How To Reduce Cat Shedding: 7 Proven Methods
Unless you have a hairless breed like a Sphynx, as a cat owner, dealing with shedding and loose hair is just part of your life. While you can’t stop the fact that cats create hair, you can do something to minimize the mess and stress that it causes. We’ve discovered seven proven methods you can utilize right now to reduce your cat’s shedding. Any of these methods will help, but combining several methods will give you even more power against your cat’s shedding.
The 7 Ways to Reduce Cat Shedding
Not every cat owner has to deal with hair in the same amount. Some breeds shed more than others. Coats range from short to long. But hair is a normal part of dealing with cats. Still, you can reduce the amount of hair you’re dealing with by employing any or all of the following seven methods.
1. Improve Your Cat’s Hydration
Good hydration helps keep your cat’s coat healthy, which can help reduce shedding. So, ensure that your cat has constant and unlimited access to clean water.
However, cats are known for not drinking enough, so you might have to find other ways of improving your cat’s hydration. For instance, if your cat is eating dry food now, you could switch to wet food. Wet food can provide a large share of the daily water for a cat.
2. Check Your Cat’s Nutrition
For many cat owners, pet nutrition goes only as far as finding a cat food they think is healthy. But if your cat is shedding an excessive amount, you might want to take a closer look at its food regimen. If your cat’s food is lacking in omega-3 and omega-6, it could be causing your cat’s skin to be in a suboptimal state and to shed more than necessary. These essential fatty acids are important for your cat’s coat and skin, and you should follow a vet’s advice if you’re planning on giving supplements to your cat.
3. Give Your Cat Somewhere for Its Hair
This one isn’t going to reduce your cat’s shedding, but it will help to minimize its impact. If your couches and chairs are covered in cat hair, you might just try giving your cat a special place to lay and let all that hair stick to instead. Then, you can train your cat not to lay on the furniture but remain on its own bed or area instead.
4. Reduce Your Cat’s Stress
Cats shed more when they’re stressed or scared. It’s a normal physiological response, which is why anxious cats often shed so much. Even cats that are normally quite calm can experience excessive shedding right before a trip to the vet.
If your cat seems to have recently started shedding far more than usual, then you might look into recent stressors, such as major changes to your cat's life. Perhaps you’ve recently moved houses or gotten a new pet. Whatever the reason, try to discover it and mitigate the circumstances to the best of your ability. The best thing you can do is to consult a vet and try to figure out the reasons together.
5. Keep a Daily Grooming Regimen
As your cat sheds, the loose hairs build up and get tangled with the other hairs in the coat. By brushing your cat every day, you’ll be able to get rid of these loose hairs, leaving only the strong hairs behind. This will reduce overall shedding. Moreover, it will allow you to contain the mess by removing it all at once and throwing it away, rather than allowing the loose hairs to slowly fall off throughout the day and scatter around the entire house.
6. Bathe Your Cat Regularly
Unless you have one of the rare breeds that are naturally attracted to water, your cat will probably hate taking a bath. Still, an occasional bath can go a long way towards reducing overall shedding by clearing away all the excess hair in the topcoat and undercoat.
7. Vacuum & Dust Daily
Vacuuming and dusting won’t reduce how much your cat sheds, but they can help keep loose hair from building up around your home. Focus on your cat’s favorite resting spots, upholstered furniture, rugs, and corners where fur tends to collect. Use an upholstery attachment on furniture and a damp microfiber cloth on suitable hard surfaces to pick up hair rather than scatter it.
Daily cleaning may help during heavy shedding periods, especially if you have multiple cats. Wash your cat’s bedding regularly, too, following the care instructions to remove accumulated fur and keep their sleeping area clean.
Conclusion
Cat shedding is something that nearly every cat owner has to deal with. Only a few select breeds avoid this issue. But there are still many ways to reduce the mess of your cat’s shedding and the impact it has on your home and on your life. Hopefully, one or more of these methods will help you find some solace from the constant barrage of cat hair that you’ve been enduring.
Featured Image Credit: RJ22, Shutterstock
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A true Renaissance man, Dean Eby has worked a variety of hands-on careers, including home building and remodeling, personal training, and now shares his experiences and understanding as a writer. An avid outdoorsman, Dean spends much of his time adventuring through the diverse terrain of the southwest United States with his closest companion, his dog, Gohan.
For Dean, few passions lie closer to his heart than learning. An apt researcher and reader, he loves to investigate interesting topics such as history, economics, relationships, pets, politics, and more.
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