I've found that a good diet (you will need to experiement a bit to find out what is best for a particular cat) eliminates the fleas. There is also a very fine toothed metal comb that will take out all of the mats and loose undercoat, which should help if the cat is too fat to clean himself. It's also wonderful for all cats. The really good groomers use it and show people use it daily. It completely gets rid of hair balls and any shedding. Also, just a few pounds of weight loss will do wonders for the dandruff.

I wasn't aware of the information on leaving food out. I had one cat who used to panic whenever there wasn't food in her bowl. She didn't eat it, but just checked periodically to make sure it was there. She was a pound save, so I think she may have been starved at some point. It doesn't bother my other kitties who mostly like to eat first thing in the morning and then again in the evening. Even when food is out, they don't seem to go into the kitchen at any other time, unless they are following me and they don't even check out the bowl then.

Can the owner engage him in some play several times a day? He may not do a lot at first because of his weight, but think of it as a beginning exercise program - start slow and gradually work up. Also, can you separate the cats while they eat and give one a more dense diet than the other? Are you sure the cat is geting the right balance of fats in his diet? This also could cause both emotional problems and skin problems.

__________________
Shirley Reischman