Do all cats shed? Yes, shedding is an unavoidable aspect of sharing your home with a feline companion.
There are numerous things you can do to maintain things under control and sometimes even minimize shedding. We’ll go through 8 tried-and-true strategies for controlling the amount of cat shedding in this article.
If you’re seeking more information regarding why your cat sheds so much, check out this article.
Let’s get straight into it!
Table of Contents
How Can You Reduce Cat Shedding?
1. Brush Your Cat At Least Once A Day
Brushing your cat frequently might make a significant impact on the amount of cat hair that surrounds you!
It reduces hairballs, according to the Hills staff, “Moreover, regular brushing removes dirt, dead hair, and dander, all of which contribute to poor skin and avoids getting matted hair that’s difficult to manageable; at which point you’ll need the help of a professional groomer.”
With a hectic schedule of flopping on the floor in front of you, sleeping in the sun, and finding the newest crinkly thing to lay on, your cat may require some assistance keeping up with their grooming! Brushing your cat is more than just practical; it’s also a wonderful method to offer your cat love. The majority of cats enjoy a good brushing but be cautious not to overstimulate your pet.
Oftentimes people ask about the ideal frequency for brushing their cats. According to experts, it is recommended to have small brushing sessions daily to prevent mats, reduce shedding, and avoid overstimulating your cat. Some cats find it stressful when being stroked with a brush in certain areas.
When it comes to brushes, you have a lot of alternatives on the market. From unique gloves to antique tiny rakes that resemble Old Maids. But, for me, the self-cleaning brush from Hertzko is my favorite.
2. Keep Your Cat Hydrated
Keeping your cat properly hydrated may boost its coat quality and condition, as well as overall health.
It’s not as simple as it sounds to keep your cat hydrated. Cats are notorious for avoiding drinking enough water, and this may be due to their past living in arid regions.
So, how can you keep your cat hydrated?
Adding water to your cat’s diet is one of the simplest methods. The Preventive Vet website states, “if your cat is eating wet food, which is strongly advised, they may acquire 3.85–4.4 ounces of water from a single can (an average 5.5 once can), which is half their daily water.”
Your other choices typically involve the water bowl, but when it comes to feline water bowls, there’s a lot more than you may imagine.
The location of your cat’s water bowl is a frequent concern. While this will vary from cat to cat, the most fundamental thing to think about is whether or not your cat feels comfortable and safe drinking from their water dish.
3. Consider A Bath If You’re Feeling Extra Brave
The last time you noticed yourself shedding was most likely in the shower. Getting a good flow of running water through your cat’s coat can help remove dead, loose, or dying hair as well as extra dander hiding in their coat. However, be sure to use a shampoo that is feline-friendly and nourishes and moisturizes your cat’s skin. I recommend the Pro Pet Works oatmeal shampoo because it is free of soap and other chemicals that dry out your cat’s skin and make the shedding problem worse.
It’s important to keep your cat clean because their fur might become matted with dirt. The same goes for you! Don’t use the shampoo you normally use on yourself; not only will it be more difficult to rinse out, but it’ll be far more likely to dry out your cat’s skin rather than nourish and hydrate it.
Bathing is difficult for most cats, therefore it’s best to plan your cat’s baths around the spring and fall when they’ll be shedding the most.
4. Enhance Your Cat’s Nutrition
A poor diet might be one of the reasons why your cat is shedding so much. When cats don’t get the proper nutrition, their coats can become dry and brittle, causing hairs to break off more readily and fall out. Adding more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is one of the simplest modifications you can make. According to Purina, “Omega-3s also help to promote healthy hair follicles, which may result in less hair loss.”
That means less hair on your favorite sweater, not to mention fewer hairballs for your cat. I’m a big advocate of Nordic Naturals because it adds more healthy fatty acids to your cat’s diet and you can find the liquid version on Amazon.
Aside from supplementation, you should also consider your cat’s primary meals. According to Dr. Coates, while writing for PetMD, a cat’s food should be 45 percent protein and 25% to 35% fat. This is surprisingly difficult since many cat foods, including wet foods, have little fat. To make things easier for you, I went through 10 of the best cat foods for shedding, all of which fulfill (or exceed) those criteria that you may read here.
5. Use Vacuum And Lint Roll More Often
Okay, I’m not talking about vacuuming your cat (although YouTube tells me that some cats truly appear to enjoy it), instead I’m referring to vacuum cleaning your house regularly to get rid of cat hair that is merely lounging around! You may also notice that the fur on these adorable cats has a lovely golden hue, and it’s certainly not natural. After your cat licks their arm or leg, any loose strands of hair are likely to float around your house like kitty fluff to make it feel as though they’re shedding much more than they do.
I’m embarrassed to have so much hair in the corners of my bedroom after shaving my cat since it wasn’t new cat fur.
Lint rollers are also your greatest buddy, especially when it comes to laundry. While the machine cannot always remove firmly adhered cat hair, a good link roll on those black pants before they go in the washer will ensure that they come out clean. It also indicates that you’ll get rid of any remaining cat hair “circulation.”
Final Thoughts
Living with a cat entails shedding. Unless you have a hairless Sphynx cat as your companion.
Shaving your cat (or hiring a professional) is one of the most effective ways to minimize shedding if you want to reduce shedding.
But I also understand that for some cats, the whole procedure might be too stressful. You still have several low-stress choices if you find that the process is stressful for your cat!
Let me know what you think and what works for you!
