Cat that doesn't shed?

Have you thought about taking her to a professional groomer for a cut in the spring? I was doing that for my long hair cat for a while mainly for my other cat who has a sensitive stomach. They were still playfighting and he was getting sick from swallowing a lot of her fur. I was getting lion cuts and she wasn't nearly as pretty with them but I think it helped my other cat and it would be better than having her get so sick.

I'll keep that in mind Denice. That may be the answer.

Thanks everyone for your input. I think Dusty is gorgeous too, but I'm very prejudiced! But she's not bad for a stray. She was living on our patio for weeks before my husband decided she must be hungry. He saw her licking the outdoor grill. Since she had a collar (but no tag) I had assumed she belonged to someone. She had also been spayed. After we fed her, it was obvious she'd been living on her own for some time. I'm sure she thought we were dimwits since it took her so long to train us, lol!

The only cat I know of that barely sheds is the Sphynx, but I guess it could be possible another cat is the same (no shedding). I wish I could see the pictures.

I also think she looks like a forest cat. To my knowledge, they are the only cats who go through such a severe change during the summer and look like a completely different cat. Maine Coons will “blow coat†but, as far as I understand, not as much and don't look so drastically different during the summer. Also, unlike the Maine Coon, Forest Cats rarely matt, whereas Maine Coons will matt if they go too long between brushings. One character trait about the Forest Cats is that their fur can feel "oily." Does Dusty seem to have an oily texture to her fur? I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know a lot about cat breeds, but I LOVE large long haired cats, so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve done a lot of research on the Forest Cats, Maine Coons, Ragdolls and Ragamuffins. She seems like she must be a Forest Cat mix, to me. She is BEAUTIFUL.

Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom

That's very interesting! Last year she was still new to us, so I thought she was sick when she was throwing up all the time. As I said in a previous post, she went from 8.5 lbs to 6.5 lbs in a few weeks. I could feel her ribs and her bony bumpy spine. I was sure she was going to die. I really don't want her to go through the barfing again this year.

How do you keep Jake from swallowing all that fur? Do you have any suggestions to keep her more comfortable during this time?

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I think if you can feel her spine then that can be a problem. Have you tried giving her canned pumpkin? Jake throws up a lot at certain times of the year but they shouldn't be losing that layer of muscle protecting their spine. I hope your cat doesn't go through that much of a weight loss this year. I noticed Jake barfs less if I'm giving him even a little canned food every 1-2 days (and/or pumpkin). Sorry it took me a while to respond. I've been a bit under the weather.

It also helps if I comb and brush him a lot during the time he's losing so much fur. BAthing him helps too. I can get a plastic grocery store bag full of fur during his molting season, when I bathe him and then comb and brush with a blow dryer. It's amazing. So I figure it's that much less fur for him to swallow!

Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom


Recent pic - winter coat


shows the highlights in the sun

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Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom


Winter coat


Summer coat

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She is GORGEOUS!!!

I had to quote your pics, just so I could see them again... WOW!

She is gorgeous! I like coming back just to look at her. I'm a stalker!

Come back anytime! Dusty will be pleased to know that you think she is beautiful! [I think she is pretty too, but obviously I'm prejudiced!]

More pics my assuage our 'Dusty Lust' might be useful!

Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt

More pics my assuage our 'Dusty Lust' might be useful!

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I'll do my best! She's very camera shy, so I have to sneak up on her and use the zoom.

My Dusty is such a lap cat that she rarely leaves us alone. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night to see my husband sleeping on his back, with Dusty on his chest and her head nuzzled next to his. She had one paw on my husband's cheek. They were both sound asleep. It was SOOOO CUTE!!

Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

I think if you can feel her spine then that can be a problem. Have you tried giving her canned pumpkin? Jake throws up a lot at certain times of the year but they shouldn't be losing that layer of muscle protecting their spine. I hope your cat doesn't go through that much of a weight loss this year. I noticed Jake barfs less if I'm giving him even a little canned food every 1-2 days (and/or pumpkin). Sorry it took me a while to respond. I've been a bit under the weather.

It also helps if I comb and brush him a lot during the time he's losing so much fur. BAthing him helps too. I can get a plastic grocery store bag full of fur during his molting season, when I bathe him and then comb and brush with a blow dryer. It's amazing. So I figure it's that much less fur for him to swallow!

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Hope you're feeling better. Ive been sneezing and have a drippy nose, but I think it's allergies - I hope!

Interesting that you mention canned pumpkin. I had heard that before, but the molt season starts in March, and I couldn't find canned pumpkin anywhere, so I substituted baby food squash! This really seemed to help, so I'm going to buy some again this year.

I can't imagine trying to bathe Dusty, and no way would she put up with a blow dryer!. I think I'd be torn to ribbons. She is such a scaredy cat.