Are you fed up with excessive shedding of your furry companion? Although pet parenting is quite a challenging thing, you can still overcome the perks by following easy tips. Shedding is the most common thing in felines. Sadly, it turns out to be an irritating thing for pet parents.
Excessive cat shedding leads to hairballs and several other issues. Shedding is the most common thing in felines. Sadly, it turns out to be an irritating thing for pet parents. Excessive cat shedding leads to hairballs, sticks to furniture, appears all over the floor, and even in home-cooked meals which is the worst thing.
Wondering Why Is My Cat Shedding So Much? Well, there are several reasons behind excessive shedding in cats. Now, the problem is ‘how to reduce shedding in cats.’ Whatever may be the cause of shedding, here’s how to reduce shedding in cats and maintain your home and furniture fur-free.
Contents
- Why Does My Cat Shed Fur So Much?
- Causes Of Shedding In Cats
- Health Problems Causing Shedding In Cats
- How Does Nutrition Impact Cat Shedding?
- Fish Oil And Cat Shedding
- How To Reduce Shedding In Cats?
- 1. Frequent Brushing
- 2. Provide a High-Quality & Healthy Balanced Diet
- 3. Prepare a Grooming Routine
- 4. Give Frequent Baths to Your Furry Friend
- 5. Adequate Hydration
- 6. Give Vet-Prescribed Cat Supplements
- 7. Avoid Outdoor Exposure
- 8. Generate a Stress-Free Environment
- 9. Provide a Cat-Friendly Location
- 10. Regular Exercising
- 11. Indulge in Playful Activities
- 12. Monitor Cat’s Health
- 13. Use Cat-Specific Cleaning Products
- 14. Give Anti-Flea Medication
- 15. Use Precise Grooming Tools
- 16. Use Air Purifiers
- 17. Turn Off the Central Heating System
- 18. Frequent Checkups with Vet
- Home Remedies To Manage Cat Shedding
- Tools To Manage Cat Shedding
- Myths On Cat Shedding
- When To Call A Vet?
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Why Does My Cat Shed Fur So Much?
Do you know ‘why is my cat shedding so much?’ Well, Shedding is a natural thing in many cats be it a domestic or a wild cat. Mostly, cats shed to eradicate the dead hair on their bodies and spread natural oils to maintain the fur condition and skin health.
Felines usually groom 30 to 50 percent of their fur daily to remove loose fur coats. To diminish skin irritation, cats shed frequently. Generally, cats shed most of their fur twice a year, especially in the spring and fall seasons. As the winter season comes near, cats get new coats in thick form.
Apart from the seasonal changes in their coat conditions, the cat’s fur will be replaced with fresh hair frequently as the existing hair sheds during their development cycle. This happens in cats due to the amount of melatonin they generate in responding to the light.
But, if this sort of shedding is excess than usual then, it could be a problem that needs immediate vet attention. If the cat’s hair sheds in clumps causing bald spots and sores then, we must think that there’s an underlying health condition in the feline.
Some of the underlying medical conditions due to which the cat sheds excessively include ringworm, hyperthyroidism, fleas, etc. Also, the type of cat breed has a significant impact on the shedding level of the cat. The cat’s hair growth cycle includes four stages. It includes the following:
Anagen: In this stage, new fur grows on the cat very quickly
Catagen: In this stage, the cat’s fur ends its growth as it is at its full length
Telogen: This stage is a neutral stage wherein the cat’s hair neither grows nor sheds
Ecogen: In this stage, the existing hair of the cat will shed making way for the new hair follicles to come out.
Causes Of Shedding In Cats
Excessive Shedding isn’t a normal thing in cats. There will be copious reasons behind excessive shedding in cats. Seasonal changes, underlying health conditions, cat breeds, allergies, poor diet or malnutrition, stress, boredom, etc., can cause shedding in cats excessively. Let’s look into the common causes of shedding in felines.
Cat Breed
Before worrying about excessive shedding, just check your cat’s breed type. In specific breeds, we can witness increased shedding, especially in long-haired and thick-coated cat breeds.
Some of the cat breeds include Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Exotic Shorthair, Persian, Cymric, Kurilian Bobtail, British Longhair, Oriental Longhair, European Burmese, etc. Compared to short-haired cat breeds, long-haired cats tend to shed excessively.
