Conference misery::feline_v1

    Lisa,
    	I've never tried it but I give Tiger a raw egg yolk once a
    week and it makes his coat beautiful - soft and shinny.  I have
    heard that egg white is not good for cats, that's why I just
    give him the yolk.  Also Tiger's whiskers seem to kink up a bit
    when I don't feed him the egg yolk, but when I do give it to
    him, his whiskers straighten out.  What is interesting, is that
    they straighten out almost immediately - with one day.  In fact
    I have been thinking of giving him an egg twice a week.  
    	Do any of you breeders have any comments about feeding eggs
    to cats?  Is it good for them or not?  Cooked or raw?  Yolk or
    white?  I would like to know if I'm doing the wrong thing.
    
    Thanks,
    Nancy                                                  

    I have been adding egg yolk (raw) to my cat's food every now and
    then for many years.  I have never noticed any problems with doing
    it.  Egg whites shouldn't be given to cats since they can't digest
    it.
    
    Jo

    Is there any risk of salmonella from the yolks for cats?  Or is it
    just a 'people' disease?
    
    				Mary  

    Cats can get salmonella too.  I have never had a problem with it
    in my cats though, and I have been giving them raw egg yolks for
    years.
    
    Jo

    Lisa,
    
    Have you tried your cat with a tin of Sardines, Pilchards etc in
    oil.  I feed Spookie this atleast once a week, combined with a good
    brushing every night she has the glossiest coat I have seen.
    She may be skinny, but she has a great coat.  
    
    A few weeks back she had a very bad attack of Gastroenteritis, she
    was pretty bad (Daddy and I were very worried).  The vet gave us
    antibiotics for her and said to feed her on scrambled egg, I take
    it this was okay as she devoured the lot and looked for more.  So my
    question is, is egg white okay for a cat if it has been cooked?
    
    By the way, the oil in the fish will also help combat furballs.
    
    Regards
    Tracy and a very full of life, bouncing back to health Spookie.

    My cat book, the British Vetenary Association version, says that
    cats can be fed raw yolks or cooked whole eggs, never feed raw egg
    white and dont feed more than 2 eggs a week.
    
    It makes no mention of salmonella, but I didn't change my eating
    habbits after the scare so why should the pussies?
    
    

Our two cats get a couple of "Kitzyme" tablets crushed and mixed-in with
each meal. "Kitzyme" consists mainly of yeast and calcium, and was recommended
to us by the breeder. It certainly seems to keep our cats' coats shiny.
*DC

One caveat should be added here.  If your cat suddenly has a change
in coat texture or condition, it can be an indication of endocrine
or thyroid imbalance and is a good indicator that a visit to the
vet is in order.  Now, assuming this is not the problem:

powdered brewers yeast (like people eat) can be mixed with the moist
food and will also do wonderful things for the coat....however, be
careful not to give too much all at once...it can lead to (how can
I say this delicately?)..gas.  Try just a sprinkle for a few days,
gradully increasing to approx. 1/2 level teaspoon for an adult cat or
normal size (10 - 15 lb.).

as for oil, I simple feed some of the small tins of "premium" cat
food...it has lots of fat in it - that's why your cat loves it...of
course, most of my cats can't eat canned food, but the one who does
has a perfectly glorious coat.  I also feed a premium kibble (IAMS)
and all cats coats are very nice and healthy...the one disadvantage
to feeding oil/fat supplements is that they can CAUSE an imbalance of
nutrients - almost all contain lots of vitamin A or vitamin E due to the
type of oils/fats on which the supplement is based.  It should not,
in my vet's opinion, be a regular and continuous habit to feed an
otherwise healthy cat any of these supplements.  Of course, Barbara
is conservative in her approach to care and feeding of felines, so
other vets may differ.

One more thought....if a cat is dirty, the coat is dull and rough...a
bath might be the ticket.  It is an old wives' tale that cats never
need bathing.  They get just as dirty as a dog or a 3 year old kid...
and the solution is the same....lots of squalling and protesting
included.  Cats groom to keep their coats NEAT, but that doesn't
mean CLEAN.

    Mmmmmmm ...... I think its time I owned up to the real reason for
    wanting Pookies fur to look better ......
    
    We are expecting a call from the breeder of our new kitten. I want
    Pookie to look *GREAT* when she comes round to visit. Her coat is
    much improved already. We have been brushing and combing her at
    every opportunity and now with the supplement she looks really
    good. Her coat is very soft and glossy! I bought a new brush
    which is sort of rubbery and removes old fur. She doesnt
    tolerate baths, but she did get caught in the rain a couple of
    days ago, and after we dried her it was sort of like a bath ;-)
    
    Thanks for all the advice. I won't be feeding her the oily stuff
    for much longer because I don't think its a good idea to give 
    her stuff that she doesn't really need. She really likes it though!
    
    Lisa plus Pookie the glossy cat!
    

    I've been feeding Pet-tab granules to my gang for several months
    now and they all have beautiful glossy, luxurious coats.
      N