Your cat’s fur is so soft because she’s cared for well.
Your goal is to understand her behavior and groom her accordingly to ensure that her fur remains lovely and manageable for you.
While cats don’t have a set of specific commands, you can teach her a few simple gestures.So, why is my cat’s fur so soft?
While cats don’t have a set of specific commands, you can teach her a few simple gestures. For example, experts say that it helps to brush your cat regularly with a feline-specific brush that removes loose hair without causing stress and pain.
Brushing your cat regularly helps to remove excess loose hair that can clog the hair follicles and result in hairballs, which your cat will try to pass in her litter box.
Also be sure to regularly clean the litter box to ensure proper hygiene and prevent unpleasant odors from building up in your home.
If you notice your cat is shedding a lot, it’s best to take her to the veterinarian for an examination if the symptoms persist.
Why Is My Cat’s Fur So Soft?
For a variety of natural reasons, some cats are naturally more prone to having a soft coat than others.
Diet, genetics, and grooming all have a role to play when it comes to your pet’s coat.
Cats have have a three-layer coat that helps them keep warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather.
Grooming
They untangle knots, remove filth, and disperse natural oils from their skin.
Grooming also removes superfluous hairs that rub against furnishings or clothing thereby causing hair and dander to be shed from the cat.
Cats get softer in cold weather and harder in hot weather, and the hair on their belly is softer than on other parts of the body.
Brushing and washing your cat and cat bedding every other week may also help keep dander to a minimum.
This article offers numerous recommendations on how to prevent your cat from shedding excessively and how to care for a shedding cat.
Furthermore, feeding them vitamins like coconut oil, vitamin E and fatty acids can help tame hairballs and excess shedding.
Constant Baths
Some cats may not get soft enough with regular grooming and may be tempted to bathe daily.
Grime is a normal issue for cats; however, bathing a cat too often can lead to dermatitis and a cat that is allergic to bathing products may develop a skin condition called feline acne or feline acne rosacea.
While cats have naturally beautiful hair that is soft and silky, it isn’t without its problems.
Bathing the cat to keep clean can cause their fur to become rough and brittle, especially if the water is not thoroughly rinsed from their fur.
Genetics
Because they are used to colder regions, many breeds of cats have thick coats to keep them warm in the winter months.
Some cats get the softness of their coat from long hair while others have coarse hair that sheds quite extensively.
Certain breeds, such as the Siamese, have silky hair that is significantly softer than on other parts of the body.
Others, like as the Persian and Himalayan, can have hair that is longer and thicker but still quite soft.
Longhaired breeds are also often more prone for matting and tangles than breeds that shed little or not at all in their adulthood.
Double Coat
The fact that your kitty’s hair contains more protein than other cat breeds does not contribute to its softness.
Most cats have an undercoat, also known as down hair, which is long, soft and dense, whereas the coarser outer coat helps to keep them warm.
Minerals and Vitamins
A cat’s diet must also include certain minerals and vitamins for the health of their coat and skin.
Copper and zinc, for the health of their immune system and the production of collagen and keratin for healthy skin and fur.
A deficiency in these minerals may often cause flaking skin or dry skin in the cat.
Fats
Cats need a lot of fat in their diet for healthy skin and fur.
These are also known as oils or essential fats and can be found mainly in fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel as well as organ meats like liver, chicken.
Cats, like humans, produce oils from essential fats and these need to be present in the diet in order to replace the oils they lose through grooming and normal bodily functions.
Their hair gets matted, dry, and rough when it is deficient in these fats and results in it growing at a much slower rate than usual.
Proteins
According to the Feline Nutrition Foundation, a cat’s hair is predominately made of protein however not as much protein as you might think.
Furthermore, roughly 25-30% of the animal’s total body weight is made up of protein but of that less than 10% is actually contained in hair.
As you can see, protein consumption by cats does not play as large a role in maintaining healthy skin and fur as it appears to most owners that supplement their pet’s diet with.
Why Are Cats So Soft Behind Their Ears?
There is no clear reason why cats have a soft spot behind their ears and most people cannot answer this question.
For one thing, cats’ ears are very movable, so having another one is not an unreasonable thing to expect.
This shorter, softer hair may also interfere with hearing and make it easier for cats to hear or see prey easier.
In addition to helping felines hear better, a coat of shorter fur may also interfere with hearing and make it easier for cats to hear or see prey easier.
Cat ears are small and furry so longer hair can make it difficult to see or hear well, says the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC).
Why Are Cats Softer Than Dogs?
Cats and dogs are very different animals in appearance and behavior.
Dogs have an undercoat for insulation and a top coat to resist water and wind.
When it comes to softness, the undercoat is important, which is one reason that dogs can have such a crazy coat when it’s cold outside but not much fur when it’s not.
If the guard hairs on a dog’s coat are harsh, they can cause friction and skin irritations to the skin underneath the coat.
Also Read: Do Maine Coons Have Oily Fur?
Why Are Some Cats More Soft Than Others?
You may have observed that no matter how soft you tried to get your cat to groom herself, she always seems to groom a certain part of her body in a more painstaking fashion.
Perhaps you’ve encountered comparable breeds of dogs and have wondered why some seem to be just a little more soft than other breeds.
Conclusion
Genetics, grooming, and environmental factors all play roles in how soft and silky a cat’s coat is.
If all of this is in action, the cat will maintain a healthy coat and skin.
In addition, the pet cat grooming company experts recommend brushing your cat several times a week or every couple of days if necessary to remove dead hair and help prevent hairballs and excessive shedding.
While there are many reasons why this happens, the best tip is to make sure your cat has a healthy diet, a quality cat food that provides for all the nutrition your cat needs to thrive.