Food Habits
The food that your cat eats can be another cause of excessive shedding. If your cat has having poor diet then, it can’t get enough nutrients like protein, minerals, fat, vitamins, and carbohydrates to maintain the quality of its fur. As a result, the coat condition may weaken leading to excessive shedding.
Malnutrition in cats leads to loss of glossiness and smoothness in the cat’s fur. A cat should get a healthy balanced diet depending on the age. Even if you feed correctly if your cat is a picky eater then, it causes health issues like excessive shedding in cats.
Seasonal Changes
Seasonal shedding is quite common in cats. Cats shed a lot in the summer season due to the excess heat production. Spring and fall are considered high-shedding seasons for cats. Mostly, outdoor cats shed a lot compared to indoor cats. The reason is that outdoor cats are highly exposed to the temperature changes outdoors.
Cat’s Mood
A cat’s mood may show a significant impact on shedding in cats. Stress, boredom, fear, and anxiety are some of the mood swings that cause excessive shedding in felines. Whether it is long-term or acute stress, cats tend to shed a lot. Even a minute change like environment changes, litter box placement, furniture change, vet visit, etc., may cause stress in cats.
If the cat is stressed a lot, it grooms excessively leading to skin irritation, bald spots, and patches on the cat’s hair. Regular exercise, generating a stress-free environment, and providing interactive toys and playful things can help reduce stress in cats.
Underlying Health Conditions
Underlying health problems in cats may cause excessive shedding in cats. Metabolic diseases such as kidney disease, liver problems, hyperthyroidism, etc., lead to increased shedding in felines.
When a cat is suffering from an underlying health condition, it takes a lot of energy from the body. As a result, the cat doesn’t have the energy to groom itself. This will eventually cause shedding in cats. Cancer is another critical disease that causes a cat to shed a lot more than usual.
Obesity
Obesity in cats is another cause of excessive shedding. Just like arthritic cats, overweight cats may not be able to reach every crook and nook of the body while grooming. Also, an overweight cat is highly prone to lose fur and shed a lot due to hormonal imbalances.
Grooming Habits
If your cat is grooming excessively, it leads to increased fur loss. Cats may groom a lot due to pain, skin irritation, skin allergies, etc. As a result, cats tend to itch more throughout the body leading to excessive shedding.
When cats are ill, they don’t wish to be groomed. Cats that are aged and suffering from pain or arthritis can’t reach certain areas of the body due to pain. Such cats will shed a lot.
Parasites
Parasites such as fleas, mites, ticks, lice, etc can cause itchy sensations. This in turn leads to frequent scratching on the body. As a result, cats may lose excessive hair on their body.
Ringworm is another fungal disease caused by a parasite. Ringworm in cats may cause excessive shedding and experience loss of hair patches. It is quite difficult to spot the ringworm infection in cats until it shows bald patches on the fur.
Allergies
Allergies in cats usually cause skin problems. If a cat is allergic to food, pollen, weeds, environment, etc., it may cause skin irritation in cats. Frequent scratching may cause cat dermatitis and other skin problems in cats. Luckily, cats with skin allergies can be handled with proper lifestyle changes and medication prescribed by the vet.
If the cat scratches and grooms a lot, it may cause hair loss and sometimes develop a secondary skin infection. When the cat’s skin appears swollen, red, and flaky, it indicates that the cat is suffering from an allergy or some other underlying health condition.
Pregnancy & Lactation
If your cat is pregnant, it may experience hormonal changes that lead to excessive shedding. Pregnant cats usually shed a lot of hair around their bellies to help kittens nurse easily. However, after the end of the lactation phase in mother cats, the lost hair will be restored. If this is the case, it indicates that the shedding pattern in pregnancy is quite common.
Health Problems Causing Shedding In Cats
Various health problems in cats can cause increased shedding. Some of the medical conditions that may contribute to excessive shedding in cats include allergies, skin infections, hormonal imbalances, old age, arthritis, etc.
The metabolic health conditions in cats that cause shedding include cancer, kidney problems, hyperthyroidism, etc. When a cat is suffering from hyperthyroidism, it makes the thyroid gland overactive leading to excess production of thyroid hormone.
Kidney disease in cats may cause improper functioning of kidneys. Both kidney and hyperthyroidism may cause increased hair loss, untidy coat, and greasy fur in the cat. Autoimmune diseases such as lupus may cause increased shedding and dandruff in cats.
