Help! My cat's fur is all over the place and I'm starting to go crazy over it!

B

BAM

Cathlete
The past 2 months especially, my cat has been shedding more than usual. Her fur is EVERYWHERE and I truly can't take it much longer. I'm constantly using one of those reusable sticky rollers which I continuously have to clean. My house is small so I really can't limit where she goes. I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to pet her or pick her up because of all the fur that's left behind. It's in the air, on my clothes, furniture, counters.....argh! I'm giving her a multi vitamin but apparently she's lacking something. I've noticed that there's some white residue when she sheds, perhaps flaky skin? Does anyone have any suggestions as I'm almost at my wit's end and I truly don't need to be dealing with this now. (Not that anytime is a good time to handle stuff we don't want to. Argh again! :mad:)

Thank you.
Bam
 
i brush my cat daily. maybe if its that bad take her to a vet. i would search on the internet about it and type in cats shedding too much. my cat sheds a lot when at the vets because she is stressed out. is your cat maybe stressed about something?

laura
 
I'm sorry for what's happening. As my cat got older in years (over 12) she started to shed more and more. But I just accepted it as part of her aging process and just used more sticky rollers and vacuummed and brushed her more. As the other poster said there are many reasons for the increased shedding:
aging of your cat
weather changes
stress
malnutrition
illness

You said that you've been giving her a multivitamin. When did you start? Did you notice the shedding increasing with the multivitamin usage? You may want to stop the multi and see if it's the culprit. Just like human's, cats can have side-effects to supplements (yes, even supplements) and medicines. If all else fails I would bring your cat in to the vet to be checked as the other poster suggested.

Good luck and remember to love your cat and give her/him the love and affection she/he deserves. Cat's can feel rejection just like us. :)
 
As was mentioned, daily brushing (it doesn't have to be a lot, but a few minutes here and there really help. Most cats hate slicker brushes--those with metal tines--though some long-haired cats love them. I use brushes that I bought in the human hair-car aisle of Walgreens and CVS. They are meant to be used for putting shampoo or conditioner in your hair. One kiind costs about a buck, the other 2/$1. I have brushed MANY cats at my local shelter over the years, and have found very few that don't like to be brushed with these, only those who don't like to be petted at all).

To keep the hair off furniture, cover sofa and chair seats where kitty likes to hang out with towels or special cat sleeping mats (my cats have, and recommend, these: http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Thermal-C...6MK0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1298507944&sr=8-4 )

This is an odd time of year for increased fur loss, so definitely get it checked out. If there are actual bald spots or thin spots from the shedding, it's most likely due to some health concern.

I keep those sticky rollers at home, in the car and in my office.

Another solution: buy lots of tweed.;)
 
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The white residue is most likely dandruff, you can add a drop of oil to the food, (olive,fish or flax) to moisten the skin.
 
Ladies, thank you SO much for your great feedback and suggestions. My cat was a stray and we estimate her to be about 2 years old. I've brushed her in the past but the brush I was using wasn't of much use, plus, she doesn't like to be brushed. Her fur is medium in length and is not showing any signs of balding areas.

Laura, thanks for looking up the info on the internet. I don't know if she is stressed about anything in particular. One thing she does is clean herself a lot. She's done this ever since I took her in and ingests tons of fur so I have to make sure she's moving that fur out of her which I don't always have a handle on.

Twinkletoes129, she's been getting a multi-vitamin for about a year. I can certainly try stopping it to see what happens.

Kathryn, you have mentioned the brush you use in previous threads and I'm trying to picture which one it is. Is it round with a plastic strap on it to put your hands through?

Irusso, I had been giving my cat some oils in the past but she's so fussy that she wouldn't eat the food anymore. I was doing that mostly because she was dry heaving so much with all the fur in her. I did get something from the vet for this and sometimes she'd eat it and other times not. In fact, right now she's heaving and I wish she would just throw up what's in her. :(

Thanks again for all of your input. I hope I can find a solution soon before I decide to give her a buzz cut. :D

Bam
 
cat hair

I have 3 ragdolls, I use the furminator to brush their hair. As far as the unusual amount of shedding, you should check this with your vet.

Good luck
Karen
 
BAM said:
Kathryn, you have mentioned the brush you use in previous threads and I'm trying to picture which one it is. Is it round with a plastic strap on it to put your hands through?
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These are similar to ones I have: http://www.cachebeauty.com/shampoo_brushes.htm
I have some like the first one, and some like the "Genco pocket/shampoo" brush (6th one down).

