In all the excitement of getting ready to meet your new furry family member, the realities of kitten parenthood can be easily forgotten. That is, until you find their hairs all over your sofa or favourite jumper… whatever type of coat your kitten is rocking, pretty much all kittens and cats shed. Learn more about kitten shedding and how to manage.

Kittens, and cats, have a range of different fur but it all has the same job: to help protect your kitten against the environment (keeping them warm and cool, as needed) and to help protect their largest organ, the skin.

Most kittens have a mix of 4 types of hair that make up their coat:

• • • Down hairs or undercoat: these are short, fluffy and soft hairs that lie closest to your kitten’s skin. The undercoat provides extra layers of warmth for cats. Not all cats have down hairs, while some (like the Devon and Cornish Rex) only have down hairs.
    • Awn hairs: these sit on top of down hairs to help protect them, while also insulating your kitten. They’re normally coarser than down hairs with darkened tips. Most of your kitten’s visible coat is made of awn hairs. Some cat breeds (like the Manx) have awn hairs that are longer than the guard hairs.
    • Guard or primary hairs: these longer, shinier hairs form your kitten’s protective topcoat. They help to keep your cat dry.

Your kitten might have a single-coat (just guard hairs, like a Ragdoll or Turkish Angora), a double-coat (guard hairs plus an undercoat, like a Persian), or a triple-coat (guard hairs plus two layers of undercoat, like a Siberian or Maine Coon). As you’d expect, kittens with double- or triple-coats shed more than single-coat kittens.

Cat hair grows in cycles:

• • • Anagen: the growing phase.
    • Catagen: the phase where their hair changes from growing to resting.
    • Telogen: the resting and inactive phase.
    • Exogen: the shedding phase (when the hair falls from the follicle).

The shorter your cat’s fur, the more quickly the growth cycle is completed and the more often your cat will shed. You might think that long-haired cats shed more, especially when you can see their hairs everywhere on your sofa and clothes. But in fact long hair stays growing on your cat for a longer time, thanks to its longer growth cycle.

You’re probably aware that dogs shed, but it’s completely normal for kittens and cats to shed too. All cats shed, although some shed their hair more noticeably than others.

Cats shed to remove dead hair and release natural oils into their skin. If this dead hair isn’t removed, their skin can become irritated. You might notice your kitten shedding more during different seasons. In spring, they lose their heavy winter undercoat. In autumn, they shed their light summer coat to make space for their winter undercoat to grow in. To do this effectively, cats need to be exposed to a certain amount of sunlight each day. Indoor cats, especially those that live in climate-controlled homes (think heat pumps and air-conditioning) can constantly shed because their biological systems become confused by the lack of natural temperature controls.

If you’ve got a young kitten, you’re probably thinking ‘hang about, my kitten doesn’t shed much at all!’. You’d be right - kittens don’t shed much fur until they start to move in adulthood, at around 6 to 12 months.

At this age, their kitten coat, which is normally a bit shorter and fluffier than their adult one, starts to fall away so the adult one can grow in. It’s typical for an adult cat’s coat to be longer and glossier than the kitten one.

If you’d rather not live in a fur-filled home, here are some tips to manage your kitten’s shedding:

• • • • Invest in high-quality food that’s tailored to their life stage (kitten). A well-nourished kitten will have a shiny, healthy coat.
      • Buy grooming tools that suit your kitten’s coat type. Short-haired kittens need grooming gloves or a soft rubber brush that will gently remove their dead hair. Long-haired kittens need combs that can reach all the way down to their skin to help prevent mats and tangles.
      • Groom your kitten at least once a week. This will help remove their dead hair and catch it in your grooming tool, rather than letting your carpet catch it! Bump up their grooming to a few times a week, or even daily, during the shedding seasons.
      • Keep your kitten’s coat healthy by keeping up with regular flea and worm treatments.
      • Use old sheets, blankets or towels on your kitten’s favourite snoozing spot. This contains the hair to one easily removable and washable place.
      • Consider a lint roller which can get rid of any kitten hairs on your clothes or furniture.
      • Stock up on kitchen sponges (a damp one can remove cat hair from carpets and upholstered furniture easily) and a decent vacuum.
      • Pop your kitten in a warm bath, especially during shedding season. This can help the shedding process along a bit. Comb their coat until it’s dry - you’ll be surprised how much hair comes out!

Managing your kitten’s shedding keeps your home cleaner and less fur-filled, but it also has benefits for your kitten, especially when it comes to hairballs. When kittens and cats groom themselves with their tongue, tiny hooks on their tongue capture the hair that comes out, which is then swallowed.

Normally, this hair passes through their digestive system without a problem. But sometimes an undigested lump of hair stays in their stomach, only to be vomited back up. Although it’s an unpleasant thing to see and hear (and especially step on!), it’s much better than the hairball staying inside your kitten. Hairballs that stick around inside your kitten can need vet treatment. Chat to vet about whether including diet formulated to help hairball control would be best for your cat.

Hopefully you feel more informed about your kitten’s coat now, and all the ways you can help keep their shedding under control. If you need any further help or have a question we haven’t answered, contact our friendly Pet Direct Customer Care team on 0800 200 240 or email support@petdirect.co.nz.