Some cats shed more than others, and it can be frustrating to have hair all over the house. But whether your cat has long or short hair, shedding is a natural phenomenon. By following these tips, you can make cleaning her shedding a little less daunting for you.
1. See the vet
When she sheds more than normal or if she has bald patches on her coat, you should consult the vet. Abnormal shedding can be due to various factors, such as stress, poor nutrition or even parasites. If you’ve ruled out poor nutrition and the presence of parasites, then you should definitely consult the vet.
2. Quality food
If your cat’s coat is healthy and shiny, chances of excessive shedding are less. You can attain this by ensuring that your cat has access to and drinks enough fresh water, and that her food contains the necessary minerals and amino acids, and particularly fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. Discuss your cat’s diet with your vet to ensure that she gets the best quality food that you can afford.
3. Regular brushing
By brushing her hair on a daily basis, you will get rid of all the excess hair before it ends up on the couch or your black pants. Although it won’t stop all the hair from gathering where you want it the least, there will be less hair for you to clean up.
Brushing will stimulate blood flow and improve the condition of her skin. Use a metal or rubber brush, which are ideal to get rid of dead hair, and a metal comb to get rid of tangles.
Brush her coat in the direction of the hair, and brush her from the tips of her ears to the tip of her tail. Take extra care when you brush her chest and belly.
4. Bathing
Depending on the breed of cat, you don’t have to bath your cat, unless she is really dirty and full of mud or sand. The breeder will give you the best advice about bathing your cat.
5. Protect the furniture
You can protect your most valued furniture during the time of her excess shedding with a throw or other material, if you don’t want your cat’s hair to ‘decorate’ the couch. If you don’t want cat hair in a specific area of the house, consider blocking access to that area.
6. Vacuum, vacuum
The most obvious choice to get rid of the hair is to vacuum all the carpets and couches on a daily basis. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner designed to clean pet hair. Also ensure that you have many lint rollers to clean all sorts of fabric, or use a damp towel to rub a specific area.
7. Just love her
When a cat is the proud owner of your home, you will have to accept that there will always be some amount of shedding. Embrace this ‘marking’ of your cat and show other people that you are a proud cat owner – within limits, of course.
