The cat molt strongly: causes and solutions

Shedding in cats is a completely natural process: part of the hair falls out so that the animal is not hot, and sometimes the hair just changes to a renewed cover. A healthy pet molts twice a year - this usually happens in spring and autumn, and for cats constantly living at home without a walk, molting is allowed all year round. But sometimes it happens that too much hair loss occurs, and this is an occasion to think about the health status of the cat.

There are many different reasons for cats to shed heavily.

• Infection fungal infections or helminths.
• Allergy on the proposed feed, household chemicals, vitamins, medicines, as well as on insects - in this case, the cat not only sheds, but also itches quite often.
• Wrong diet lack of balanced food or the use of low-quality foods. As a result, the animal’s body is deficient in fatty acids, vitamins A and E - usually the wool reacts first to the lack of nutrients, but if measures are taken in time, the risk of further complications is minimal.
• Stress - it can be a strong nervous shock associated with a move, a change of ownership, the appearance of another animal in the house and other reasons. As a rule, molting is accompanied by a refusal of food and loss of body weight.
• Using the wrong shampoo or conditioner - Everyone knows that if people’s detergents are chosen incorrectly, then they begin to lose hair. In cats, the same thing happens.
• The presence of an inflammatory process - if the animal is sick, then it begins to weaken and spends all its strength on recovery. In such situations, the coat becomes dull and fairly rare.
• Hormonal disruption - if the cat has problems with the adrenal glands or the thyroid gland, then there is a metabolic disorder. One of the first symptoms of this dangerous phenomenon is the loss of hair.
• Childbirth and feeding - after childbirth and a long period of feeding, the body gradually begins to return its hormonal background to the “pre-pregnancy level”, and this is often accompanied by molting.
• In winter when heating works in apartments and private houses, the air becomes overdried, and the hairs on the body of the animal begin to fall out more. Moult is especially pronounced if the cat likes to bask, lying near the battery.
• Childhood - About six months later, the hair of young kittens begins to be replaced by an adult, and this process can take up to a year.

You should be aware that depending on the breed, the cat can molt to varying degrees. So, strongly molting pets include exotics, Maine Coons, Persians, as well as British. These cats have a lot of fluff in the undercoat, and it requires frequent replacement, with molting much more intense in spring than in autumn.

The Balinese, Angora and Somali cat, as well as the British and Scottish fold, are moderately shedding animals. Their falling hair is fairly easy to remove from carpet and furniture. But Siamese, Abyssinian, British and Bengal cats have practically no undercoat, therefore they shed rarely, quickly and almost imperceptibly.

It is possible and necessary to fight molting at home. There are several express agents that help get rid of hair loss fairly quickly and reduce shedding.

• Regular combing - Normally, you need to do this every day, especially during seasonal molting. It is best to use special furminator brushes for combing, as ordinary combs with sharp teeth can injure the animal.
• Water treatments - ordinary shampoos, even baby ones, are not suitable for bathing puffies. Cats need specialized detergents that can be purchased at any zoo pharmacy, where consultants will help you choose a drug that matches the breed's characteristics and the animal’s health status.
• The inclusion of vitamin and mineral complexes in the diet. Special additives of cats should be fed every six months, when choosing the best remedy, it is better to use the advice of a veterinarian.
• Maintaining normal room humidity - in the heating season, as well as in hot summer weather, the air in the room becomes dry and should be regularly moistened, otherwise abundant hair loss cannot be avoided. Best of all, air humidifiers and indoor fountains cope with this task. If you do not have either one, you should spray water from a room from time to time through a spray bottle.
• Affectionate attitude - as we have already mentioned, stress can cause hair loss. If a pet has had serious changes in his life, then he needs enhanced affection and attention from his owner. Stroking the cat will help stroking, friendly intonation and respect. At the time of adaptation to new conditions, the veterinarian may decide to prescribe sedatives to the animal.
• Remove flowering plants from the room, minimize the use of household chemicals, timely wet clean the room and clean dust from carpets, soft furniture and children's toys - all this reduces allergic reactions and significantly improves the condition of the pet.
• If cats are fed straight, then during molting, you should try to include only hypoallergenic products in the menu: rabbit, veal or chicken, it is better to refuse to eat fish.

If the cause of molting of an animal is associated with impaired functioning of its internal organs and systems, then conservative treatment cannot be dispensed with.

