This month celebrates my third year of writing this column, and I hope you are enjoying it. We are coming into Spring (thankfully for us humans!). By Katie Gwilt – The Kat Lady
With the weather hopefully getting a little warmer, let’s talk about cats and shedding their fur, along with some of the problems it can cause, as well as other springtime concerns.
Shedding season
In the yearly cycle of a cat’s typical fur growth, there are two main times they do a full shedding. One is Autumn, when they start to grow their thick winter coat and shed their summer ones, and the other is now. Spring is usually the bigger of the two shedding seasons as they are letting that big, thick winter coat go and growing in a lighter, less dense summer coat. They are dropping lots of fur, which is also getting stuck against their skin, causing matting and pelting. Even short-haired cats can get matted around this time of year if not given some extra TLC. For cats who go outdoors, this is more noticeable as they are more sensitive to changes in temperature.
What does this mean for cat groomers?
One of the main things I am seeing at the moment is a lot of cats with dense fur are really struggling with shedding their fur and not having it get stuck against their skin. Cats that don’t usually knot easily are becoming matted and pelted. It is so easy to miss this type of shed fur for their humans as it is right at skin level and often feels like regular skin if you don’t know what matting feels like. It can go unnoticed until it is widespread and a real problem. Sometimes, people will try and clip the matting out themselves, which can lead to injuries and worse.
What can cat groomers do about it?
A lot is about the education of your clients. Making sure that they are using the right combs and brushes for their specific cat’s fur is vital. People will take the time to brush their cat and then wonder why there are mats occurring, so let’s show them a few techniques they can use between visits. A lot of marketed brushes for cats will only comb the very top of the fur and not get to the roots, which is imperative at this time of year especially.
As cat groomers, we want to take extra time with those fluffy and dense cats in particular, especially if they are older or sick and aren’t able to groom themselves as well. Getting as much of that undercoat out is essential, and for some clients, it may mean increasing the frequency of their grooms at this time of year.
Clients may be noticing more fur balls at this time of year, too, so a really good brush is needed to prevent fur building up inside the cat’s body. Bathing cats will help to remove excess shed fur where possible.
Personally, I don’t bathe many cats as I find most do not tolerate the drying process well enough for it to be overall beneficial. I always do a test with the drier before bathing a cat, and you may need to be extra careful of elderly cats, cats with heart problems or are brachycephalic (flat-faced) and may struggle to breathe under a drier.
Lion Cuts Yes or No
I find that clients start to ask for lion cuts around this time of year and in the summer to help cats keep cool. Again, education is key here. Cat fur is thermoregulating and is designed to help keep them both warm and cool. The UK isn’t usually too extreme in weather changes (although this year we have already had two storms!), plus a lion cut takes away a level of protection from the sun and the harmful UV rays.
I do find myself doing more lion cuts in the spring, as by the time the matting has been noticed, it is usually widespread across the cat’s body. Again, I try to educate so it doesn’t happen again in the next year.
I make judgement calls depending on the cat’s health and habits. Outdoors cats, I will try to avoid a full shave if possible as we still have quite a few cold spots, and they are exploring unknown environments like prickly bushes.
Working environment for cat grooming
As there is so much fur flying around at the moment, make sure the space you groom in is well-ventilated. You don’t want to be ingesting all that fur, either! If needed, you could wear a face mask to protect your airways, but be aware many cats can find these intimidating.
Keep a spare uniform with you if you need to change between extra fluffy cats, and have some decent lint rollers and other products that safely remove fur from your clothes.
On the subject of cleaning, give your washing machine some extra care, too. Check it for clogged hair and give it a good clean-out. There are products that dissolve animal fur, but always check if they are safe to use with cats specifically. With cleaning products, always carefully check ingredients and stick to unscented or neutral smells like oatmeal where possible.
Health check
Shedding is part of the natural life cycle of a cat’s fur and is a normal process. It keeps their skin and coat healthy. It is always worth reminding people, though, that excess shedding can sometimes be an indication of a medical issue like hyperthyroidism or diabetes as well as underlying problems with the kidneys, lives, adrenal glands and even some types of cancer. If in doubt, always refer the cat to the vet for a full check-up.
Watch out for fleas!
As it gets warmer, the dreaded flea season really gets going, too. They can hide in matted fur to escape the reach of chemical treatments.
Now is a good time to check what precautions you have in place to deal with fleas in your workspace and what you will do if you groom a cat that you find fleas on.
Remember, you are not a vet and cannot diagnose a medical condition (including fleas), but you can point out signs and suggest a vet visit. Most flea and tick medication is now on a prescription basis, and the cat will need a vet to sign off on any treatment.
