Oily Hair in Cats - Causes and Treatment

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 27 January 2021
Update Date: 19 May 2024
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On some occasions our feline companions have oily fur. In most of them, it is something accidental, the cause of which must be sought in the exploratory curiosity of our cats. They love to explore and venture into unlikely places, which can be dirty. One take a good shower will solve this one-off problem.

However, at other times the oily hair is the result of a disease or genetic alteration. So, if your cat suffers from this last problem, don't miss this PeritoAnimal article about fur oily in cats - causes and treatment.

seborrheic diseases

Seborrhea is a chronic problem that some cats suffer in their dermis (in many occasions these are hereditary problems). Its main characteristics are the production of excessive scales and an abnormality in the lipids of the epidermis. There are two types of seborrhea:


  • dry seborrhea: The skin, generated scales and hair have a dry appearance.
  • oily seborrhea: The skin, produced scales and hair have an oily appearance. It is very common for this type of seborrhea to make the cat itchy.

Causes of seborrhea

Seborrhea means sebum flow. This same flow can be classified as follows:

  • primary seborrhea: It is called this when an anomaly occurs in the keratinization process of skin cells. Very often it is of hereditary origin. It is usually a mild condition, although it can be permanently treated, as it is generally incurable due to genetic origins.
  • secondary seborrhea: This is the name of seborrhea caused by external or internal agents. They can be: endocrine diseases, parasites, nutritional deficits and allergies, among other causes. To be able to cure it, it is necessary to know the exact cause that produces it and to cure the disease before eliminating the seborrhea caused by the disease.

Diagnosis of feline seborrhea

To successfully treat feline seborrhea, that is, a case of oily hair in cats, it is essential to veterinarian diagnosis. Seborrhea is an alteration that can be very complex, being the symptom of a serious illness of the cat.


In many occasions, genetic primary seborrhea is added to secondary seborrhea of ​​pathogenic origin. For this reason, it is essential to investigate the causes of the dermal anomaly that produces the oily fur on cats.

Feline seborrhea treatment

Depending on the diagnosis issued by the veterinarian, a treatment will be applied to our cat so that it no longer has oily fur. One correct food it is essential to cover possible nutritional deficits. In addition deworming internal and external feline will help in cases of secondary seborrhea.

Depending on the origin of the seborrhea, the veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics, antifungals, or any other appropriate drug to treat the disease that produces seborrhea in the cat.


anti-seborrheic shampoos

In any case, in the face of feline seborrhea, it will be essential to use a proper shampoo, A suitable anti-seborrheic shampoo consists of an aqueous solution, modified through surface active agents or surfactants (soaps or detergents), chemical essences, and therapeutic active agents to specifically treat the cause of oily skin in cats.

To successfully eliminate or palliate feline seborrhea, the cat must have very clean skin and specific agents against its type of seborrhea must be used.

home remedies

In a subject as complex as feline seborrhea, we must decline home remedies. Seborrhea is a symptom of an illness and not an illness in itself.

Therefore, if you do not have pharmacological or chemical studies, you are not able to prepare a formula that, in any case, must be prescribed by the veterinarian to attack the concrete cause that seborrhea produces in our cat.