Owning a cat comes with a lot of responsibility. Any number of issues can come up, from allergies to aggression and behavioral problems. One common issue that a lot of new cat owners tend not to know much about is shedding. All cats do it at some point, and while it’s generally not a cause for alarm, it might also be a sign of something bad.
But, “Why does my cat shed so much?”, you might be asking. In this article, you will learn some of the most common reasons behind cats losing their hair.
Most Frequent Shedding Causes
Poor-Quality Food
Cats have specific nutritional needs, and not all types of food will be good for their coat. In fact, if your pet doesn’t get a proper diet, you can expect to see some flaky skin and dry, unhealthy fur. Furthermore, the lack of the right nutrients can cause a whole host of other health issues that are far worse than shedding.
Naturally, the solution to this problem is simple. All you need is to buy different food for your little buddy from now on. But before you do, make sure you consult a vet for some advice. They might even recommend a specific dietary regimen for your kitty.
Health Issues
Sadly, an excessively shedding fur coat might indicate that your little friend is sick. And really, anything can be the cause, including:
• Seasonal allergies
• Thyroid disease
• Ringworm infection
• Metabolic diseases
• Other parasitic infections
Everything in the list above has excessive scratching, grooming, and shedding as some of the symptoms. If you happen to notice that your cat is losing more hair than usual, consult a vet as soon as possible.
Stress or Boredom
Shedding hair in and of itself isn’t one of the symptoms of cat stress. However, excessive grooming is; a cat might scratch and groom so much that it develops a condition called psychogenic alopecia. In other words, it scratched so hard that some of the hairs fell off and exposed some skin.
The best solution for this problem is to figure out what the cause of stress is and try to mitigate it. Once again, we advise that you talk to a vet and figure everything out in detail.
It’s That Time of the Year
No matter what breed of cat you have, they will shed a lot more during the warm months. They do this in order to get rid of excess hair that grew out during the winter to provide the necessary warmth.
The solution here is simple. All you have to do is brush your pet a few times a week, and you’ll reduce the number of shed hairs all over the house.
Aging
Old cats, much like old dogs (and even people, to some extent) lose hair more frequently than young ones. That’s because they can no longer groom themselves as effectively as before. If that’s the case with your little feline, make sure to brush it daily to remove all of the matted or loose hairs.
Pregnancy
Owners of female cats know that during pregnancy, their pets will produce more hormones than usual. This change will result in shedding a lot of hair from the underside, where the nipples are.
The only thing you can do as an owner is to wait out the pregnancy, and the hair will grow back in no time. In addition, keep checking on your pregnant pet for any signs of disease or infection.
Obesity
An obese cat can’t really groom itself properly. As a result, fewer hairs get swallowed, and they simply end up on your living room floor. Now, this doesn’t mean that obesity is the cause of shedding, but rather that it leads to it eventually.
Should you own a chubby little fellow, talk to your vet and start a dietary regimen to get it back to a lower weight.
Breed Specifics
Finally, we should discuss breed-specific shedding. It goes without saying that some breeds, like the Maine Coon or the Persian cat, have longer and thicker coats than others. With that in mind, they will tend to shed more frequently, and the hair will come in larger quantities.