Shedding Cats
Shedding Cats - Natural, But Enough Is Enough
In many households shedding cats is a way of life. Cat hairs will be found in almost every nook and cranny. If you take a vacation 5,000 miles away, when you first open your suitcase in your hotel room you'll find a few cat hairs in with your belongings. It's your cat telling you it's thinking of you. We all know that animals shed their hair as part of the replenishing process. What we don't understand is why our cat has to do it continuously.
Cat shedding on a continual basis isn't really a natural state of affairs. Outdoor cats, or feral cats, will generally replace their coats twice a year. The indoor cat however lives in a different environment, usually a more controlled and constant one. Consequently its shedding mechanism kicks in and out more frequently and sporadically. The indoor cat sheds less at any given time, but more often than does its outdoor counterpart. Some of the shedding occurs when a cat scratches or grooms itself. Loose hair can be an irritant, and the cat naturally wants to remove as much loose hair as possible. You can reduce the amount of shed hair you'll find around the house by brushing the cat regularly, especially when it seems to be shedding more than normal.
Cats that are given a constant grooming tend to shed a bit less, as grooming promotes a healthy coat and skin. Long haired breeds, like the Persian, should be groomed much more frequently than short haired cats like the Siamese. Grooming will also reduce the number of hairballs the cat has do deal with, and you often have to deal with as well. Don't think of grooming your cat as being just another chore that you have to do from time to time. Cats generally love being brushed, and a grooming session is a good opportunity for you to spend some time with your pet. Done frequently, you'll get as much pleasure out of a grooming session as your cat does.
What you cat eats can also influence its shedding pattern. A nutritionally well balanced diet feeds the skin and coat, and can reduce the amount of shedding a cat will undergo. Just remember that shedding is not only a natural process, but a necessary one for the cat, so don't give it a diet or supplements with the idea that you want to stop the shedding entirely.
Finally there are incidents of cats shedding that are not normal. Hair loss would be a better term. Diseases and infections such as ringworm, mange, and one of several types of alopecia will cause excessive hair loss, and your cat will need medical treatment. Normal shedding does not result in bald spots or patches of thinning hair, so you should have little trouble in distinguishing between natural shedding and something more serious.