Dear Siouxsie and Thomas:
Hi, my name's Storm and whenever my mommy brushes my sister and me, there is always dandruff and fur in the brush. We are short-haired kitties and shed often so mommy brushes us at least once a week. Is dandruff normal? What can mommy do to help us?

Thanks,
~ Storm

Siouxsie: Well, Storm, as much as we hate to admit it, all animals -- even cats -- do produce some dander as a matter of course. It tends to be more noticeable on cats whose fur is black or some other dark color.

Thomas: Dander is more commonly seen in dry climates or during dry times of the year. For example, you can really see the dander on Siouxsie's fur during the winter, when the air is dry because of heating systems.

Siouxsie: It's not like you're exactly Mister Dander-Free yourself, stripy man!

Thomas: I was agreeing with you, Siouxsie. Jeez, you're so grumpy!

Siouxsie: Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted ... although some dander is normal, an excess of dander can indicate underlying issues. Skin cells regenerate constantly, and dead skin cells are sloughed off in the natural course of daily life. This happens in every warm-blooded creature, including humans.

Thomas: Holistic veterinarians view the skin as an organ of elimination, and therefore any skin condition, whether it be hot spots, eczema, or even excessive dandruff, can indicate that the cat's body is having trouble ridding itself of toxins in the environment.

Siouxsie: Of course, it could simply indicate that your human is shampooing you (Ick! I shudder at the very thought!) with something that's drying out your skin.

Thomas: Your human is doing the right thing by brushing you weekly. Brushing stimulates the skin and helps keep good circulation, which helps eliminate toxins. It also helps the skin get rid of its dead cells, and the brushing will naturally result in bringing up some dander.

Siouxsie: If your human is brushing you with the wrong kind of brush, she may be scratching your skin and causing excess skin cell shedding. A hairbrush designed for humans or for long-haired cats can cause irritation of the skin and increase dander.

Thomas: Short-haired cats like you (and like us) should be brushed with a rubber slicker brush. These brushes are made of soft, flexible rubber and have little conical teeth with soft points at the end. We've got a brush like this and we love it. We call it the Mama Kitty Tongue because when Mama uses it on us, we feel like our mama-kitty is grooming us!

Siouxsie: Generally speaking, short-haired cats don't need to be bathed. We do a very good job of cleaning our own fur, unless we get into something really nasty or we get sprayed by a skunk or something. If you get fleas, your human may choose to bathe you as part of a flea control program, too.

Thomas: Of course, a good-quality diet consisting of the highest-quality food your mommy can afford to feed you will help your overall health and probably make your skin better, too.

Siouxsie: Pure water is another must. If your mommy has a pitcher filter, she should give you drinking water run through that instead of straight from the tap ... especially if you live in a city where they put chlorine and other nasty-tasting things in the water.

Thomas: There are some supplements your mommy can add to your diet that will help the condition of your skin. Holistic vet Martin Goldstein recommends adding cold-pressed safflower oil to the diet because it contains fatty acids that improve the skin condition. He doesn't say exactly how much, but we'd think maybe a teaspoon a day drizzled over your food would be quite yummy.

Siouxsie: Martin Goldstein's brother Robert Goldstein, another holistic veterinarian, gave several other great nutritional recommendations in his book The Goldsteins' Wellness and Longevity Program. He recommends using flaxseed oil (this oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which are very beneficial for the skin) at a dose of 1 teaspoon a day with meals.

Thomas: But my favorite recommendation -- and my mouth waters just thinking about this -- is salmon oil. According to Robert Goldstein, salmon oil contains the fatty acids DHA and EPA, as well as arachnoidic acid (which is required by cats). Give one teaspoon of salmon oil per meal. Mmmmm, yummy!

Siouxsie: We think if your mommy gives you high-quality food and pure water and adds some of these supplements to your diet, your coats will be shiny and wonderful and dandruff-free!

Thomas: Of course, it should go without saying that your mommy should ask your vet whether the dandruff you have is "too much" or if it's a relatively normal amount. As we said, dark-furred cats show dander a lot more than light-furred cats, so it may simply be that your dandruff looks worse than it is.

Siouxsie: We hope this helps you and your mommy, Storm. Please let us know how it goes.

Thomas: Especially if you manage to talk her into giving you salmon oil! Gosh, we're going to have to start getting dander so our mama will feed us salmon oil ....

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.