Oil to add to cats food?

Pumpkinseeds

Our vet suggesteed adding some olive oil or sunflower oil to Felix's food as his skin is dry. I've tried tinned tuna in both the sunflower oil and olive oil and he won't eat it. I've tried adding a little of them to his wet food and he just walks away from it. His skin is very dry and I'm looking for any recommendations for an oil to try. I tried salmon oil in the past and that didn't work either. At the moment he looks like he has a bit of dandruff so I'd like to get it sorted. Recommendations would be appreciated.:)

tk123

This stuff from zooplus is really good - http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/supplements_specialty_cat_food/fur_skin_supplements/127321

muddypaws

A friend of mine is adding coconut oil to everything, and swears by it. I'd suggest you double check that it is safe for cats, but I can't see why not.

mymo

It is safe for cats, I asked about it on here before, still didn't find a reasonably priced supply, anyone any suggestions?

Alun

mymo wrote: »

It is safe for cats, I asked about it on here before, still didn't find a reasonably priced supply, anyone any suggestions?

Coconut oil is used in many Asian cuisines. I'd try one of the big Asian stores in Dublin if you're there.

mymo

Many miles from dublin, but thanks anyway, might be up there at some stage.
My local Supervalu had big tubs of it for about €10, but it's been out of stock since the one time I saw it and didn't have the cash for it.
May try some of the bigger town ones, ours is tiny.

Pumpkinseeds

mymo wrote: »

It is safe for cats, I asked about it on here before, still didn't find a reasonably priced supply, anyone any suggestions?

Cocowel coconut oil is under 6 euro for a big tub of it in Dunnes, I used to use it on my skin during the Summer. It's pure and cooking grade.:)

tk123

Coconut oil is meant to be great for topical use too as well as ear mites. I've been rubbing it into Lucy's face where she'a scratched it and made it a bit raw and it's really improved since yesterday combined with our trusty buster collar. Only prob is that I also give it to them mashed into their morning banana and peanut butter treat... so Bailey keeps trying to lick it off my fingers as I rub it on lol!!

anniehoo

I'm giving Charlie half a tsp of KTC Pure Coconut oil 3 times a week. He literally eats it straight off my finger (it's solid at room temp). Tesco had it on sale recently for €2 for 500g. I had initially bought it in an Asian food shop for €6 so I stocked up. Have swapped it for the oil I was using when cooking for me too.

In saying that,it's refined. Unrefined (virgin) is meant to be better but more expensive. I've read a myriad of different reviews so I'm not sold on any particular brand or type yet.

Pumpkinseeds

Thanks for the suggestions. He's such a suspicious chap, I suppose he's wary of all the antibiotics and painkillers we had to hide in his food over the years. Jazzy is the very same.

Pumpkinseeds

Has anyone tried hemp seed oil on dogs or cats with allergies? I was browsing Zooplus and I came across it for pets with allergies. Poppy doesn't have fleas but she's always scratching and tearing at her fur like she's irritated. I'm thinking of getting it for her and Felix.

New Home

It's not something you could add to his food, it'd be more for his skin as such, but I recently found a lotion/cream called Moo Goo Scalp Cream - the 270g bottle was €12-€19 depending on the shop. It's for humans, but it has the exact same ingredients of a cream used on cows' udders - hence the name - and if I remember correctly it's food-grade so if the cat grooms himself it should be safe. My mother has been using it on patches of dermatitis on her face and on "cradlecap", and I've even used it on the skin of a rescue blackbird who had gone bald and whose skin was veeery dry, and now his feathers are starting to come up again. Neem oil is also excellent to use on the skin - diluted! - it works as a parasite repellent and fungicide. Doesn't smell too bad, but it's not as nice as the Moo Goo cream...

Hope kitty gets better soon!

Irish Stones

Over here we can buy a product called "Omega Pet". It's a fish oil in soft capsules. It smells like fish and the cat as well will slightly smell like fish after a long period of treatment.
Or you could use something like this
http://www.zooplus.com/shop/dogs/supplements_specialty_food/hair_skin/more_skin_and_coat_supplements/139892

I tried with olive oil in the past, but the strong flavour of that oil wasn't appreciated by the cats

boomerang

Just discovered coconut oil, a small teaspoon is nice in porridge - going to try it in my coffee, too. Eddie and Joe (cats) go mad for it! I have to mind their weight carefully as they're indoor-only, but they get a taste each in the morning when I'm making my porridge.

(Incidentally it's the Cocowel stuff, from Dunnes.)

New Home

Coconut oil is fantastic stuff, I add it to "human" soups (no, I'm not a cannibal!) and I've made both brownies and cheesecake with it. JUST... YUM!. It's great for animals too

mymo

Cheesecake?

Recipe?
Please

Oliver the dog ate the coconut oil off the spoon, Tiffi and cats are more suspicious. Going to try adding it to their food.

New Home

Just substitute the normal butter in the biscuit base with coconut butter... I'll dig out the recipe later on, anyway. Mmmmmmmh... cheeeeesecaaaaaaaakeeeee....

Pumpkinseeds

I got nowhere with the coconut oil, none of them are interested, so I've ordered some Hemp seed oil, hopefully they might like that one.

New Home

Maybe if you smear it on their fur they'll groom themselves and ingest some... Alternatively, have you tried melting it and mixing it with their wet food?

mymo

Mine didn't like it much either, except Jake but he loves Thai curry or korma etc, anything with coconut milk.
I'm going to warm it slightly to liquefy it and mix it with wet food tonight.

Pumpkinseeds

New Home wrote: »

Maybe if you smear it on their fur they'll groom themselves and ingest some... Alternatively, have you tried melting it and mixing it with their wet food?

They just walk away from the food when we put mix it in and Poppy just runs off when she smells it on my hand. Neurotic bunch of cats:D

New Home

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

They just walk away from the food when we put mix it in and Poppy just runs off when she smells it on my hand. Neurotic bunch of cats

I can picture them looking at you full of disdain, and thinking "Coconut? Who do you take me for, Carmen Miranda?"

Hope you'll have more success with the hemp oil...:)

Pumpkinseeds

New Home wrote: »

I can picture them looking at you full of disdain, and thinking "Coconut? Who do you take me for, Carmen Miranda?"

Hope you'll have more success with the hemp oil...:)

Yeah, Jazzy kicks out a rear paw as he's walking away from it as if to say 'filth'.

Pumpkinseeds

Toby decided to lick my hands last night after my shower, don't know whether it was the E45 lotion or the Sanctuary 2 day body oil that he liked the taste of but neither can be added to food.:D