Why do we feed our animals better than ourselves?

Henrietta visits the vet

Question: My hair is lifeless, ugly, with no shine. It is very unhealthy looking. Do you have any good words?

Mimi: I took Henrietta Pussy Cat (named for Mr. Rogers’ TV puppet cat) to Dr. Burch at Animal Medical on 5th St. for her annual check up. She is a homely, tortoise short hair stray that I found at the pound when she was fully grown. She had the coarsest, most miserable fur then that I didn’t even want to pet her. But she was a sweetie and purred well, so we went home together. My previous cat had disappeared. Someone told me that the coyotes got her. I asked, “ What did they do? Smuggle her into Mexico?”

I told Dr. Burch that her fur was icky when I adopted her from the shelter, and that now it is lovely, shiny, soft and luxurious. I said that it was as though she had Pantene Conditioner in her tongue as she grooms. I asked if she was now soft because my petting her stimulated the oil glands, kind of like the old 100 strokes with a hairbrush every night routine for shiny hair.
He told me that it was totally her diet.

“I can always tell a well fed pet by its coat. You feed Henrietta healthy food, so that is why her coat is so beautiful.”

So I got thinking about that. She doesn’t eat sugar or sugar substitute. No coffee, alcohol, or sodas; but lots of water instead. No fast food, salty or greasy food. No nitrates, nitrites, artificial coloring, and nothing fried. No white flour, candy, cookies, or desserts. She consumes quantities of fish and some lean chicken. Plus, she gets LOTS of sleep.

I pondered: if we ate that way and added in some fruits, veggies, beans, and nuts, then we would have lovely glossy coats. Our skin, hair, and nails (Oh boy does she have the nails!) would be beautiful. Beauty really is an “inside job.”

Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands.
Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.