When people get a pet, they rarely think about the fur they’ll be battling during shedding season. But it’s unavoidable! In this article, we’ll look at why cats shed and the most effective ways to keep cat hair off your floors, furniture and clothes.
Why Is Your Cat Losing Hair?
Before you start fighting cat hair, it helps to understand why your cat is shedding.
- Seasonal shedding. This happens mainly in spring and fall. It’s not an illness but a natural process by which your cat renews its coat. Don’t worry: it will pass, and you just need to stay on top of the fur in the meantime. Read more about cat shedding.
- Year-round shedding. This is very common, especially in indoor cats. Like people, cats lose a certain amount of hair all the time, and it’s usually light.
- Sudden or excessive hair loss. If your cat suddenly starts losing a lot of fur, or you notice bald patches, red or flaky skin, scabs or constant scratching, it may be a sign of a health problem, such as fleas, allergies, ringworm, stress or a hormonal disorder. Take your cat to the vet to find the cause.
How to Manage Cat Hair
Once you’re sure your cat’s shedding is normal, you can get to work. You can’t stop a healthy cat from shedding: it’s a natural process. But you can greatly reduce the amount of hair that ends up in your home by caring for your cat’s coat and keeping your home clean. Bathing alone won’t stop shedding, though an occasional bath during heavy shedding can help loosen dead hair. Here are the main methods:
Regular Brushing
Brush your cat with tools designed for cats. During shedding season, brush every day. Brushing removes loose hair before it lands on your furniture and carpets, and it keeps your cat’s coat healthy and free of tangles. Useful tools include:
- a metal comb;
- a slicker brush (used gently);
- a rubber brush or grooming glove;
- a mat splitter, if your cat has mats;
- a deshedding tool, such as a FURminator, which is very effective at removing loose undercoat. Use it gently, no more than once or twice a week.
Brush your cat in one place, ideally outdoors on a balcony or over a towel, so the loose fur is easy to clean up. Read more: how to brush a cat.
Grooming and Trimming
For long-haired cats that shed heavily or mat easily, a professional groomer can remove the loose undercoat with a deshedding treatment, or give a “comb cut” or sanitary trim. Before trimming your cat, make sure its hair loss isn’t caused by an illness. If you clip your cat before seeing the vet, it may be harder for the vet to find the cause. Read more: cat haircuts.
The Right Diet
Diet plays a huge role in coat health, especially during shedding. Dull fur and extra shedding can be linked to a lack of essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, or to a poor-quality diet. Feed your cat a complete and balanced food, and ask your vet whether a skin and coat diet or an omega-3 supplement would help. Don’t give supplements made for people, and avoid brewer’s yeast products containing garlic.
Regular Cleaning
Clean your home more often, especially the places where your cat likes to spend time. Here are some tips that really work:
- Vacuum often, ideally every day or two during shedding season, with a vacuum that has a pet hair attachment and a HEPA filter, which also traps dander.
- Use a rubber glove or squeegee. A damp rubber kitchen glove run over upholstery and car seats rolls cat hair into clumps that are easy to pick up. A rubber squeegee or rubber broom works wonders on carpets and rugs.
- Keep a lint roller handy for clothes, chairs and cushions. Reusable silicone or fabric pet hair removers work too.
- Damp-mop hard floors and wipe surfaces with a damp microfiber cloth, which grabs hair instead of scattering it.
- Cover your cat’s favorite spots on the sofa or bed with washable throws, and wash them, along with your cat’s bedding, every week.
- In the laundry, put clothes covered in cat hair through a 10-minute tumble dry on low heat before washing to loosen the hair, add a dryer sheet or wool dryer balls, and clean the lint filter often.
- Run an air purifier with a HEPA filter, which helps capture floating hair and dander, especially if anyone in the household has allergies.
Shedding season is inevitable, so try to approach it with patience. If you keep things clean every day, it won’t be much of a burden.
Robot Vacuums
A robot vacuum can be a real help during shedding season, and all year round. Running it daily keeps hair from building up between your regular cleanings. Look for a model designed for pet hair, with a tangle-free brush roll, strong suction, a HEPA filter and, ideally, a self-emptying base. Keep cables, small toys and anything your cat could get stuck on off the floor, and make sure your cat isn’t frightened by it: introduce it gradually and let your cat watch from a safe place.
Shedding is unavoidable, but if you deal with cat hair the right way, you’ll hardly notice it.
