If you’ve noticed a lot of cat hair on your clothes, furniture, or bed recently, it’s because your cat is shedding. This is a typical element of a healthy cat’s bodily system.
However, it may bring a lot of trouble and shame. One approach to regulate your cat’s fur and reduce shedding is to shave her. (with prior advice from a veterinarian)
You can shave your cat to prevent or reduce shedding. But it should be avoided to the greatest extent feasible since it might remove protective hairs that assist cats in regulating their body temperature.
Shaving can be uncomfortable for some cats, while others are afraid of being shaved.
Give Your Cat the Perfect Day
Get the Free Ebook!
Is It a Good Idea To Shave A Cat To Stop Shedding?
It’s not good to shave a cat to stop shedding because it will not completely solve the problem.
The only advantage of shaving your cat is that it will no longer shed! If you’re bothered by your cat’s excessive shedding, one of the possible approaches to stop it is to shave its fur.
Cat-shed is just the removal of fur from the body, similar to how people wake up with hair on their pillows. As a result, cutting the hair will stop it from falling out.
Some people assume that shaving their cat’s fur will help it cool off in the summer heat. This is a widespread misunderstanding, and shaving a cat might have the opposite effect.
The undercoat protects the cat against both heat and cold. When it’s hot outside, it keeps cold air in, and it keeps warm air in when it’s cold.
Shaving a cat’s fur is a personal choice based on the animal and the climate. Some individuals applaud its efficiency, while others feel that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.
On the other hand, the majority of individuals agree that the cat would prefer to have its hair left alone. After all, cats are designed to tolerate both summer and winter.
So, we’ve previously established that shaving a cat is one approach to eliminating shedding. However, this might not be the greatest solution for you.
Fortunately, there are a variety of different options for decreasing shedding. These techniques have been tried and true, and I am convinced that they will work for even the most shedding cats.
Try one of these at a time, or all of them at once! They will undoubtedly assist.
You might also like to read about can you shave a cat with human clippers
Does Shaving Cats Help With Shedding?
Shaving your cat’s hair will have minimum effect to stop the cat’s shedding.
You can shave your cat in the summer, but it is typically not essential. Even if your cat sheds more than normal, it’s recommended to explore alternative options before shaving, as shaving might cause your cat to get overheated. The coat aids in the regulation of body temperature in cats.
You might also like to read aboit do cats shed more in the summer
Your cat may shed more than normal during the hot months. This can be inconvenient, but shaving is unlikely to solve the problem. You should exhaust all other viable options before resorting to this severe approach.
Also, there’s a frequent myth that shaving a cat helps it chill down. The undercoat, or bottom layer of the fur, is responsible for maintaining body warmth.
Shaving it off will almost certainly cause more damage than good. If you do decide to shave your cat, let the undercoat alone.
A cat that has lost its fur is also exposed to the sun. This might result in sunburn, which takes a long time to cure. Because a shaved cat will spend less time outside during the summer, I advise against shaving unless your cat is kept entirely indoors.
The shedding season for cats occurs twice a year. Twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. This allows their fur to adjust to various weather conditions throughout the year.
In addition, during the summer months, when the temperature is hot, cats shed more than normal.
Also, check out should i shave my cat in summer
If you have a cat, you’ve probably noticed some additional hairs strewn about your house during the warmer months. Warm weather leads cats to shed more than usual, which is entirely natural.
This is how they get rid of surplus fur that they don’t require right now. The fur is regrown in preparation for the winter cold during the fall.
The impact of air conditioning and indoor life on a cat’s shedding cycle is also considered. Domestic cats are prone to excessive shedding throughout the year, even though their primary shedding periods are still in the spring and fall. During the “off-season,” wild cats are less prone to shed considerably.
While all cats sweat in different amounts, certain breeds are more prone to it than others. Although it is a fallacy that long-haired cats shed more than their short-haired counterparts, there is some truth to it.
Their shedding is more obvious due to their long hair. Maybe you’re allergic, or maybe you’re just overly careful of your prized possessions? In such a case, it’s probably advisable to stay away from these cats.
Also, check out about do cats shed more in the winter
Alternative Ways To Reduce Shedding In Cats
Shaving your cat may seem like a good idea, but as previously said, it is not recommended and should only be done if there are medical or health problems or if there is a parasite infestation.
If you don’t want to shave your cat, here are some alternatives:
- Brush your cat with a good pet grooming brush regularly.
- Bathe your cat at least once a month to remove extra and undercoat hair, keep him hydrated, and feed him a balanced, omega-rich diet to help him shed less and maintain a healthy coat.