However, these metabolic diseases can be treated with proper medication. But, it is not possible to completely cure these chronic diseases in cats. A healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle changes in cats may help treat these diseases. As a result, excessive shedding will be reduced in cats.
Arthritis is another severe health condition that causes the cat to groom a lot. Mostly, arthritic cats may shed a lot swallow the hair, and pass it in the feces. We can witness hairballs in the feces of the cat. Due to joint disease, cats struggle a lot to groom specific areas of the body.
Dermatitis is a skin inflammation disease that causes excessive shedding which is associated with skin redness and severe itching. Skin allergies and skin infections such as ringworm can cause increased shedding in cats.
If there is an underlying medical condition in cats causing excessive shedding then, it’s always better to contact the veterinarian to understand the cat’s condition. Excessive shedding can be a cause of some serious medical problems or pain in cats. Never ignore this problem and immediately take the cat to the vet.
How Does Nutrition Impact Cat Shedding?
The food that your cat eats may impact cat shedding. When you feed your cat nutrient-deficient food, you may witness its skin turn dry, look dull, and lose its gloss and shine which eventually causes excessive shedding. The nutrition present in the food you feed the feline plays a key role in the cat’s shedding.
A cat needs highly nutritious food that is rich in fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The key fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids help maintain glossy coats and healthy fur in cats and also help reduce excessive shedding. In addition, these fatty acids aid in enticing the skin and diminish skin dryness.
Apart from the fatty acids, the feline’s nutritious diet must comprise vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin E. These vitamins maintain the cat’s skin health and eventually reduce increased shedding. If the cat’s body is deficient in essential nutrients, it causes itchy, flaky, and dry skin.
Although top-quality cat food available in the market provides all the required nutrients for healthy cat fur, preparing a homemade cat diet would be better to fulfill the dietary requirements of the cat. Moreover, it’s important to contact the vet or a pet nutritionist for a specific diet chart that provides the required nutrients a cat needs.
The most important thing is that you need to keep your cat hydrated. Hydration helps maintain the healthy skin and fur of the cat. If your cat has enough hydration, it will help reduce dry skin in cats.
Fish Oil And Cat Shedding
Fish Oil and Cat shedding have a significant relationship. Fish oil is a vital source of omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are highly important to maintain the skin and cat’s fur condition. If you feed fish oil to cats, the fatty acids present in this food help nourish the feline’s skin, coat condition, and health of the skin.
Moreover, these acids help diminish the dryness of a cat’s skin. This will eventually reduce excessive shedding in cats. Just like humans, omega-3 fatty acids are also important for cats to maintain a shiny and glossy coat.
Some other advantages of fish oil to cats include reduction of inflammation, boosting the immune system, and maintaining kidney and heart health. However, there may be some potential side effects if given fish oil in high amounts. Cats may get diarrhea if this oil is given to cats in increased quantities.
Make sure you consult the vet before feeding a new food to the cat. Provide precise dosage of these supplements to the cat as prescribed by the vet to evade potential side effects.
How To Reduce Shedding In Cats?
Wondering How To Stop A Cat From Shedding? Well, there are a plethora of ways to reduce shedding in cats. Pet parents are quite familiar with shedding in cats. There are specific methods to control and reduce excessive shedding in felines.
From frequent grooming or brushing to dietary and lifestyle changes, there are different strategies to lessen cat shedding. If you are worried about ‘How To Reduce Cat Shedding’, follow the tips furnished below to control and reduce your cat’s shedding.
These tips are simple to use and bring a lot of difference in the shedding amounts of a cat’s hair. We’ve included almost all the ways from grooming the cat frequently to generating a fur-friendly space. Have a glance!
1. Frequent Brushing
Brushing the cat’s hair regularly can help reduce excessive shedding in cats. Brushing aids in minimizing hairballs. In addition to this, brushing removes dirt, loose hair, dead hair, and dander on the cat’s body.
All these contribute to the unhealthy skin of the cat. So, brushing helps prevent tangles and mats of a cat’s fur. Make sure you brush the cat’s hair for at least 5 to 10 minutes every week to diminish shedding in cats. If the cat has long hair and sheds excessively, make sure you frequently brush the cat’s hair.
2. Provide a High-Quality & Healthy Balanced Diet
Feed your furry friend a high-quality and balanced healthy diet. The food you feed your cat must include essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, protein, fat, and more.