Both of them feel gentle on my arm and good on my scalp (I have my own in the shower), so I figure since cats are 'all scalp'--LOL!--they'd like these types, and they do.

When I use these on the cats in the shelter, sometimes people will walk by and they make some comment that shows they're surprised the cats like to be brushed (I assume they're using the wrong kind of brush at home).
 
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silbow said:
I have 3 ragdolls, I use the furminator to brush their hair. As far as the unusual amount of shedding, you should check this with your vet.

Good luck
Karen
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I have a Birman - almost identical to Ragdoll. I saw that furninator, looks great. I was going to treat myself to one of those.

Meantime, I brush daily. I don't get a lot of co-operation, but it's got to be done. Use a brush first then I put on rubber gloves and do a repeated stoking motion from the ribs down to the tail until the fur that's releasing is diminishing. It's amazing how much comes out daily.

If I don't need to vacuum daily, but there are some tufts around on the carpet I use a suede brush or wire brush and it only takes seconds to whizz round and hoike them all up. I'm sure Cathe would think of a way of incorporating some squats and lunges to reach down to get them LOL :p

Here kitty kitty
 
furminator

The furminator is worth every penny!!! I bought mine from Amazon, I found their price to be the cheapest
The birman looks almost identical to the rag doll, beautiful animal. I have pictures of them on facebook along with my dog which is a coton de tulear.
 
i have a playful suggestion if you dont want the cat on your furniture. she slides,rolls around, and sleeps in cubes i bought at Target. the cubes are out of shape since she plays so vicious with them.Target only sells them online now. DO NOT buy the ones at Wallmart. they are no fun for her because of the material and they dont fold.of course,you will still have to shake the tube out and clean with a paper towel and periodically buy new ones.

laura
 
Kathryn, thanks so much for posting that link. I thought that's what the brush looked like and now I know. You're able to get a reasonable amount of fur with that brush? I've used a fine tooth comb along with the wire brush and I don't get a heck of a lot of fur with either of them. She has medium length fur. What I've been doing lately is is brushing her with my fingers when she sits on my lap. I actually get a reasonable amount out that way and she allows me to do that.

I had a vet tell me that the more you brush your cat, the more loose fur it produces. Has anyone else experienced that?

I was looking into the Furminator awhile back and because of the cost and my kitty's unwilling behavior, I chose to not invest in it but I'm glad it works for those who have it.

Kim, I've always thought about tyring rubber gloves which may work better than my hand.

Laura, I will look into those cubes at Target. Thanks for the suggestion!

Again, I thank everyone for your help!

Much appreciated!
Bam
 
My cat doesn't always like the metal brush either. I brush her with a rubber brush made for cats that I got at the large pet store. Its in the shape of a cat and has flexible rubber teeth. She loves it, its more of a massage and I get a lot of hair out of it when she is shedding (wich is usually only spring and fall). I used to give her a bath and that cut down on the shedding but most cats are not so thrilled about being washed. I also bought her a cat tent that she loves to sleep in so most of the hair is now shed in that instead of on my sofa and bed.

Good luck.
 
aprilrain said:
My cat doesn't always like the metal brush either. I brush her with a rubber brush made for cats that I got at the large pet store. Its in the shape of a cat and has flexible rubber teeth. She loves it, its more of a massage and I get a lot of hair out of it when she is shedding (wich is usually only spring and fall). I used to give her a bath and that cut down on the shedding but most cats are not so thrilled about being washed. I also bought her a cat tent that she loves to sleep in so most of the hair is now shed in that instead of on my sofa and bed.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that suggestion. I can imagine those rubber tips grasping the fur. I'm glad your kitty likes it. I'll have to check it out.

Thanks again!
Bam
 
I have 2 cats my avatar cat and a Ragdoll. I have the furminator and the rubber tipped cat shaped brush. My cats do not like the furminator at all. I use the rubber one on them, my Ragdoll loves it and it gets a ton of fur off (but it makes a mess while your doing it, you have to pick all the fur up after). I also use a cat comb which they really like as well, it also gets a lot of fur off (and it keeps all the furr in the comb).
 
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BAM said:
Kathryn, thanks so much for posting that link. I thought that's what the brush looked like and now I know. You're able to get a reasonable amount of fur with that brush? I've used a fine tooth comb along with the wire brush and I don't get a heck of a lot of fur with either of them. She has medium length fur. What I've been doing lately is is brushing her with my fingers when she sits on my lap. I actually get a reasonable amount out that way and she allows me to do that.
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I was surprised at how much fur it gets out. And the fur stays in the brush until you clean it out (but it's gentler than something like a slicker brush).
 
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