All cats shed, but how much really depends on many factors, such as breed, the health of the cat, the food that you give your kitty, time of the year, the temperature of your home etc. How much shedding can you expect from your Siberian cat?
While your Siberian cat’s coat shouldn’t give you too much trouble, I have to be upfront here. Siberians are a medium to high-shedding breed. They have a thick coat plus dense undercoat. That’s a lot of fur! If you don’t like seeing cat hair on various surfaces of your home (as well as an occasional hairball), you might be better off considering a different breed.
Siberian cat shedding is natural, even though it might be a bit of a nuisance. Siberian cat’s thick rough coat has awesome heat-preserving and water-resistant qualities. Because its main purpose is to protect the cat from the weather, it changes depending on the season. In other words, expect your cat to shed a fair bit in the spring. It’s as if the cat takes off its winter clothes to change into something lighter for the summer.
In the fall, the coat will become dense again. With some cats, it’s actually the opposite: the coat gets denser in the summer, and thinner in winter, especially if it’s an indoor cat. It may be connected to the higher temperature in the house in winter when the furnaces and heaters are on. Such changes in coat density are especially true for intact cats.
If you want to try to regulate your Siberian cat shedding, you can try and get your cat to sleep in a colder room at night. Colder temperature will be a signal for your cat not to shed. It works with my cat, but I don’t know if it will with yours.
Spayed and neutered cats might give you a bit more headache in terms of shedding. They generally don’t have distinct shedding seasons and usually shed somewhat the same throughout the year. It’s best to brush and groom such a cat daily. If you still find hair clumps in its coat or too much dandruff, you might want to give your cat a bath with a special shampoo that will help untangle the clump and remove dandruff.
If your cat’s coat has always been smooth and shiny and you suddenly notice changes, such as dullness, clumps, lack of shine and coarseness, there might be something wrong with your kitty’s health. You can check if you are providing your cat with the right nutrition, see if it has any parasites, or take it to the vet to exclude any other conditions. The health of your cat’s coat is always an indicator of its overall health. If your cat loses hair in spots, definitely take it to the vet!
Because cats tend to constantly lick themselves, and Siberians have lots of hair that they shed and swallow, don’t be surprised to find hairballs around your house. They are not that gross and you’ll get used to them quickly. Remember, it’s perfectly natural for cats to swallow some hair while grooming themselves, and then cough those up. It’s just something cats do.
You can still take some steps to prevent the excessive collection of hair in your house (and hairballs!) With Siberian cats, grooming is something that is almost inevitable if you don’t want to see your kitty’s hair everywhere. Here are some tools you may need:
- A wide flat brush
- A brush with rounded wire teeth
- A fine-tooth cat comb
- A grooming rake
Try to avoid brushes made of synthetic materials. Those tend to cause static electricity which causes increased fragility of cat hair and isn’t pleasant for the cat. (We all know what static feels like).
Start brushing your cat’s fur with a rare toothbrush, then proceed with a fine-tooth comb. Brush with the fur’s natural direction, not against it. At the end of the brushing session, you can “raise” their hair a little by giving it a few brushes against the natural direction. Don’t overdo it though. It might not be too pleasant for the cat.
If the cat hasn’t been brushed for a while and has clumps in its fur, you will need to carefully untangle them using brushes and your fingers. Do not pull too hard! If you can’t untangle the clump, use the scissors, but only if there’s no other way to fix the situation. Cutting out clumps may spoil the look of the cat, especially in the case of a color-pointed cat, as the new fur often grows darker and breaks the pattern.
Apart from keeping your home from drowning in fur and hairballs, giving your cat regular brushes will help strengthen the bond between you and can turn into a pleasurable activity.
If you find a lot of your cat’s hair everywhere around the house and especially on your furniture – don’t panic. It is possible to effectively clean it off the surfaces. Use a wet rag to brush your sofa or armchair. Siberian cat’s hair is quite long, visible and doesn’t tend to get stuck in furniture. Wipe it off with a rag, then rinse the rag and you are all set! (At least until your Siberian hops onto the sofa again 😉 Hopefully, your Siberian cat shedding won’t be too big of a deal.
