cats who shed in the spring lose their heavy winter undercoat to keep cool and
summer in the fall they'll grow a new coat in preparation for winter
regardless of when your cat sheds the process is natural and important dead
fur can cause skin irritation and it needs to be removed through shedding
it's healthy and if your cat doesn't shed it could be a sign of poor diet or
medical issues the same can be said if your cat sheds too much pay attention if
your cat is shedding more than a yearly usual or if you notice bald patches or a
very thin coat take a trip to the vet there are a few factors that determine a
cat's shedding habits some breeds are prone to shed more or less than others
the amount of daylight a cat experiences tells their body when it's time for a
seasonal shed too so if your cat spends a lot of time in the sunshine they may
be more prone to a spring shed as the days get longer brushing regularly is
the best way to take care of excess hair at the source before it starts blowing
around your home or coming out of your cat in the form of hair balls a good
indicator of how often you should brush your cat is the length and thickness of
their coat your cat's breed will often determine what kind of coat they have
and how much they'll shed if your kitty isn't used to brushing or gets fussy
it's important that you work to make it less of a stressful experience start
with brief sessions at first and give plenty of praise and food rewards once
your cat starts to get more comfortable increase the duration of brushing
sessions make it a positive bonding experience and your cat will come to
appreciate it more always brush with the grain in the direction that your cat's
fur naturally grows rushing out knots and mats can be difficult and some may
need to be cut out if your cat has a lot of mats you may need to see a groomer or
consult your vet before you attempt to get rid of them yourself woman comes at
dosing cats purr ginger cat's head lies on woman hand the fluffy pet comfortably
settled to sleep cute cozy background warning bedtime at home long haired cats
can benefit from starting with a shedding rake or comb which can reach
down near the skin and dislodge some hair from the undercoat while leaving
the outer coat mostly unaffected shedding rakes are long and stiff which
makes them ideal for getting deep long fur hats with long flowing fur can
require brushing every two days at least short-haired cats do well when you start
with a bristle brush this can loosen some of the hair trapped near the skin
that causes irritation short haired cats with a double coat can get by with a
little less brushing than long haired cats and those with a single coat can do
with even less but it's important to maintain regular grooming sessions
especially this time of year we've got hair of any length it's a good
idea to follow up with a slicker brush these of smaller bristles and are ideal
for collecting cat fur before it starts blowing around the house
it'll help grab the hair that you've been dislodging with other brushing
brushing helps keep your cat's coat and skin healthy by removing dead hair and
mats or knots that can rub and cause injuries or hot spots that are open to
infection it also allows you to collect the fur before your cat sheds it around
your home when you brush your cat everybody wins
lint rollers are your friends during this time of year it's especially
important to have an army of lint rollers a disposal this will help you
leave the house without looking like you hugged a werewolf keep a few by the door
and have a couple in the bathroom so guests can dispose of the fur that
accumulates on them when they come to visit lint rollers will save you some
embarrassment when you leave the house and your friends and co-workers who have
allergies will thank you by not sneezing on you even if you're diligent about
brushing and keeping your cat's coat healthy you're still probably going to
have some fur flying running an air cleaner can help but you need to make
sure you're replacing your filters regularly especially this time of year
some air cleaners are designed to handle pet hair so long as you clean them when
it comes to cleaning carpets you may want to use a vacuum but many cat owners
have had luck using a rubber broom with squeegee bristles this helps to clump
all of the hair together in a ball and seems to work better than just vacuuming
alone some people have also tried using their rubber soled shoes to clump hair
together even putting them on their hands to do so for tiled or wood floors
damp mopping works just fine if your cat has a favorite spot on the furniture an
easily washable blanket or furniture cover is a must place it where your cat
likes to rest that way you'll be able to spare your
furniture from at least some of the hair storm anything that can easily be thrown
in the laundry or taken outside to shake out or will work fine if the cat likes
joins you in your bed consider getting a duvet cover that you can remove and wash