The constant cleaning of hair from furniture and clothing is a problem familiar to every cat owner. Or almost every cat owner. Thanks to selection and genetic breeding, we have breeds of cats that do not shed or smell. Life under one roof with such pets is a pleasure with a minimum of discomfort.
Popular non-shedding cats
Cats with short, sparse hair have minimal hair loss, as well as breeds without hair:
- Canadian Sphynxes;
- Rexes (Devon, Cornish and Selkirk);
- Siamese Oriental.
Non-shedding cat breeds features
Absolutely all breeds of domestic cats lose their hair. The molting process is physiological and normal. There are cats that do not shed too much. In most cases:
- Cat breeds without undercoat;
- Completely bald breeds and their subspecies;
- Cats with stiff or curly hair.
The listed coat characteristics allow cats to molt almost never. Some breeds were bred for a special purpose. Cats are loved by most of the population of the world, but people are stopped from having their own pet by the unwillingness to constantly struggle with pet hair and allergies.
Such breeds as the Devon Rex or Sphynx are great for allergy sufferers.
Canadian Sphynx
A breed almost completely devoid of hair. Sphynxes can be rightly called the most hairless cat breed. Baldness is caused by a mutation that geneticists have deduced into a pattern. Some individuals are born with hair, but it falls out completely by the age of 2 years.
It is quite difficult to distinguish Sphynxes from each other in the photo, but there are several subspecies of the breed:
- Born naked. Specimens are born without hair or undercoat. Some Sphynxes do not even have vibrissos – eyebrows, whiskers. During the winter period, sparse hairs may appear on the body of such cats and grow to a medium length.
- Sphynxes flock, velour. Individuals were named for the pleasant-to-touch fuzz they are covered with. Some breeds are completely overgrown with this fuzz, while others have hairs that appear only on the muzzle and other parts of the body.
How exciting! In rare cases, Sphynxes are born with normal, long hair. However, by the time the cat is fully grown, all the hair will fall out.
Sphynx cats cost from $1500 to $3000.
Rex
Few breeds except the Sphynx can boast the ability not to shed. Sphynxes look specific and are liked externally only by a certain type of owners. Cats of the Rex breed are just in this category – they look classic, cute, but hardly molt.
Wondering which cats don’t shed, a potential owner should really take a closer look at the varieties of the Rex breed:
- Devon Rex. A breed is recommended for allergy sufferers. These cats hardly part their fur and do not emit any scent. Devon Rex cats have short, loose coats. Kittens must be bathed regularly, otherwise their coats become sticky, getting dirty from the skin sebum.
- Cornish Rex. A breed with only a sparse downy undercoat growing on the skin.
- Selkirk Rex. Among these cats there are long-haired and short-haired. It is noteworthy that the fur of the breed is curled, reminiscent of sheep’s hair.
All types of the Rexes look nice and original. At the same time, they are cats that do not have fur, suitable for people with allergies and those who cannot stand cleaning.
Potential owners can expect to spend $1,000–$2,000 for a Rex kitten.
Important! A typical representative of cats that do not shed is the Sphynx. You should be prepared that instead of hair on the furniture, the cat will leave traces of sweat.
Siamese Oriental
Unlike Rexes and Sphynxes, Siamese cats, on the contrary, have no undercoat. Their skin only has short hairs on it, which are quite sparse. Among the Siamese-oriental breeds, there are many subspecies. Most of them are named after their homeland. These cats have an elongated graceful body, resembling wild predators. The fur of such cats is smooth, shiny, and almost never falls out.
Among the non-shedding Siamese we can distinguish:
- Siamese;
- Balinese;
- Oriental;
- Mekong Bobtail;
- Burmese.
All listed Siamese subspecies shed very little, unnoticed by their owners. In addition, in the absence of undercoat, these cats practically do not need hair care. The hair does not roll up into tangles and almost never gets dirty.
The normal Siamese kitten can cost you anywhere from around $600-$1800.
Important! Both Siamese and Oriental cats are as attached to their owners as dogs. Passing on to another owner could lead to depression and severe shedding of the cat, despite the usual absence of shedding hair.
Most short-haired cats, even mongrels, shed much less than their long-haired counterparts. If you don’t want to struggle with hair all the time, don’t get a pet with a long, thick coat.
In addition to the above breeds, the Russian blue cat deserves attention. Individuals have a short coat of a smoky shade, almost do not shed. Russian blue cats are quiet and get along well with children.
