Tips to Reduce Cat Shedding: How to Keep Your Home Fur-Free

• Shedding is a healthy and natural process. Cats shed and grow new fur all the time as hair goes through its growth cycle.
• Though shedding is normal, excessive shedding could be because of stress or poor nutrition.
• Groom your cat and feed them a balanced diet to stop cat shedding.

We love our kitties and their little tufts of fur. However, that doesn’t mean that we want to be covered in it. It can be frustrating when your new clothes are drowning in kitty glitter and you’re vacuuming more than any sane person should. The good news is that there are easy things you can do to reduce cat shedding (and your vacuum time). Let’s take a look at why cats shed so much and what you can do to help!

Why Do Cats Shed?

Dealing with shedding is just part of being a cat parent. Like humans, shedding helps remove dead or damaged hair, allowing new, healthy hair to grow in its place. Cats also shed with the seasons! They shed their thick winter coats in the spring and grow them back in the fall. More reasons for shedding include:

• Breed – Long-haired breeds like Maine Coons tend to shed more
• Stress or anxiety
• Poor nutrition
• Allergies
• Old age or arthritis, which makes it more difficult for cats to groom themselves

Ways to Reduce Cat Shedding

Stop your cat from shedding too much with these tips:

Brush Your Cat Regularly

While cats are total pros at grooming, sometimes they need some help. Brush their coat regularly to help remove loose fur. The more you brush, the less fur that will end up around your home. Aim to brush long-haired kitties daily and your other felines 2 to 3 times each week. This will also help distribute natural oils for a shinier coat and provide great quality time between you and your cat!

Keep Them Hydrated

Dehydration can contribute to dry skin and excessive shedding. Reduce cat shedding and support a healthy coat by keeping your cat hydrated. Since cats aren’t known for their love of water, you can help increase their intake by offering high-quality wet food, changing their water bowl throughout the day to keep it fresh, or even getting them a water fountain.

Feed Them a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet promotes healthy skin and coat, which helps to reduce shedding in cats. In general, their diet should include high-quality proteins, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals. This will encourage a healthy, shiny coat by keeping skin moisturized and reducing inflammation that leads to shedding. Some cat parents also opt to use specially formulated foods or nutrition supplements. Your vet can help you determine the best diet and supplements for your kitty.

Minimize Your Cat’s Stress

Excessive shedding could be a stress response. Create a calm and stress-free environment to stop cat shedding – and keep your kitty happy. Here are a few ideas to help minimize cat stress:

• Provide access to hiding spots throughout your home.
• Create a cat-only zone where your cat can retreat from everyone – humans and other pets – in your home.
• Give them scratching posts, which can be a way for cats to relieve stress.
• Reduce loud noises in your home.
• Keep them mentally and physically stimulated with puzzle toys, cat trees, and interactive playtime.
• Hold and soothe your cat in the Cozy Comfort Carrier during stressful times, such as vet visits, medication administration, and nail trimming.

Consider Bath Time

Yes, you read that right: consider bathing your cat to reduce shedding. While not for the faint of heart, bathing is a great way to remove excess fur and dander that would otherwise be on your furniture. It also helps reduce the risk of hairballs, which are common with shedding cats.

Make sure to use a shampoo formulated for cats (not dogs!) to avoid skin irritation. Since cats are natural groomers, you’ll only need to bathe them about once a month, or as needed based on their shedding patterns.

How to De-Fur Your Cozy Comfort Carrier

While you can take steps to stop and reduce cat shedding, some shedding is still inevitable. That means you’ll still need to maintain a clean and healthy environment with regular cleaning.

Vacuums and rubber brooms are staples to rid your home of fur, but what about your soft cat carrier? You want to routinely clean your Cat-in-the-Bag Cozy Comfort Carrier. It’s not just for aesthetics; excessive fur can lead to discomfort for your kitty, potentially causing allergies or skin irritation. Luckily, cleaning your Cozy Comfort Carrier is easy! Here’s how to clean a cat carrier and reduce shedding:

Use a Lint Roller or Rubber Brush

Lint rollers and rubber brushes are highly effective at removing fur from carpets, upholstery, and the exterior of your gentle cat restraint bag.

Vacuum Your Carrier

Some prefer to remove hair from their fabric cat carriers with a vacuum that has a pet hair attachment. However, this can be trickier than other methods.

Wash the Carrier

Washing your cat carrier is probably the easiest way to rid it of hair. Our cat carrier is machine washable! Just turn it inside out and wash it in a mesh laundry bag or with like colors. We recommend washing your carrier on the delicate/gentle cycle with warm or cool water to protect the 100% cotton fabrication. And don’t forget to use a cat-friendly laundry detergent!

Stop and Reduce Cat Shedding

The best way to keep your home fur-free is to reduce shedding at the source: your cat. Brush them regularly, ensure they have a balanced diet, and you’ll be that much closer to a hairless home. Follow our cat blog for more essential tips!