Maintaining a hair-free home is a big challenge when you’re a cat owner. It’s common for your feline friends to shed hair, especially when the weather gets warmer. Cats also lose a lot of hair due to medical issues, poor diet, medications, stress, and sunburn.
But did you know that there are many ways to reduce cat shedding? If you bought countless vacuums in the past in an attempt to minimize cat hair at home but to no avail, this article is for you. We’ve listed down easy yet effective hacks to reduce cat shedding.
- Brush, Brush, and Then Brush Some More
Although cats naturally self-groom, brushing them regularly can make a lot of difference. Brushing your cats with the right type of brush can remove dead hairs before they’re fully shed. This will not completely reduce your cat’s shedding, but it can prevent their hairs from falling around your house.
With the number of brushes available for cats today, make sure to pick one that’s ideal for the density and length of your cats’ furs. In this way, you won’t have to regularly pull their hair and ensure that the experience is comfortable and painless for them.
- Assess Their Diet
The quality of your cats’ diets can significantly affect their hair health. When cats don’t receive the essential vitamins and nutrients their bodies need, their fur can eventually become brittle and dry. Over time, this can cause their fur to break off and fall excessively.
Improving your cats’ diets is an excellent way to reduce shedding. One of the easiest changes you can make is by incorporating foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, and krill oil. According to Purina, omega-3s are highly beneficial for felines as this nutrient can improve the overall health of their hair follicles, decreasing the amount of hair being shed.
Aside from omega-3s, you should also consider the proportions of your cats’ diet. Experts recommend that felines should be fed with food that’s 45% protein and at least 25% fat.
- Prioritize Hydration
Proper hydration is crucial to cats because it can affect the quality of their fur, as well as their overall health. When cats don’t receive sufficient fluids regularly, their skin becomes drier, causing their fur to become brittle and eventually fall.
But keeping your cat hydrated all the time is easier said than done. Due to their history of living in desert environments for years, cats dislike water. This is one of the reasons why cat owners often struggle to keep their pets hydrated.
To ensure that your cats stay hydrated, introduce wet food into their diets. Cats eating wet food receive around 3.85 to 4.4 ounces of water from a single can, which is half of their required water intake.
Your other option involves your cats’ water bowls. Aside from making sure that your cats’ water bowls are full every time, you should also pay attention to the location of these bowls. Some cats feel unsafe in certain areas indoors, and placing the bowl in these areas will prevent them from drinking. You can try elevating your cats’ water bowls in your house or putting them in a quiet location to encourage them to drink more water.
- Provide a Cat-Friendly Sanctuary
Another reason why cats lose a lot of hair is because they tend to lie on things that aren’t cat-friendly. For example, some cats love to lie on clothes or furniture made from wool. This fabric works as a fur magnet because it attracts too much fur.
If you don’t want to see your valuables and furniture covered in cat hair every day, create a cat-friendly sanctuary for your pets. One of the easiest ways to do this is by investing in a cat tree and putting it in an area where your cats love to lounge.
Another hack is to add a blanket to your cats’ preferred sleeping location. You can just wash or use a lint roller to clean up the hair stuck on the blanket. This can help reduce the pet hair around your home and make cleaning a breeze!
When choosing which blanket to use, pay attention to the material as some attract cat fur more than others. Besides wool, you should also avoid using blankets made from tweed, corduroy, velvet, and polyester as their texture catches and holds fur easily.
- Give Your Cat a Bath
If you’ve tried various solutions to reduce cat shedding but to no avail, consider giving your feline friend a bath. Sure, this process isn’t easy (as cats often get rowdy when being bathed), but accomplishing this task can alleviate your cats’ shedding.
Giving your cat a bath is a great way to remove dying, dead, or loose hair. This can also help remove extra dander hiding in their coats that can trigger allergies indoors.
When bathing your cat, make sure to use cat-friendly shampoos, as these can hydrate and nourish your cat’s skin. We highly recommend the Burt’s Bees Waterless Shampoo because it’s affordable and made from high-quality cat-friendly ingredients. This formula is also free from sulfates, fragrances, and other harsh chemicals, reducing allergic reactions in cats.
Never attempt to share your own shampoo with your cats. This can only do more harm than good because human shampoos are harder to rinse and can dry out your cat’s skin.
- Give Your Cat A New ‘Do
Tired of removing cat fur from different surfaces in your home? It might be best to shave your cats to prevent the problem from recurring. You’ll have two options if you decide to take this route: you can shave your cats’ hair by yourself or hire professionals to do it.
