Content
- What is cat fur changing
- The fur change season
- First hair change in cats
- Risks of exchanging cats' fur
- What to do when a cat sheds its fur?
Cat caretakers know that their fur will always accompany them wherever they go, as both at home and outside, we can find one or two fur on our clothes. If you have one cat losing hair, we emphasize that this is something completely normal and healthy. Like people, cats shed their fur throughout the year, but it is mainly in the spring and autumn months, in northern hemisphere countries, when climate change is more pronounced, that we see a greater drop. In Brazil, as the seasons are not so defined, we do not observe the hair loss in cats in such an intense way.
If you've just adopted a cat and you're still not sure how this exchange works, keep reading this PeritoAnimal article to learn all the details about it. how is itthe cat's fur change, when it first occurs, if it can cause problems, and how can you help your feline during this process.
What is cat fur changing
The exchange of hair in cats is the renewal of the coating that surrounds the animal's skin. In domestic cats, the exchange consists of coat renewal to make way for the new, which is growing internally.
It is a normal and necessary process. If cats did not do this, this would be a problem, and if they do so in excess and to the point where hairless areas appear, this could indicate that the cat has a dermatological, behavioral or food problem that requires veterinary attention. Therefore, if you have a cat shedding a lot of fur, pay attention and find out if it is something punctual, as it should be, or something constant.
The fur change season
Cats shed hair throughout the year, but it is true that at certain times this renewal is accentuated. In northern hemisphere countries, these times are the spring and autumn months, as your body is preparing for the changes in temperature and light hours that occur during those months. So if you want to know how cats change their fur, we see that the answer lies in climate adaptation. Thus, the exchange of hair in cats at these times is carried out in the following ways:
- In spring, hair change is much more intense, representing half of the exchange they make during the year. This is because cats lose a large part of their fur to replace it with a thinner one, to better withstand the heat.
- In autumn, it's exactly the opposite, the exchange is carried out by losing these fine hairs, which are exchanged for thicker ones to withstand the coldest months of the year.
The exchange process during these months is much more noticeable in cats that live outdoors or go out from time to time than in cats that always live indoors, as the temperature in the home usually does not change as abruptly due to heating and air conditioning. In these domestic cats, the exchange process is generally more constant over time during the year, which is the case in most of Brazil, where the seasons are not as defined as in countries like the United States and other countries. Europeans.
First hair change in cats
Kittens have softer, finer, fluffier or wavy fur and shorter fur than when they are adults. This initial coat will accompany you during your first few 5-8 months old. It is from there that a baby cat begins to shed its fur, and will do so until it reaches its maximum growth and development.
In this way, according to its breed, the kitten will complete its first change to a longer, thicker, stronger and brighter fur. Usually, only the appearance of the fur changes, but not its color, although in some cats the fur may darken a little when they are adults.
In this first exchange, you will notice the cat losing fur more intensely and you will certainly see the feline's fur scattered throughout the house. It's important to start with the coat hygiene habits, getting the kitten used to brushing and even bathing. But don't despair if you see a lot of felines, it's totally healthy and normal, your kitten is growing. Find out in this other article even when a cat is a kitten?
In the following video, you'll see when to worry when we have a cat shedding a lot of fur:
Risks of exchanging cats' fur
Feline guardians are sometimes alarmed by the sheer loss of fur their cat is having. In principle, a natural and healthy exchange should not cause any problems.. The problem that can cause an exaggerated fur change in a cat is its self-cleaning.
We've all noticed that, more than once a day, our cat cleans itself, and during this process your tongue removes the loose hairs that are being exchanged, along with others that it pulls due to the characteristics of the papillae of your tongue.
This is how, after many cleansings, he can swallow a large amount of hair that will end up in his digestive system. After passing through the stomach, they will reach the intestine, where they can accumulate and form fur balls (Trichobezoars). This problem is much more frequent if the cat has long or semi-long fur, because in these cases the hair fibers take up more space and it is possible to obstruct the intestine with lesser amount.
These fur balls can reach partially or totally obstruct the intestinal transit, which causes clinical signs of a foreign body in the feline, such as vomiting, loss of appetite or anorexia. The solution is, in many cases, surgery to remove them. In this video, we talk about this problem:
What to do when a cat sheds its fur?
Due to the problem with fur balls, it is important to maintain frequent care of your cat's fur. During the changing season, when you notice the cat shedding a lot of fur, this care should be performed even more often, and will consist of the following:
- Brushing: during the year, cats should be brushed frequently using a special brush for cats, at least twice a week for short-haired cats and twice a week for long-haired cats. If you live in a region where the changing time is more noticeable, brushing should be done at least every other day for short-haired ones and every day for long-haired ones. This, in addition to promoting the blood circulation that will make the hair stronger and healthier and strengthen your bond with your cat, will also drag out dead hair and prevent the cat from ingesting it. For this, the most used brush is a type of scraper brush.
- Bath: during the cat's bath, a lot of dead hair will be dragged very effectively, and later will be removed with brushing. The ideal is to get a kitten used from an early age so that the bath is not too stressful or traumatic. If your cat gets hysterical when she sees the water, it's best not to bathe and work with her so that she ends up associating this moment with a positive experience. For that, we recommend this article: how to bathe my cat at home.
- Malt: Giving this product at least once or twice a day during this season can help prevent hairball formation. To help your ingestion, if the cat doesn't like it very much, you can put some on one of its front paws or over its nose, as this will make it lick the area clean and ingest the malt.
- catnip: Some cats find this herb very attractive and ingest it to purify themselves. If this is the case for your cat, you can try offering it during the period of greatest shedding in cats to improve their intestinal transit by regurgitating the accumulated hairs that can form a hairball.
In addition, just like the rest of the year, this must be accompanied by a good diet with a complete and balanced diet, which guarantees all the nutrients in their correct proportions, so that the feline maintains its good health and hair condition. Now, if after knowing all the details about changing hair in cats, you still consider that your fall is not normal and you find yourself with a cat shedding a lot of fur, way above what you think you should, it is better to go to the vet to examine it, as there are several causes that make a cat lose a lot of hair.
If you want to read more articles similar to How is the changing of the fur of cats?, we recommend that you enter our Hair Care section.