WHY CATS AND DOGS SHED?

Why do cats and dogs shed?  Shedding is just a normal part of an animals life.  All animals must shed their hair ... even humans.

Here's a fact you might not know. Shedding is largely influenced by daylight. The shedding process is triggered by the number of hours your animal is exposed to sunlight each day (called the "photoperiod"). That's why shedding is more noticeable in outdoor cats during the spring and fall, while indoor cats shed more consistently throughout the year, but in lesser amounts, because of the artificial indoor light.

Your animal's shedding cycle has 3 periods: 

1. Active growth (anagen)
2. Transition (catagen)
3. Rest (telogen)

Here are some other interesting facts about shedding that you may not know:

•  Domestic animals tend to have heavier coats in the winter months. 

• Stress and illness can cause excessive shedding.

• Shorthaired animals shed just as much as longhaired animals. (The shorter hair is just less noticeable until someone sits down on your sofa!)

• Regular grooming helps, but the household animal still sheds regardless of how well they are groomed.

Are your clothes covered with hair? Are you tired of cleaning up dog and cat hair from your floors and furniture? Well, you're not alone. Shedding is a real problem for animal parents. I hear a lot from my customers asking for advice about shedding. Many of them tell me that they have to vacuum up animal hair, especially cat hair every day. Here's what one of my customers had to say:

An example is my cat is a domestic short hair. When I got her, I assumed she'd shed a lot less than cats with fuller coats or longer hair. Boy was I wrong! I can't believe how much she sheds! I am constantly cleaning up cat hair from the floors. It sticks to the curtains and it's all over the furniture ... I even find cat hair in my dishes and food sometimes! How can such a little cat with such a short healthy coat manage to lose that much hair? I swear, she should be BALD by now!"
Shedding can be annoying and it's an even bigger problem if you have allergies. Animal hair and dander are filled with allergens that can trigger allergic reactions. And the more the dog or cat sheds, the more severe the reaction.

So, bottom line is you will never be able to stop your cat or dog from shedding - but there are products and techniques that can make the problem easier.

Feed the best food possible and an Omega 3 supplement  as this will reduce shedding and dander. If possible use one of several anti dander products for allergy. Daily grooming with a slicker brush or a "Furminator" will remove loose hair and prevent it from flying all over the apartment.

That's all for now....Neil