A well-balanced healthy diet improves the overall health of the cat alongside the coat condition. Include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your cat’s diet that aid in enhancing the coat condition and eventually diminish shedding.
These essential fatty acids are present in various foods such as flaxseed oil, and fish oil that maintains glossy and healthy fur. Ask the vet to give a proper diet plan to your cat to reduce excessive shedding.
3. Prepare a Grooming Routine
Cats may shed a lot due to the piling up of loose hair and tangled hair in the coat. If you regularly brush or groom your cat’s hair, you can eradicate the loose hair leaving aside the strong and healthy hair behind.
Try to habituate your cat to regular grooming so that you can reduce the cat shedding. While grooming the cat, notice its reactions and changes in the cat’s body language.
Give a special delicious treat to your cat if it bears grooming till the end. If you follow this routine consistently, you can witness a significant decline in the amount of shedding.
4. Give Frequent Baths to Your Furry Friend
Frequent bathing may not completely reduce cat shedding but helps clean the loose hairs on the body. Make sure you give cat baths every 1 to 4 weeks to enhance the coat condition and skin health.
Use soap-free and oatmeal-based pet shampoo in small amounts while giving a bath to the cat. Don’t get water near the face, eyes, nose, and ears of the cat while giving a bath. Meanwhile, rinse the cat’s fur thoroughly with fresh warm water. Dry the cat using a large towel.
5. Adequate Hydration
If you keep your cat more hydrated, it helps reduce excessive shedding. Dehydrated felines tend to shed more than compared to well-hydrated cats. Give access to fresh water to your cat so that it can drink whenever it likes to.
Cats don’t drink adequate water. So, you need to attract the cat to drink more water by setting up a water fountain. Try to switch dry food to wet food to enhance hydration in cats.
6. Give Vet-Prescribed Cat Supplements
Even if your cat is getting adequate nutrients, you must give additional supplements to enhance the fur quality and coat condition. Some of the supplements include fish oil, primrose oil, and cod liver oil.
These supplements aid in lessening the cat shedding. Apart from these, you can also give additional skin supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E. If the cat’s skin health and fur condition is good, the cat’s shedding will be reduced.
7. Avoid Outdoor Exposure
Keep your cat indoors instead of exposing it to the outside environment. By doing so, you can reduce outdoor exposure such as allergies and parasites.
Allowing the cat to stay inside the house will protect the cat’s skin from harmful parasites and also aid in reducing cat shedding. Indoor cats won’t get easily affected by the external environment and outside temperatures. Hence, you can witness less shedding in indoor cats.
8. Generate a Stress-Free Environment
Stress plays a key role in increasing the cat’s shedding. Try to reduce the cat’s stress by indulging the cat in various activities like playing, exercising, generating a safe environment, etc.
Make sure you provide interactive toys, laser pointers, and other playful items to your cat to reduce stress. Use calming products that aid in reducing stress in cats.
9. Provide a Cat-Friendly Location
Create a fur-friendly environment for the cat so that it can have a private space. If you design a separate cat blanket or cat tree in the house, the cat will settle within that space and won’t roam all over the house.
This will help lessen the spread of the cat’s hair all around the house. By doing so, your cat will feel more secure in its own space and feel extremely comfortable.
10. Regular Exercising
To make your cat alleviate stress and enhance overall health, regular exercise is helpful. Cats are the most active animals that can learn anything so fast. To remain blissful and maintain a healthy weight, make sure your cat exercises regularly. Regular exercise can reduce excessive shedding in cats.
11. Indulge in Playful Activities
Scratching posts helps in maintaining the cat’s claws and also aids in removing loose hair. Instead of grooming themselves excessively, cats use scratching cats to fulfill their natural instinct of grooming.
Give some other interactive toys to the cat to keep your cat busy playing with them. This way, you can divert your cat’s focus from grooming excessing which in turn aids in reducing the cat shedding.
12. Monitor Cat’s Health
Excessive shedding can be caused by various health issues such as thyroid problems, flea infestations, allergies, etc. Monitor your cat’s health regularly so that you can diagnose any illness in the cat in the early stages. If you notice any health problem in the cat, consult the vet immediately.
