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My cat's fur is ALWAYS full of static. I get shocked pretty much every time I touch him. The only place I can really pet him without it happening is his face. His fur also doesn't "lay down" correctly either. According to google it's apparently caused by dry climates. I'm in Denver, so that makes sense. What can I do to make it go away? I did a search and what came up was to give him a bath (HA! HA! He's mild mannered, but that's not happening. It said kittens may get used to it, but he's already an adult) or buy some sort of special spray. I've looked online and have yet to find whatever spray they're talking about- I don't see anything specifically made for cats and I'd be afraid to spray anything else on his fur since obviously he'd be licking it later. I also saw a suggestion to get a humidifier. That's rather expensive, and I really like that there's not much humidity around here. I'd consider it only if I could hear from actual people that have tried it that it really worked.
Yeah, that happens here in winter when the house is dry.
I don't want the cats to associate getting petted with
getting a shock. I try to "ground" myself if I can.
To avoid that static we have 3 humidifiers running in our house in winter. We are now in FL in our RV for the rest of the winter but don't have that problem as it's not as airtight as our house in TN. At home we use the water-breaker type humidifier. They can be found for under $25.
If he only eats dry food it could also speak to the condition of his coat. You may want to try feeding wet food, adding some fish oil to the diet, or some canned fish. Mine eat tuna, salmon and crab. Watch how much you give at first because it's rich and can cause some tummy upset.
You also want to REALLY pay attention to the sodium on the label with these. You'd be amazed how much sodium can be in some brands! And you have to imagine this in your small cat - it's a lot per serving. I always buy the packed in water and reduced sodium - I have very good luck with the Trader Joes and Whole Food Market brands being pretty good.
Some of the mass market tuna also has junk in it like Soy so watch that as well (for human too!). Mine love the fish and their coats really show how healthy their bodies are for the natural food intake. When I make shrimp for myself I also usually cook a few separately with no spices and they get those.
My Siberian loves yogurt. Be careful that you are eating (or at least giving your cat) a natural product. Nothing containing any artificial sweetener as this can be very dangerous for them. I eat fage brand - My hubby likes the "plain" from Trader Joes and they just love it! A few spoon fulls on the plate, or if you are me, then you just let them lick it of your spoon and you share. I figure I've encountered worse from a Target grocery cart then what my cat can pass off on my spoon
My cat's fur is ALWAYS full of static. I get shocked pretty much every time I touch him. The only place I can really pet him without it happening is his face. His fur also doesn't "lay down" correctly either. According to google it's apparently caused by dry climates. I'm in Denver, so that makes sense. What can I do to make it go away? I did a search and what came up was to give him a bath (HA! HA! He's mild mannered, but that's not happening. It said kittens may get used to it, but he's already an adult) or buy some sort of special spray. I've looked online and have yet to find whatever spray they're talking about- I don't see anything specifically made for cats and I'd be afraid to spray anything else on his fur since obviously he'd be licking it later. I also saw a suggestion to get a humidifier. That's rather expensive, and I really like that there's not much humidity around here. I'd consider it only if I could hear from actual people that have tried it that it really worked.
Have lived in Aurora for over 30 years and yes it is very dry out here - we have three standalone humidifiers/vaporizers running 24/7 for the last year or so .... not because of the static but because I couldn't breathe any more .... but it has alleviated the 'shock' we used to get from our cats ... we give them both 'soft' and dry food .... now as to the 'shock' I get whenever I go to the King Soopers and try to get milk - I've finally decided to cover my hand in my jacket and touch the handle very slowly
(the cheap vaporizers and humidifiers work just as well as the expensive by the way) good luck!
If your cat always has static, the air in your home is really too dry. This leaves you more susceptible to upper respiratory infections, so you really ought to consider getting a humidifier. You can control how much humidity you're adding to the air. And there are humidifiers that aren't that expensive.
Ok I'll look into getting the humidifier. My cat is a cuddler and is always by my side/in my lap asking for pets. The static doesn't seem to deter him any, but I still feel bad. He already gets wet food.
Humidifiers are cheap, I picked one up at Target for $35, just running it at night has made a big difference in the static factor of the house. It's good for his fur and your skin.
I can't use humidifiers because I have so many electronics and I find they create a coating inside of them. For my own hair, I run a used unscented dryer sheet over it. However, they are NOT considered safe for pets. I bring this up because in searching for static tips online, I keep coming up with suggestions to wipe them down with a dryer sheet. They have chemicals in them that the animal may ingest when they groom and just aren't worth the risk.
I live in Colorado and we have static/shock problems at our house too. Humidifiers have helped. They can be very expensive, even before the filters need to be replaced, and I worry about mold if they aren't cleaned regularly and properly. How many of us can honestly say that we are diligent about keeping up with [all] that maintenance? So when I needed another for the back room, I tried to make it as clean, cheap and easy to maintain as possible, this what I came up with.
FYI: I wanted one that day, so I didn't look on line, you may want to though.
Bought this one at Target, Vicks Evaporative Warm Mist Humidifier - V-745A : Target no filter, it kills germs with UV light, and so far I've only used distilled water in it so I don't have to be diligent about cleaning it for mineral deposits. I don't let water "stand" in it. Also, don't add anything to vapo-cup disperser thingy, it can be difficult to be sure what is safe to use around cats, so why take chances.
I actually got this one because Alfredo has been a little congested, and it helps him breathe easier.
I also use a UV light wand by Verilux, and a HAAN hand held steamer to sanitize Everything, after I clean by wiping down, with Murphy's Oil Soap, a vegetable based soap so I don't need to use bleach or other chemicals.
The HAAN steamer is the only one I found that gets over 200 degrees, 210/214 degrees average, I have a thermometer that verified the temperature. Those temperatures should be hot enough to affect flea and bed bug populations, but I have no first person, actual, experience with that.
FYI: The Shark Hand held steamer, that I returned, reached a top heat of 99 degrees.
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