When Do Cats Begin Shedding? Understanding Age and Causes

At what age does a cat start shedding?

Unless you are in love with hairless cat breeds, you find that a cat’s hair is the most adorable thing. That, until you find cat’s hair all around your house. Cat shedding is a normal occurrence in cats and is something that, you, as a cat owner, must be prepared to deal with. But at what age does a cat start shedding?

The reason for cat shedding

Healthy cats shed their hair all the time.  The amount of hair they shed will depend on several factors, the breed being one of them.  Shedding is important as it helps cats stay cool during summer days and cool during winters.  This brings us to the seasonal effect of hair shedding.  A cat that lives indoors is less likely to shed hair whereas an outdoor cat will shed more hair.

Kittens and shedding

To answer at what age does a cat start shedding, we have to look at the time in which the kitten is born. Kittens are born with a very thin hair coat that they will completely shed by the time they are 6 to 8 months old. This is replaced by a coarser hair. As stated before, the amount of hair they shed will depend on the cat breed, age, season, hormones, and diet.

What to do with the cat shedding

There are several measures you can follow if you do not want your home to be a shrine to cat hair. You should brush your cat’s hair as early as possible so that he gets used to the routine. Brushing your hair at least twice a week will get rid of dead hair in one spot. If your cat is known to shed more during a certain season, you should increase the number of brushing sessions.

Excessive shedding

Excessive hair loss may be a sign of a sickness or stress. Kittens are born with little hair, but there is a condition known as congenital hypotrichosis, which will leave the kitten with little to no hair until it goes completely bald by the time they are 4 months old.

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