Why is my cat shedding so much? How do I stop the dander?

This could be due to an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Chibi regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.

Ideally, take Buddy in to see your vet, so they can do a general physical exam and determine if there is suspicion for a problem with his skin itself such as an allergy, or if he seems to have any health issues that may be causing him discomfort (since he is meowing strangely). Cymric cats by nature have thick hair and a thick undercoat, so shedding is going to be more dramatic than in other cat breeds. It is sometimes difficult or impossible for these cats to groom themselves (lick their fur) well enough to prevent matting. Additionally, if he is painful anywhere (arthritis, etc) it is more difficult to groom. If his hair is matted, that can very uncomfortable because the matts pull on the skin. I suspect that is probably why he is biting at his hair. This discomfort could also be the cause of the pained "meowing." It may be helpful to get Buddy in to a groomer. He may need to be shaved to get the matts off, and often this may require sedation. Therefore a groomer that works at a veterinarian's office would be ideal. You can try to gently brush out the matts at home if he will let you, but if it causes him a great deal of discomfort or stress, don't overdo it at home. Again, my first recommendation is to take him to the vet--if no reason for this behavior is found, I would recommend getting him groomed. In the future to try to prevent the hair from becoming matted, brush him regularly at home (at least once a week), and you can try a product such as this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-shed-reducing-cat-wipes Thanks for asking PetCoach!

The hairloss and dandruff on Bam Bam could be several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can check/treat for fleas. Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the hair loss and dandruff do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Excess shedding can be a result of changes in the season so it is possible it is associated with weather warming up, but we can also see excessive shedding with other problems such as allergies. I would recommend having your vet examine Kilo to check for any underlying problems. In the meantime you could start a supplement good for skin such as a fatty acid supplement like Welactin which can be found online.

Some cats do shed more than others, but if you feel it is extreme compared to your other cats you may want to have your veterinarian do a thorough examination of her skin to make sure she doesn't have evidence of a dermatologic disease that could be causing excessive shedding. Shedding has also been linked to stress. If her skin seems normal and she is otherwise healthy it may simply be normal for her to be shedding like this - make sure she's on a high quality diet, brush twice daily, and consider bathing her every couple of weeks if you think she'll tolerate it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello, congrats on the new kitty! It is normal to have a small area of thin hair in front of the ears, such as what you're seeing in Brownie, so that is not a concern as long as Brownie isn't acting abnormal by scratching excessively at the ears or showing other signs of discomfort. His hair otherwise looks nice and thick in the photos so I suspect he has normal shedding, which you can help control with regular brushing. However, if there are patches of distinct hair loss, or if he seems itchy, then you should have a vet take a look to make sure he doesn't have a skin condition requiring medication. Hope this helps.