My Cats are Shedding Up a Storm!

I've never had cats before and this time last year both Atticus and Thirteen were one and two months old, respectively.  Kittens don't really shed, or at least mine didn't, but this year, now that they're grown, there are little fur tufts rolling across my floors like tumbleweeds.  Both of my cats are shedding like crazy.  I Furminate them once a week and use a slicker brush every night.  I sweep and vacuum CONSTANTLY but no matter what I do. . . there's fur everywhere.

My partner claims it's because they are losing their winter coat but my cats never go outside.  How would they even know it's about to be summer?  My house stays at a very comfortable 72 degrees year round.  Is he right?  If so, when does the shedding stop?

Sounds about right. I personally think cats fur changes due to the change of light in the seasons, at least as much as to temperatures. I'd use the furminstor 3 times a week for the next month at least, and before brushing, dampen your cats fur using a quality waterless shampoo or something like Allerpet C (or water)--the dampness helps slicker brushes grab onto fur much better.

Cats and dogs shed heavily twice a year. They lose their fluffy winter coat in the spring so their lightweight summer coat can grow in, and the lightweight summer coat falls out in the fall to make room for the thick winter coat. How different those coats are and how much shedding occurs depends on the breed and the individual cat, but it is a genetic thing leftover from when cats were wild animals. Most seasonal changes in animals are triggered by the amount of daylight, not temperature, so that's probably the same with cats. (I'm not sure if that's been directly studied before or not though.)

My cat does not tolerate the furminator brush, so I like to use one of those rubber brushes that attracts fur by generating static cling as the brush passes through the fur. Cats can definitely produce a lot of fur!

Thanks for reassuring me.  I appreciate it.

And that water tip sounds like a keeper.

I was at work today and my nose started to itch so when no one was looking . . . you know what I'm about to say.  I swear, the cat fur that I pulled out of my nose had to have been tickling my brain, it was so long.

I may bump up my Furminating this week and see if it helps.  They enjoy it but I don't want to overdo it. 

Thanks again.

LavishSqualor said:

 
I've never had cats before and this time last year both Atticus and Thirteen were one and two months old, respectively.  Kittens don't really shed, or at least mine didn't, but this year, now that they're grown, there are little fur tufts rolling across my floors like tumbleweeds.  Both of my cats are shedding like crazy.  I Furminate them once a week and use a slicker brush every night.  I sweep and vacuum CONSTANTLY but no matter what I do. . . there's fur everywhere.

My partner claims it's because they are losing their winter coat but my cats never go outside.  How would they even know it's about to be summer?  My house stays at a very comfortable 72 degrees year round.  Is he right?  If so, when does the shedding stop?

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Hi! We live in coastal Southern California where it's in the 70s all year round, but our cat was shedding her winter coat like crazy a few weeks ago. Even in mild temps, cats are biologically timed to shed at certain times of the year.

Like Molly92, we use a rubber glove to brush her everyday. She's a shorthair, but It's hard to believe how much hair she sheds when she does. It looks like there's more fur on the brush than her on her body! But as of last week, ZERO shedding. She done for the season. But because she absolutely LOVES getting brushed, we still do it everyday. She plops down next to me as soon as the brushes come out and purrs like crazy and rubs her face into the brush. She can't get enough! It's a great bonding experience, so give it a try. They're so cheap and your cats will love it!

I uses this rubber mitt/glove first. You can wipe off the fur with a damp paper towel. Then I massage in circular motions with this rubber Kong brush. It's like $4 and change. SO worth every penny. AND it's so easy to clean because you can just lift the collected fur off the brush with your fingers. And at the very end, I put the rubber mitt back on to do a final clean up. Sometime I'll repeat several time because she loves it so much!

Is you cat a long haired or short haired? 

Thank you so much for the recs, cocobutterfly; I actually ordered that glove.  I figure I need everything in my grooming arsenal I can get! 

And you guys who suggested dampening the fur or the grooming tool prior to brushing were absolutely spot on. 

It made a world of difference in the amount of hair that flies into the air.

Thanks!