If all of the above measures have not improved the condition of the animal, it is necessary to conduct an examination, which can be done in a veterinary clinic. The results can show the presence of parasites, fungus, inflammatory processes or hormonal disorders - in these cases, the doctor will select the right drugs and prescribe the necessary manipulations. As a rule, with timely treatment started, the disease quickly stops and soon the molting stops.

The problem of wool in the apartment is always unpleasant for the housewives - it not only spoils the appearance of the room, making it scruffy and unsanitary, but also becomes a common cause of allergic diseases in children and adults. One way or another, you need to get rid of hair, and it is best to use a vacuum cleaner with a turbo brush for this. During cleaning, she winds up cat hair quite quickly, even the smallest ones, and to make the process even more successful and faster, a thin layer of soda can be scattered on the surface first - this substance has the property of softening the hairs and cleaning takes much less time.

Robotic vacuum cleaners have proven their high efficiency in cleaning rooms from cat fluff, especially water and vacuum models. Keep in mind that one vacuum cleaner is not enough for efficient cleaning - the final step should always be washing the floors and treating the furniture surface with a slightly damp cloth.

If you do not own a vacuum cleaner, then the usual will come to the rescue baby brush which you can buy at any hardware store. P has a good efficiency andrubber brush - the fact is that rubber has a pronounced static electricity, and cat hairs from the surface are attracted to the material.

As an emergency, you can use scotch tape - for this, a piece of adhesive tape is glued to the material and sharply pulled - the villi stick to the adhesive side. Each piece of tape can be used several times.

A special role in the prevention of excessive molting of cats and cats is assigned the use of mineral and vitamin complexes based on taurine and biotin. It is proved that a deficiency of these elements in the animal’s body causes inflammation of the hair follicles and becomes a common cause of hair loss. A large amount of biotin is found in the yolk of a chicken egg, but this product does not recommend giving furry pets more than 1 time per week, and then in a very limited amount. That is why the product cannot satisfy the need for vitamin H in cats.

All this necessitated the use of ready-made complexes.

Therefore, many breeders of purebred cats without fail introduce the necessary preparations to the food of their pets before exhibitions.

In addition, the constant intake of biotin in combination with sulfur has a restorative effect on the body of pets and helps to increase immunity, improves tissue regeneration, accelerates wound healing. Consumption of taurine in combination with biotin normalizes the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, contributes to the normalization of cardiovascular activity, and has the most beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver and kidneys.

The following vitamin complexes are most popular with breeders.

• Kitty and Taurin + Biotin - This is the optimal choice of caring owners, which allows you to maintain the condition of the animal's coat. The presence of biotin among the components makes the hairline beautiful and stops all skin diseases, and taurine improves the general condition of the pet’s body, normalizes the work of the heart, blood vessels, gall bladder and brain. At the same time, the product has a rather affordable price, which makes it the number one choice among Russian breeders.
• Cat felltop gel - A vitamin complex based on zinc and biotin, effectively nourishes the hair follicles and stops the onset of skin diseases.
• Cat Fell O. K. - This preparation contains a complex of useful micro and macro elements, is highly effective and serves as a prophylaxis for many diseases of fur and skin of cats.
• Laveta Super for Cats - the main components of the drug include vitamins of group B, also E, this includes taurine and biotin. Thanks to the use of the complex, molting is rather fast; the risk of dandruff and hair loss is minimized. Vitamins contribute to the nutrition of hairs, improve the structure and color of hairs. This composition is especially popular before cat shows and competitions.
• Derm Caps and Derm Liquid - another biotin-based drug with proven effectiveness. It is noted that when it is used, the appearance of the coat improves, and the skin of the animal is brought back to normal.
• Felvit - a complex enriched with calcium, zinc, niacin, biotin and B vitamins. The use of the product allows you to maintain the natural pigmentation of the skin and determines the overall strengthening of the body.
• Gimpet katzentabs - food supplement based on seaweed with biotin. The use of this product has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, improves the digestion process and thereby helps maintain the health of the skin of the pet.

If pets receive excessive doses of trace elements, then pathological changes such as an increase in the liver and spleen, calcium deposition in organs and tissues occur, which causes not only hair loss, but also changes in the composition of the cat's blood.

The rules for combing cats during molting, see the next video.