13. Use Cat-Specific Cleaning Products
There are a few specially designed cat products to keep the cat free from the fur. You can clean the cat’s hair without water using wipes and sprays. You can use these products to eliminate loose hair, dirt, and dander on the cat’s body. You can purchase these products at any pet store.
14. Give Anti-Flea Medication
By using anti-flea medication, you can prevent excessive hair loss in cats. If the hair loss is caused due to parasite allergies then, use this medication. Using the anti-parasiticides, you can prevent, lice, mites, and fleas on the cat body.
15. Use Precise Grooming Tools
Use the right grooming tools on your cat such as a lint roller, rubber gloves, de-shedding cat brushing tools, etc. Use specific tools that help remove excess hair on the cat’s body.
There are different brushing tools for long-haired cats and short-haired cats. Don’t use a metal-based brushing tool to remove the cat’s hair as it could damage the fur.
16. Use Air Purifiers
Air purifiers help reduce airborne allergens and dander in cats. This way, you can reduce excessive hair loss in cats.
17. Turn Off the Central Heating System
To keep the house warm, most of them use a central heating system, especially in winter. If you do so, your cat may shed a lot due to the excess heat. If this is the cause of increased shedding in cats, turn off the central heating.
18. Frequent Checkups with Vet
If you witness excessive shedding in cats, try to take the cat to the vet. It is also important to take your cat to the veterinarian for regular check-ups. Some of the underlying health conditions such as skin diseases, allergies, kidney problems, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, etc., can increase shedding in cats. If you frequently take the cat to the vet for checkups, you can diagnose critical diseases in the early stages.
Home Remedies To Manage Cat Shedding
If your cat is shedding excessively without any accompanied symptoms of underlying health conditions, you can follow some home remedies. Here are some of the noteworthy Home Remedies For Excessive Cat Shedding. Check it out!
- Use garlic as an internal flea repellent to reduce cat shedding.
- The citrus solution is another effective flea repellent that helps in reducing hair loss in cats if the reason is a parasite. Just cut a lemon into 4 slices and place the small pieces in a bowl of boiling water. Leave it overnight and the next day, spray the solution over the cat especially on the head, behind the ears, arms, and tail.
- Using dried African Chrysanthemum flower heads, you can prepare a homemade spray to reduce shedding in cats. Crush the dry African Chrysanthemum flower heads into a fine powder and make it a spray. This spray is referred to as Pyrethrum. You can mix 2 handfuls of this dry powder in 1 liter of hot water and leave it for an hour. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray it all over the cat avoiding the eyes, mouth, and inside the ears.
- To reduce the itchy sensation of the skin, use oatmeal while giving a bath to your cat. It helps in reducing hair dryness. Add oatmeal to water and apply this mixture on the feline’s skin for about 10 to 15 minutes. Later, clean it with warm water.
- Take an equal amount of Listerine, water, and baby oil into the spray bottle and mix them thoroughly. Spray this solution all over the cat’s body and massage the cat’s skin smoothly at least 3 times a day.
- You can use Brewer’s yeast tablets as internal flea repellents to reduce cat shedding.
Tools To Manage Cat Shedding
Are there any tools to handle cat shedding? Well, the answer is a YES. A wide variety of tools are available in the market to manage excessive shedding in cats. We can find different types of tools to brush cat’s hair, especially for long-haired and short-haired cats.
You can find almost all kinds of tools at cost-effective prices at various pet stores and online sites. From grooming and brushing tools to gloves and vacuums, there are a variety of tools to remove hair on cats. Even, there are tools helpful to groom a cat’s fur and remove animal hair from the furniture, floor, clothes, and other surfaces in the house.
To remove the dead undercoat of the cat, you can use a rake or undercoat brush. Choosing the right grooming tool is the key to removing a cat’s excessive hair. This tool helps in removing dead fur and avoids skin irritation in cats.
Here’s a list of effective brushing and grooming tools that are specifically designed to maintain excessive shedding in cats.
Brushing Tools
Brushing tools are available in different sizes and shapes in a variety of designs. Each brush is useful for fulfilling different purposes of managing cat hair.
While some of the brushing tools are utilized to clean long-haired cats, some other tools can be used to groom short-haired cat breeds. There are specific brush types that help in removing fur undercoat and eradicate loose hair from the topcoat of the cat.
