Ask the Veterinarian/Shedding

Advertisement


Question
My cat is a little over 1 year old. He is an indoor cat and sheds a lot! We always have fur on our clothes, furniture, etc. He does eat very good food, Science Diet, dry food and wet food 2x daily. Why is he shedding so much???

Answer
Some cats are just shedders Cindy. The amount of heat, humidity, breed etc has a lot to do with it. Indoor cats shed more because their bodies don't recognize the cycle of the seasons as well. Normally when an outdoor animal feels winter coming on, they shed a bit of their summer coat to make room for the undercoat for winter. When spring comes they shed out the undercoat for a lighter summer coat.

You are feeding the best food on the market, bar none. Have you tried the indoor cat formula? It is made with this shedding problem in mind. You might want to give it a try or the sensitive skin formula. That is what my cat is on and her skin and fur as like silk.

Brushing him a lot with a soft brush will help also as it helps him remove the coat that her skin wants to lose but is having a hard time with. Brushing will actually cut down on shedding a great deal after a while.


I hope this helps.

Ask the Veterinarian

All Answers


Answers by Expert:


Ask Experts

Volunteer


Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.