How can I deal with excessive cat hair and shedding?

By the time, you are asking this question, you are probably going nuts with cat hairs floating in your house. You have probably found them on your furniture, bed, carpet and in your clothes. You feel sorry for your lovely cat and think they might be going through pain to lose all those hairs but the good news is they are not in pain. They are not even bothered. It surely can be a disturbing time when your cat is shedding but this is a normal process for cats. It is like how you lose your hair after removing corn rolls or a weave. But there is a lot you can do to reduce it, not to stop it. You can’t stop cat shedding, you can only reduce it.

Why do cats shed?

Cats shed as a natural progression to get rid of dead skin. Different cats shed differently but the biggest trigger for the shedding is the weather and the amount of natural light available to the cat. The more light, the less shedding. This is also why indoor cats shed more than outdoor cats.
Cats were intended to live in the wild. Their bodies respond to a change in the weather by preparing to stay warm or cold. So, during spring when it’s getting warmer, the cat will shed off the hair it accumulated during autumn when it was cold.
The reason your cat is shedding excessively could be because it is an indoor cat. Indoor cats may shed all throughout the year because they are exposed to warmth and light throughout.

When to worry

Hang on here because this part is very confusing. Alright so it is normal for a cat to shed and it is also normal for a cat to shed excessively but, shedding, either way, may be in response to a medical concern although rarely.
So how do you tell if your cat’s shedding is the normal shedding?
Check if the coat is gleaming, has no bald patches, doesn’t have mats and is smooth. If your cat’s coat is in this condition but is still shedding, don’t worry, they are shedding naturally there is no need for alarm.
If the cat has dry and scaly skin, is not eating normally, is weak and won’t play this is a sign that your little buddy could be in trouble. Surprisingly, although many people think bald patches are related to shedding, they are not. The presence of bald patches may indicate stress-related over grooming where you are using a bad brush to comb their coat that it’s stressing them or it could indicate parasites or an allergy.

How to deal with it

Brush the hairs

Whenever you brush your cat’s coat you will notice lots of hair on the brush. Don’t worry, this is fine. It doesn’t mean that you are scrapping off hairs. You are only helping remove the dead hairs from your cat. But be careful how you brush and with what comb you use. If you are too rough and the comb has bold bristles, your cat might develop another complication called stress-related over grooming.
Don’t brush the hair daily, do it 2-3 times a week.

Reduce its weight

Fat cats shed more because they have looser fur. You can help your cat lose weight by putting it on a diet that reduces its intake of certain foods. You may also want to increase your cat’s play time to help them exercise.

Take your cat to the vet

If you suspect that the shedding might be a sign of something bigger, take your cat for a check-up. A vet might recommend Antibiotics if they discover an infection. If it is an allergy, your cat might be treated with antihistamines.

Change the diet

To reduce the shedding, you may want to consider a twist in your cat’s diet. Foods that contain supplemented levels of Omega 3 are great. You could also give Omega 3 capsules if they do not contain additives as these might cause your cat to have diarrhea.

Keep fleas out

Your cat could also shed more because of over-scratching. Cats will scratch a lot because of the presence of disturbing fleas. Ask your cat’s vet to recommend a good flea control product and treat your cat with it monthly. There are other reasons why your cat might scratch a lot; reasons such as allergies or hypersensitivity to the grass or the outdoors. Find out from your vet before you decide on a treatment.

Keep the coat clean

Bath your cat 3 times a week to keep its coat clean. This will remove all the dead hairs and the dirt that may be sticking to the coat. You might want to invest in a good shampoo and conditioner to achieve smoother fur. Once the fur is kept clean, the shedding will reduce gradually.

Use a damp towel

This is one free way to deal with the excessive hair. Just allocate a special towel to always do this job. Dampen it in some water and wipe both your cat and wherever the hairs have fallen in your house. The towel will sweep the hair into its dampness like a charm.

Invest in a good vacuum

For your comfort, you need measures to thoroughly eliminate the hairs whenever your cat sheds. Nothing will work better than a good vacuum cleaner. A good vacuum should have a good suction power to suck up the hairs off the floor and furniture.

Use a lint roller

A lint roller is great for removing hairs from clothes and in small areas. It won’t work well if you need to clean a bigger area but just for smaller parts of your house, a lint roller will do a good job.

Conclusion

The breed of cat also matters. Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Siamese, and Burmese are breeds that don’t shed much. Their shedding can be manageable. But If shedding is something you don’t want to deal with you can as well adopt cats with no hair such as Peterbald or Sphynx.

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