Bristle Brush
Bristle Brush is the right brush type for short-haired felines. This brush helps remove loose fur on the cat’s body. In addition, it helps stimulate the cat’s skin and boosts the cat’s fur condition. However, this brush may not be as effective on long-haired cats.
Pin Brush
Pin Brush is one of the best brushing tools suitable for long-haired cats. This brushing tool helps remove tangles and eradicate loose hair on the cat’s body. It’s not suitable for cats with short hair.
Slicker Brush
Slicker Brush is another best brushing tool suitable for long-haired cats. This brush helps remove excess loose fur on the cat’s body. In addition, this brush prevents mats.
Deshedding Tool
It’s a perfect de-shedding tool that suits almost all cat fur types. One of the best de-shedding tools available in the market is furminator. This tool helps reduce excessive shedding in cats by up to 90%. The pet parent must use this tool on the furry friend smoothly. If it is used roughly on the cats, it may cause injury to the cat.
Rubber Curry Cat Shedding Brush
This brush helps in lifting the loose hair present on the body and removing it easily. This brush also acts like a massager and gives a great massage to your furry friend.
Hair Removal Gloves:
It’s another best de-shedding tool that aids in reducing excessive shedding in cats. These hair removal gloves come equipped with tiny rubber nubs that gather all the loose fur while grooming the cat. If your cat opposes using a brushing tool on it bears a grooming glove to remove excess hair.
Rubber Grooming Glove
It’s a perfect glove suitable for all types of fur cats. Rubber grooming glove helps in massaging the cat and eventually collect loose fur on the cat’s body. However, grooming gloves are perfectly suitable for short-haired cats rather than long-haired felines.
Vacuums
In general, vacuums are designed for maintaining a cat’s hair or any other pet’s hair. Vacuums come with strong suction and additional attachments that help lift the hair from carpet and soft padded textiles like sofas, armchairs, etc.
Vacuum is useful to remove hair that is falling on the ground, flooring, furniture, and other things around the house. Choosing the right vacuum reduces your workload and makes life even more simple for the pet parents.
The aforementioned brushing tools and grooming gloves help remove loose hair and evenly distribute natural oils throughout the cat’s fur. As a result, the cat’s skin and coat look glossy and healthy. Make sure you don’t use a metal de-shedding tool or rake as it can damage the cat’s hair-forming mats faster.
However, make sure that you select the right brush that your cat can tolerate while brushing or grooming. If your cat is engrossed at the sight of a grooming glove and goes far away looking at the pin brush then, understand its priority and pick the right tool for grooming your cat.
Myths On Cat Shedding
We believe in myths about almost everything that happens around the world. The same applies in the case of feline care and feline habits. The pet parents may believe incorrect information is the right information about cat shedding.
As a caring pet parent, you have to help your cat diminish excessive shedding. We have mentioned some of the common myths about cat shedding that may redirect you in the wrong direction. Check it out!
All Cat Breeds Sheds the Same
A common myth that we often hear about cats shedding is that all cats shed the same amount of hair. The amount of shedding differs depending on the age, cat breed, and individual cats.
Maine Coon is a heavy shedding cat while Siamese is known for low shedding. The amount of shedding depends on some other factors such as stress, diet, and the complete health of the cat.
Long-Haired Cats Shed more than Short-haired Cats
The cats that come with long hair shed more than short-haired cats. But, the fact is that You might witness a lot of hair on the furniture and flooring in the house.
If in case, you brush your cat’s hair regularly and comb the feline frequently, you might see less hair on the floor. The amount of fur shed by the cat doesn’t depend on the length of the cat’s hair.
Shaving the Cat Lessens Shedding
Most pet parents assume that shaving the feline’s fur might reduce shedding. However, it’s a myth. Even if you shave your cat’s coat completely, it doesn’t hinder it from shedding. Shaving might make the hair shorter and less visible on the furniture or flooring.
But, it’s very much harmful to the cat’s health to shave the fur. It would be a disruption of temperature regulation in the cat’s body. By shaving the cat’s hair, the cat’s skin may be exposed to potential damage.
Frequent Bathing Diminishes Shedding
Giving frequent baths to your cat reduces shedding is what the cat owners believe but, it is a misconception. Although bathing helps in removing excess loose hair on the cat’s body, it’s not a permanent solution for excessive shedding in cats.
If you give frequent baths to your cat, it may increase the dryness of the cat’s skin. It may eventually cause excessive shedding in cats. The best thing to reduce shedding is to maintain a frequent grooming regimen and access precise grooming tools to handle cat shedding.
