hard to see that a cat eating a lot of dry food and then not drinking enough water, could lead to poor health, dry skin, and dandruff.

Parasites

Worms, fleas, or mites may be the cause of black cat dandruff. Dandruff may be a result of a bite, leading to an allergic reaction and itchiness.

It’s important to contact your vet if you suspect that your cat may have parasites as there are a number of health issues associated with this.

Allergies

Just like us humans, our fluffy friends can suffer from allergies and these allergies can affect the cat’s skin and fur.

Stress, food, and the cat’s environment can have an effect on the health of your cat’s skin.

The introduction of new food could be triggering an allergic reaction as well as routine changes but as always, be sure to contact your vet to confirm the causes and treatment.

Do Black Cats Have More Dander?

There has been research into the link between the color of a cat’s fur and the allergic reaction in humans.

Black cats and other dark-colored cats may cause more of an allergic reaction.

In an article dating back to 2001, Pet WebMD reported that owners of darker colored felines were 4 times more likely to have allergy symptoms than those who owned light-colored cats.

This was based on a study by physicians at Long Island College Hospital.

My Final Thoughts

Having said all of this when it comes to black cat dandruff, I don’t think you should worry too much as it’s very common and can usually be treated pretty easily.

In the main photo for this blog post, our American Shorthair called Coco is featured and the small white flecks that you see in the photo are more than likely dander rather than dandruff.

Dander is perfectly normal and part of the skin-shedding process.

We changed Coco’s diet around a year ago and took him off dry food. He lost weight, looks a lot healthier and his coat is so silky and shiny now. It’s amazing!

We replaced his dry food with wet food and we found that he doesn’t really drink from his water bowl anymore as he gets his moisture from the wet food.

The percentage of water in the wet food is similar or higher than food that a cat would catch in the wild.

I read the label of a dry food packet once and to my dismay, there was only 10% moisture in the food when cats are used to around 70% in the wild!

Black cat dandruff may be something that is easily treated just by making simple adjustments to the cat’s diet but as I mentioned earlier, get professional advice if you are concerned.

One thing is for certain, I definitely won’t be feeding any of my cats now or in the future dry food at all. I’m very much into nutrition and I have worked in the field regarding humans.

We are what we eat!

For more black cat content check out the My Mini Panther Facebook page.