Of all the animals that are bred specifically for domestication by humans, cats are one of the most likely to develop skin problems, so if you own a cat, skin care for your pet should be an important part of your routine. There are a variety of natural feline skin care products that you should be aware of.
Natural Flea Killers
While synthetic flea killers are only intended to be toxic to fleas and not cats, there is still some potential for them to harm a cat. In rare cases, synthetic pesticides can cause convulsions or respiratory problems, and the repeated use of these chemicals over a long period of time can result in kidney failure. Since it can be difficult to treat fleas without these possibly harmful substances, the best natural treatment is prevention. Fleas lay their eggs off of their host, in dark, inaccessible places around the house or outside, such as between floorboards, so sprays have been invented to kill fleas and their eggs in the environment, thereby restricting the possibility of a cat contracting an infestation.
These sprays usually contain freeze-dried nematodes, a very tiny group of worms, and the species of nematode usually contained in the spray is a natural predator of fleas. These nematodes are dormant when freeze dried, but when the spray comes into contact with moisture, the worms wake up and feed on fleas. The use of a flea comb can help to remove flea populations on a cat's body, and to supplement use of the flea comb, there are some topically applied blends of herbs, spices, and oils have been known to repel fleas from a cat's fur. A popular and simple mixture is ground cloves in eucalyptus oil, although other ingredients may include pennyroyal, citronella, wormwood, cedar and rosemary. The acids in citrus are also thought to repel fleas when rubbed into a cat's fur.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is used to aid in the treatments of a wide variety of feline conditions, including inflammatory disorders, kidney disease, arthritis, itching, and other allergy-related skin conditions. Since allergies are an autoimmune response, which usually involves unnecessary swelling, skin problems caused by allergies in cats are most likely to involve inflamed, irritated areas of the skin. Because skin allergies work this way, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are excellent at removing skin allergy symptoms. Fish oil is administered daily as a dietary supplement, so in some cases it can be used as a final and conclusive treatment for feline skin allergy.
Shampoo
Hygiene is an important part of feline skin care. There are many naturally based shampoos available for use on cats. Ideally, you should wash your cat with shampoo about once per week to remove oily secretions from the cat's skin that build up under the fur, but be sure not to use shampoo on your cat too often, because those oils are used in a variety of ways by the cat's body, including regulation of water loss due to evaporation from the skin. If they are washed away too often, skin problems such as dry skin can occur.
Many skin care products for cats are synthetic, and can cause side effects that would not occur in the case of natural treatment. It is generally considered safer to use natural products for feline skin conditions, as they are less likely to cause negative side effects.