Scared semi feral stray cat hiding for a month

[charbby]

Sorry outdoors. As an outdoor cat, sometimes he'll stand in the rain. Don't ask me why. Yup I've been brushing whiskers. He loves it.

He's also warming up to my husband.

He looks content in his box- I don't understand how he is in light rain indoors?

I've been working with animals( not just cats) for over 4 decades - the only time I'd bathe an animal is if they fell in a puddle of oil or something of that nature..... You keep fur bearing animals clean by brushing them,their natural oils cleanse their fur as you brush and brush and brush..

Dogs often get into things that are a terrific mess and it's much easier to bathe them but cats? Cats are meticulously clean-

Did you know that humans didn't always shampoo there hair? How that came about I barely remember but in Sicily I remember watching my great grandmother combing her hair with a very fine tooth comb,her hair was to her knees and smelled so heavenly,never shampood it in her entire life- the natural oils cleanse the hair..... you would think it'd be greasy but that's because you use shampoo and throw the chemistry all off- if you stopped using shampoo and could get past the greasy stage after a month of combing you'd have hair cleaner that you could ever imagine( just some trivia,look it up I'm sure you can find how shampoo got started)

Anyway,brush Whiskers,he will love it- mine go crazy when I say " brush" and they are spotless and there's not fur everywhere- they are groomed every other day

Cute little article
Medieval Hair Washing Myths Busted — SnappyDragon Studios

 

[Kwik]

Sorry outdoors. As an outdoor cat, sometimes he'll stand in the rain. Don't ask me why. Yup I've been brushing whiskers. He loves it.

He's also warming up to my husband.

I promise you in no time he'll be smelling like a baby with constant brushing- people always comment on how good my cats smell ( honest to goodness) and also wonder why their allergies don't go bonkers in my house with 5 cats - besides them being brushed all the time( removing dander) there's other tricks I'll post in a future Thread regarding allergies to animal dander

So keep up the good work and by the time Whiskers is ready for some close contact your nose will be grateful

 

[charbby]

I do brush him but you see his fur is a bit clumpy? He wasn't like this when he was outdoors

 

[Kwik]

I do brush him but you see his fur is a bit clumpy? He wasn't like this when he was outdoors

My Timmys coat went through some changes - it was quite coarse outside when he was malnourished and it changed significantly to smooth after a good steady Diet- when I brought him in he went through another change from the heat to an air conditioned home and was looking a bit scruffy there for a couple of months- now he's soft ,smooth and shiny---- I believe it's just acclimating to the environment,no worries,keep brushing

 

[charbby]

Is fur like this okay?

 

[tabbytom]

Is fur like this okay?

Could it be due to static electricity? Dry air can give cat's fur standing up. The other thing is the build up of natural oils in the fur and can leave the coat greasy and clumpy. Also if the cat cannot groom themselves or are arthritic or have dental issues and they cannot reach certain parts of the body, it'll lead to build up of oils and if they don't groom sufficiently, fur can be matted up.

 

[charbby]

We live in a humid country so don't think it's static. He does groom himself but I guess clearly not enough? I'm trying to brush him every day and wipe. Would that help?

 

[tabbytom]

We live in a humid country so don't think it's static. He does groom himself but I guess clearly not enough? I'm trying to brush him every day and wipe. Would that help?

Oh ok. What kind of brush are you using for him? I suggest you get a soft bristle brush to brush him. A soft bristle brush works very well with short hair and yes, brush him several times a day and not necessary to wipe. See how the brushing goes first.

This is what I use for my boy.

 

[charbby]

I've been using these brushes. Are they not right?

Oh ok. What kind of brush are you using for him? I suggest you get a soft bristle brush to brush him. A soft bristle brush works very well with short hair and yes, brush him several times a day and not necessary to wipe. See how the brushing goes first.

This is what I use for my boy. View attachment 468527

 

[tabbytom]

I've been using these brushes. Are they not right?

These are ok. Just keep brushing often.

 

[Kwik]

Is fur like this okay?

That is exactly how Timmy looked after he first came in,for a while - I also added Lysine supplement to all of their food and I've seen a huge difference in all of their coats- Timmys fur is now flat, smooth and soft - Graycie no longer has dandruff and everyone is extra shiny- that wasn't the reason I started them on Lysine but surely a benefit....

Please try to be patient,just as animals adjust to the seasons and have thicker coats in winter and shed alot in summer they also have a major shift to acclimate to indoor and the unnatural environment and temperature,it takes time.It's metabolic,their body chemistry has to adjust and I believe that's what you're seeing

He's been to the Vet,right? No underlying health conditions which can also contribute to a course rough choppy looking coat ---I have no reason to believe Whiskers is not grooming himself enough,be patient my friend

I'll try to find a picture so you can see Timmys coat change

 

[charbby]

Alright. I brush him at least once a day. Been brushing for at least two weeks tho.

What's lysine? Should I be adding supplements to his food? I crush up egg shells (cooked to get rid of bacteria), for him sometimes.

 

[Kwik]

There's nothing wrong with his coat,he's got coarse fur- like Timmy and my Max... Pictures of Timmy are hard to see in the enclosure back in June but I'll post them anyway- compared to now 8 months later (& your talking about 2 weeks?) Brushing is good to run his oils through his fur,stimulate the skin etc but it's not going to change a coarse coat,but it might get less coarse from being indoors- give it some time though


But now his coat flattened to a smoother less choppy appearance as it has gotten much softer

 

[Kwik]

Lysine is a great immune support- I started as anti viral support for feline herpes virus as my Max had eye infections due to flare ups- my Vet highly recommended I give it to all of them and it's safe for prolonged use- so of course if you want to add Lysine it has many benefits
https://www.chewy.com/alpha-paw-cat...F7uyqMhOkERzOAH9AHPhwx7E7Fu998E4aAjhoEALw_wcB

 

[Kwik]

That's Max- very coarse coated- see how choppy his coat looks?That's back a while but it's how his fur is,it looks like it separates because he has a thick coarse coat- nothing wrong with him but he has a different coat than Graycie( Russian Blue - short thick like a soft fur coat) or Sami who is soft and silky as satin

 

[charbby]

Sounds good. I'll look into lysine. I've just bought fish oil to add to his food. Hope it'll help his fur overtime

 

[charbby]

I've brushed and wiped daily and it's still like this

 

[Kwik]

I've brushed and wiped daily and it's still like this

Because he's coarse coated- looks perfectly normal to me for his type of fur.... honest to goodness - My Timmy has same coat,many times at a glance I think he got scratched or has a wound becsusd the fur separates when he's in different positions- it's just thick and coarse

 

[tabbytom]

I've brushed and wiped daily and it's still like this

Wonder if he has some wired coat genes in him

 

[charbby]

His fur is soft tho idk
It's not bristle like

Because he's coarse coated- looks perfectly normal to me for his type of fur.... honest to goodness - My Timmy has same coat,many times at a glance I think he got scratched or has a wound becsusd the fur separates when he's in different positions- it's just thick and coarse