When shaving your cats using DIY hacks, invest in high-quality clippers. We love this set from Enjoy Pet because it has everything you’ll need to get the job done fast and easily —different guard sizes, a pair of scissors, a comb, and a high-quality clipper. Your goal here is to trim your cats’ hair very short, so always use the guard to prevent shaving your cat down to their skin.
If you’re more comfortable hiring professionals to shave your cats, you need to allot at least $50 for the service for each cat. It’s also best if you seek recommendations from your vet as to which cat groomer to hire. In this way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that the groomer is qualified and experienced for the job.
- Reduce Stress
Similar to how it affects humans, chronic stress can also impact your cats’ well-being. Too much stress can increase shedding among felines. And when left untreated, it can trigger several skin and health conditions.
Another way to reduce shedding is to create a stress-free environment for your cat. You can achieve this goal by:
- Provide everything they need: Cats are like babies — they need several items to live comfortably and reduce stress. Ensure that your feline friends have everything they need in your home by providing them a quiet spot, a litter box, and their very own food and water bowls. Cats are solitary creatures, so it’s best to place their valuables in areas that are free from noise.
- Give your cats space: In general, cats don’t like to be crowded and would prefer their own space. Ensuring that your cat has a space on their own is a great way to reduce their stress. You can add several cat trees to your home or dedicate an entire room for them.
- Pay attention to their body language: While some cats love to be stroked and petted for long periods, others would prefer being alone. Be wary of your cats’ body language and try not to handle them if they’re not keen. For instance, if your cat is sulking around, leave them alone. If they meow and come close to you, pet them.
- Prioritize playtime: Spending time with your cat to play is important because it releases feel-good hormones in their bodies, which can help reduce their stress. There are plenty of ways to play with your cat — you can give them interactive toys like this, play hide and seek, or teach them a new trick.
- Create an enriching environment in and outdoors: Help your cats avoid stress by creating an enriching environment for them. To do this, provide them with tons of hiding options and places where they can get up really high. You can also make their spaces more mentally and physically stimulating by adding some cat-friendly plants (catnip is ideal), food puzzles, and climbing frames.
- Use a Vacuum and Lint Roller More Often
Instead of using a vacuum cleaner and lint roller only when you notice too much cat fur around your home, use them regularly to prevent pet hair from piling. Waiting for your cats’ hair to accumulate in your home before cleaning them will make you feel like your pets are shedding way more than they actually are.
Lint rollers are your biggest allies when you become a cat owner, so invest in the best ones. You can upgrade your existing lint roller for this set as it’s easy to use, comes with two refills, and is made from high-quality materials.
What Can I Give to My Cat to Reduce Shedding?
Fortunately, there are supplements and cat food specifically made to reduce cat shedding. By investing in these products, you’ll have better chances of minimizing your cat’s shedding and living in a hair-free home (finally!).
Check out our articles on the best supplements to stop shedding and the best cat foods to reduce shedding to learn more.
What Are Other Cat Owners Doing to Solve the Problem?
Shedding is a common problem among cat owners; you’re not alone. To give you more solutions on how you can successfully curb your cat’s excessive shedding, we’ve looked into several online platforms to determine what other cat owners are doing. Here’s what they have to say:
“Brush them thoroughly every day, put them on a high-quality food–no Fancy Feast or Iams, I mean real quality, preferably wet food made from meat and not corn– invest in a good vacuum cleaner and vacuum after you sweep, and take a daily allergy med like Allegra or Zyrtec.”
Another user commented,
“Pets come with hair. All you can do is vacuum regularly. Brush the pet daily or at least weekly, and maintain a diet that supports skin and coat health. Cats and dogs shed constantly but usually have two big annual sheds before winter and before spring.”
One also mentioned,
“I use the Furminator sometimes. It’s hugely messy at first, but helps lessen the daily shed.”
When Is Cat Shedding Season?
In general, cats tend to shed most during spring and fall because their bodies naturally prepare for seasonal swings in temperature. Cats who shed excessively during other seasons might suffer from allergies and other medical problems. If you notice this on your cat, take them to the vet immediately.
Can I Shave My Cat to Stop Shedding?
Yes, you can shave your feline friend to reduce or prevent shedding. But since shedding can also remove your cat’s protective hair, this option should be your last resort. And if you do decide to shave your cat’s hair, it’s best if you entrust professionals to do the job. This is especially true if you don’t have the experience and tools to shave your cat’s hair properly.
It’s Easy When You know How
Reducing cat shedding is challenging, but it’s not impossible to accomplish. Follow all of the tips mentioned here, so you can finally live in a hair-free home!