Indoor Cats Shed Less than Outdoor Cats
Do you think indoor cats shed less than outdoor cats? Well, it’s a myth. Indoor cats usually shed throughout the year frequently to maintain their coat condition. However, there will be less impact of seasonal temperature changes in indoor cats compared to outdoor cats.
Feeding Dry Food Reduces Excessive Shedding
Another myth about cat shedding is that feeding dry food lessens shedding in cats. There’s no appropriate scientific proof to assure this belief in cat owners.
It’s all about the food quality and nutrients present in the food given to cats. If you give a necessary balanced diet to your cat, it helps in maintaining healthy fur and diminishes shedding.
When To Call A Vet?
Shedding is a common process that can be seen in cats. It’s a process of removing dead or loose hair from the cat’s body. Still, sometimes, excessive shedding in cats may be a concern for the caring pet parent.
If the shedding isn’t normal in felines then, it could be an indication of some underlying health condition. A specific degree of shedding is normal in cats but, if you witness increased shedding in cats associated with allergies, stress, poor diet, and serious health conditions then, visit the vet immediately.
When you see the following changes in your cat, you need to visit the veterinarian.
- Abrupt Weight Loss or Weight Gain
- Behavioral Changes
- Loss of Appetite
- Bald Patches
- Fur becomes Thin
- Skin Irritation, Itchyness & Skin Redness
Once you take the cat to the vet, he/she will examine the cat and try to find out the underlying medical issue. The vet will conduct necessary medical tests such as blood work and skin scrapes to diagnose the cause of excessive shedding in the cat. Considering the health problem, the vet will give Treatment For Excessive Shedding In Cats.
Apart from the medication, the veterinarian will suggest the cat owner make significant changes to the cat’s diet, lifestyle, and physical exercise. Based on the cat’s age, breed type, health history, and diet, the vet will give necessary medicine and personalized suggestions to the pet parent that aid in controlling the shedding amounts.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions related to excessive shedding in cats. We have provided precise answers to all the queries furnished below. Check it out!
1. Why Is My Indoor Cat Shedding A Lot?
Indoor cats shed a lot due to environmental changes such as air conditioning, artificial lighting, heaters, etc., inside the house.
2. Is There A Season For Cat Shedding?
Yes, cats shed a lot in specific seasons such as autumn and spring. Apart from these seasons, cats shed normally throughout the year to shed excess fur on their body and to spread oils.
3. Which Cats Shed More?
The cats that shed more include American Bobtails, American Curl, Chartreux, Cymric, Ragdoll, Siberian Cats, and others.
4. Can Brushing A Cat Helps With Shedding?
Brushing a cat’s hair frequently doesn’t indicate that the cat sheds less. Still, brushing helps reduce the fall of hair on the floor, furniture, and clothes. The extra hair on the cat’s body will stick onto the brush instead of falling here and there in the house.
Also, brushing helps old, long-haired, and arthritic cats that are unable to reach crucial parts of the body while grooming. Brushing doesn’t just minimize the fall of hair in the house but also helps maintain the coat condition and skin health of the cat.5. How To Make Your Cat Shed Less?
To reduce excessive cat shedding, you need to give a proper healthy and balanced diet to the cat, Regular brushing, grooming, frequent exercise, hydration, and using supplements may help reduce increased shedding in cats.
6. Does Cats Shed More In Summer?
Yes, cats shed excessively in warm weather i.e., in summer. If the hair loss is all over the body instead of bald spots and patches in specific areas then, it’s a natural shedding.
In the process of adjusting their fur to the warmer months, cats shed a lot in summer and spring. However, we may not witness this sort of excessive shedding in indoor cats even in summer as they reside almost all the time inside the house.
Conclusion
Well, this is all you need to know about the potential causes and reasons behind ‘Why Is My Cat Shedding So Much’. We hope this article has helped you find precise information about the possible ways to reduce shedding in cats, the nutritional impact of cat shedding, tools to manage cat shedding, and home remedies to handle cat shedding.
Do you still have any queries about ways to reduce excessive cat shedding? If so, let us know in the comments section. Stay tuned to our website ‘TheCrazyCats.Net’ to learn more about cat shedding, cat foods, diseases, behavior changes, and more.