Has your house become a hair mess lately? Is the cat leaving a trail of those long furry things that make you sneeze and run behind it holding a cleaning brush all the time? Do you wonder if you should have gotten a feline that could have avoided the messy situation you are in? I used to be in the same situation, and therefore I have written this article to let you know about shedding habits of cats, and answer the question – do all cats shed ?
Why do Cats Shed?
Shedding is a natural process of the cat that is intended for the cat to lose its dead hair strands. It is dependent on the type of cat, the season of the year, and various other factors.
Cats that are stray tend to shed more in summers than in winters, so they could keep the furry coat as a tool for fighting the cold. Cats that live indoors tend to shed all year around. A Bengal cat sheds very little, while the fluffy Kurilian Bobtail will shed a lot.
Are Cats Hair Harmful ?
The answer is both, yes and no. Cat’s hair in themselves is no harm. However, cats tend to groom themselves by licking their hair, which causes the induction of cat’s saliva in their hair.
As their hair spread around the house, so does the cat’s saliva. The allergens make the house full of allergens. While certain people are immune to these allergens, other people function differently.
These allergens can be a major cause of worry for them and may lead to various health issues.
Are There any Non-Shedding Cats?
Let me start by answering this question in one simple statement. NO! All cats indeed shed. There might be some cats that shed less than the others; there is absolutely no cat without hair.
Though cat shedding has always been seen as a problem and in the 60s, there was a particular breed of cat developed that lacked a fur coat – Sphynx. Even though the sphinx lacks a fur coat, its skin is lined with fine hair textures.
This article lists various cats that tend to shed very less than the others. If the shedding can be a major cause of concern for you, you should get one of these. http://cattime.com/cat-facts/lifestyle/1333-top-17-low-shed-cats
Can You Control Your Cat’s Shedding?
Yes indeed, you can control the shedding habits of your cat to a vast extent, and change the amount of hair it sheds.
A healthy cat tends to shed a lesser amount of hair than an unhealthy one.
Therefore it can be made sure that the feline is fit and healthy. Some of the things that could be done are:
- Proper diet. Some people feed cats the same food they eat, which is totally not okay. A cat’s digestive system is different as compared to that of the humans. Therefore it is essential that they get the food that suits their system.
- Grooming. Grooming a cat is a necessary step to adopt if you have a cat. There are various cat grooming products available in the market. You can try Hartz Quick Wipes or stickler brush for cats. (sold on amazon.com)
- Vacuuming the house regularly so hair doesn’t accumulate at any place. Accumulating hair for a long period can spread allergens in the domestic environment.
There are various products that are available on the internet. Some of these can help you in controlling the shedding habits of the cat, while others might help in making your cat shed less.
However, if you are diagnosed with medical allergic to cats, having a cat as a pet might not be the best way to go. There are various other friendly pets you could get for your house.
If you are hell-bent on having a cat in your house, make sure to choose the proper breed that you can take care of. The furry big cats indeed look cute to hold and cuddle, but they might be great concern on the long term.
Conclusion
There adorable little furry things should only be owned by someone who is ready to clean up the hairy mess they make. If you think you cannot commit to the care that is required, avoid any cat on this list.
Feel free to share what you feel about this issue in the comments. If you have any additional information that we could use or any query, do contact us.
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