Help! My cats are shedding more than I can handle and I need some ideas of what I can do.?

Question

I have had them for over 7 years now, so I know that summers they shed a lot, esp since we have no AC. But this summer (which has not even been that hot) they are loosing so much hair it is making me crazy.
One big problem is ever since they were kittens, they have HATED being brushed. They tollerate it for about 30 sec/day. I have tried many different brushes and towels and find I have to stick to the bristled one simply because it removed the most hair. My tabby is actually loosing so much hair that it can come out in clumps and it actually mating on her back legs and rear area. They are short hair cats. I didn't think this was possible. Giving them a bath is like suicide but I may be at that point, though I also know that I don't really want to stress them out. They are relativiely stress free indoor cats with a very good diet.
Can I get them to love the brush/comb? A magical shed less potion? Will I ever stop vacuuming every day???

Answer 1

I know you said they hate being brushed, but I really reccomend the "deFurminator" a lot of pet stores carry them. It reduces shedding by ALOT. Its a brush that removes a lot of the undercoat of fur and it really works. You could also use the shampoos that come with it, they help with shedding too.

Answer 2

I have an indoor cat, but my philosophy concerning keeping cats indoors is that no animal, domesticated or not, should be robbed of the chance to get some fresh air, chew on grass, smell some flowers, and chase after squirrels (this is also why we do not declaw). For this reason, I have bought my cat a harness and a leash (you can buy it at any pet supplies store). I take her for walks outside in good weather around my yard, and she really enjoys it. Another benefit to this is that I get to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get into anything she's not supposed to. This way, she gets outdoor time and she's not as anxious to get outside every time someone opens a door. However, it has happened that she escaped out the door when someone was entering or leaving the house (we live in a suburban area). While this may be scary, cats are naturally good navigators and they are highly unlikely to ever get lost, even if they're indoor cats. If we can't catch our cat right when she escapes, then we just let her wander around and come back on her own. We keep things like that to a minimum by not letting people (family or guests) stand in the doorway. It's important that people open the door only to get in or out, and not linger on the doorstep. Windows are not a problem at my house because they have bug screens. Good luck with your new Kitten! I love Maine Coons, they're beautiful! P.S. My cat is a pure-bred Siberian

Answer 3

i have the same problem with 5 cats, do you de-flea them because my old cat lost a lot of fur to fleas, but you seem to look after your cats very well so i dont think that is the case. When your cats are eating try giving them a light brush to get some fur out but if they run away from there food dont do anymore because they will be affraid to eat. When they are on your lap or near you just put a rubber glove on, the ones you use for washing up, and do normal stroking momements and this is really good for getting the fur out but make sure you are out side.

it is a good idea to not give them a bath as this will cause distress and wont get much hair out. If it gets to bad then i would advise a trip down to the vets, to get a check up and see if nothing is wrong with them, but apart from that shedding fur is quite normal.

you can also get them grommed by a profesional they do a grand job but not cheep...good luck

Answer 4

I have the same problem with my 7 year old cat. She is a long haired one though and jet black so I constantly have to vacuum. I have tried different brushes lotions and potions but nothing works. I would suggest you check for fleas etc just to make sure they are not irritated and losing more hair because of it.
Unfortunately I don’t have the answer and I have kept cats for 30 years. Will keep a watch on your question I might get some tips myself..lol

Answer 5

Unfortunatly they do need to be combed out every day.

I have given my cats cod liver oil capsules which you can buy from a good Pet shop. Also you can buy defurrum, or any cat malt to help them to cope with cleaning them selves.

Neither of these items are expensive and I think you will see some result from this.

However, brushing them daily is the main thing that is going to help this. Try wetting the brush/comb to see if that helps remove more of the unwanted fur.

I blame the weather this year its confusing everyone, plant, animal and man.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Answer 6

That happens to me too! shes supposed to be short haired but moults//sheds sooo much. I cant hold her at all without being covered in cat hairs! And they're hard to get off clothes as well.
I have solutions though...
1. Ask the pet shop for a special brush, cats usually love being brushed and beg for more

2.You can get special pets vacuums that are designed specially for your situation. Just look in the local home shop or where-evr, like i'd go argos.

3. Check in the pet shop, i'm sure they'll have something.

Hope i helped, please tell me how you get on and more about your cat.


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Answer 7

They are probably just shedding more because they are getting older and aren't as active so they lose less hair. You need to keep brushing them or their mats will get bigger. You can try taking them to the vet. I took my cat and the vet shaved her problem areas for no charge and it is painless. I just bought a brush called the Zoom Groom and it's pretty cheap at about $6-7 at Petsmart. It's soft and cushy rubber. My tabby hated brushing and she would get mad and bite or swat at you. As soon as we started to use this brush, she loves it! I guess it feels more like a massage to her than a brushing and it's kind of a sticky rubber so it picks up more hair. I love using it on our other cat too because her hair is so fine that regular brushes can't grab any hair. The link below has a picture of it. Good Luck!

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441779168&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302033730&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1187980947990&itemNo=1&Ntt=zoom+groom&In=All&previousText=zoom+groom&N=2

Answer 8

go to the petstore and get this

Cat Hair Magnet $18.99, it sits on the floor and has a brush bristle that is in the shape of an upside down U. The cats love it and it catches so much hair, they literally brush themselves. Good Luck.

Answer 9

One possibility is taking them to be groomed by a professional....like at Petsmart, etc. They have experience with this kind of thing. Or, if they'll let you, TRIM OFF the mats, instead of trying to comb/brush them out. That really pulls, and the cats hate that. Once the mats are gone, just be sure to "keep up" w/them! My cats don't like to be "messed" with, either! Good luck.

Answer 10

There is a fairly new brush out there called a Furminator that is a Godsend!

It doesn't hurt even on mats and it really does pull out tons of hair. The pictures on the web site and package don't lie!!

Or take them all to a groomer, pay the price and then start from scratch!