It's interesting to know Can You Shave A Cat? Pros And Cons Of Shaving Cats
Home Remedies For Excessive Cat Shedding
1. Flea Repellent
Since fleas may cause many skin discomfort, developing an efficient flea repellent therapy helps prevent your cat from scratching excessively.
This will provide them with a sense of relief and a respite from these annoying bugs while you look for a more permanent solution.
Disclaimer: Before trying any home remedies, always consult your veterinarian first.
To make a simple home remedy for cat hair loss, quarter a lemon and throw the sections in a saucepan of boiling water. Allow steeping for at least 24 hours.
Put this mixture in a spray bottle the next morning and spray it all over your cat’s head, legs, chest, and tail. Please pay careful attention to the area behind their ears, at the base of their tail, and beneath their arms.
You may also make a safe pesticide for both people and cats. Pyrethrum is a DIY spray created from dried African Chrysanthemum flower heads that have been crushed into a powder. This is also present in current flea treatments and aerosol foggers.
Crush the flower heads into a fine powder to make this pesticide. Take two handfuls and soak them in one liter of boiling water for an hour.
Blend the ingredients until they form a puree that can be put into a spray bottle. Spray it all over your cat, being careful not to get it in their eyes, mouth, or inner ears.
Garlic, brewer’s test tablets, and apple cider vinegar are more natural flea repellents. These common home products give your cat a distinct odor that the fleas hate.
You might also like to read about reasons behind cat losing hair on ears
2. Regular Bathing
Bathing your cat regularly once a month with a natural cat shampoo is an excellent at-home therapy for cat hair loss and may help get rid of your cat’s extra hair. This cuts down on shedding and prevents them from over-grooming particular regions.
Add chamomile to your cat’s bath to encourage healthy skin and minimize dandruff from dry skin. Nettle can also help to promote healthy hair and skin.
Oatmeal may also be used to relieve itchy skin. This can also help with dryness. Allow 10 minutes for an oatmeal and water combination to sit on your cat’s skin before washing it off with warm water.
If you can receive permission from your veterinarian, consider using Listerine, baby oil, and water to treat hot patches. In a spray bottle, combine an equal quantity of all three components. Then, three times a day, rub a tiny bit into your cat’s skin.
When your cat comes in from the outside, use a moist towel to clean them down. This will guarantee that allergens from the outside do not remain on their skin or hair for longer than required. You may also keep your cat indoors to keep allergies, pests, and infectious illnesses at bay.
3. Switch Cat Foods
If your cat is losing hair due to an allergy, their diet likely is to blame. The protein source, such as beef or chicken, is generally associated with cat allergies. Grain and maize allergies affect certain cats.
According to the Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University, cats are frequently sensitive to dairy and eggs.
If your cat has a food allergy, you’ll usually detect it between the ages of two and six. Itchy, reddish skin, hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite are all signs of a food allergy.
You may need to convert to hypoallergenic cat food, but see your veterinarian for further information.
For roughly 12 weeks, you’ll need to feed your cat the new diet (and nothing else, including treats, eggs, and toothpaste). It should take two to four weeks for their sensitive stomach to settle up.
It will take around 12 weeks for itchy skin or missing fur to disappear, as that is how long it takes for a cat to build a new outer layer of skin cells.
Another hair loss therapy includes a full oil in your pet’s food. Some examples are safflower seed, peanut, and sunflower oils. These include important fatty acids, which may aid in the health of your cat’s skin and coat. Add a half teaspoon of this complete oil to each of your cat’s meals.
Check out more details about can i shave my cat to get rid of fleas
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there anything you can give a cat for shedding?
You may also give your cat a warm water bath to remove another fur. Invest in high-quality cat food with real meat as the primary component and offer your wet cat food with omega fatty acids to maintain its skin and hair bright and healthy in the long run to decrease shedding.
What causes a cat to shed a lot?
Cats, like us, shed their hair regularly. As the temperature warms up in the spring, cats tend to shed more hair. Stress, poor food, allergies, medicine, illness, and sunburn are among the medical conditions that cause cats to shed. Groom and brush your cat regularly.
How much shedding is too much for a cat?
Although this rapid hair loss may worry you, a certain amount of shedding is quite natural. Cats shed daily and go through one to two major shedding and hair growth cycles every year.
Final Words
Shaving can be the most effective way to decrease shedding, but your cat may not appreciate it. If you decide to shave your cat, be sure to leave the undercoat intact since it helps to keep your cat cool.
Consider leaving a comment below if you found this article useful!
Must Read: Do Cats Get Dandruff In Winter?
Interesting Read: Do Black Cats Shed?
