Why does my cat shed their fur and how much is normal?

As any cat owner will know, it’s usually quite easy to tell where a cat has been – just follow the trail of fur!

While it can mean a bit of extra vacuuming for us, it’s completely normal for cats to shed or moult their fur.

When their hair falls out, newer, healthier fur will usually grow back in its place quite quickly, helping to keep their coat thick and shiny. It also prevents the old hair from getting tangled and matted, which can particularly be a problem for long-haired cats.

Cats will even try to speed the process along by grooming. Licking their fur with their rough tongues helps to remove any old hairs that are still clinging on, allowing the new fur to grow.

You can give them a helping hand too by stroking or brushing them to remove excess hair. Short-haired cats will need to be brushed around once a week, while long-haired cats will require a daily groom to prevent matted fur. For more advice on grooming your cat, visit https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/grooming.

You may notice that your cat loses more fur at certain times of year too. As the weather turns warmer they’ll often start shedding their thicker winter coat, helping them to keep cool in the heat.

Is my cat shedding too much fur? 

The only time you may need to be concerned about your cat losing fur, is if new fur does not grow back in its place.

If you notice bald patches in your cat’s coat it could be that they have a skin condition or that they are over-grooming due to stress or behavioural problems.

The best thing to do is take your cat to a vet so they can figure out the cause of the problem and give you tailored advice on what to do next.

How to clean up cat fur 

If you’re constantly battling a tide of cat fur in your home, then a powerful vacuum cleaner will make cleaning up easier.

Shark is an official partner of Cats Protection and their TruePet vacuum cleaners are ideal for quickly removing embedded pet hair from your floors and furnishings.

They come with a choice of innovative technologies, including Lift-Away technology that lets you instantly transform your upright vacuum into a portable cleaner, making it easy to reach those awkward places that your cat likes to sleep. There’s also Anti Hair Wrap technology which actively removes hair from the vacuum’s brush roll as you clean, helping to prevent your moggy’s fur from getting tangled in the bristles.

Ideal if you have any friends or family members that are allergic to cats, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal will trap 99.9% of allergens inside the vacuum cleaner*. This prevents them from being released back into the air, so your guests can breathe easy when they visit.

What’s more, when you buy a TruePet vacuum cleaner you’ll be helping thousands of unwanted cats and kittens across the UK. Shark has committed to raising at least £33,500 per charity for Cats Protection and Dogs Trust over a one-year period, by donating a portion of every UK sale of a TruePet vacuum cleaner made through their website. Now, for a limited time only, they’ve increased the donation amount from 25p to £2.50 to each charity per sale, but you’ll need to be quick as the offer is only available from 28 February until 1 March 2020!

To find out more about Cats Protection's partnership with Shark, visit the Shark website. 

*Based on IEC standard 62885-2 Cl. 5.11 at 0.3 to 10 microns.