Does the kind of cat food help with shedding?

Arvilla

Is it true that certain types of cat food decrease shedding in cats? If so, how much does it reduce it by? What are some main ingredients of these types of foods? What brands of canned and dry cat food do you recommend to help reduce shedding? Any positive advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance!



Alisia

Yes, to some extent. The cheaper foods will not be as good for the cats system and you probably will have more shedding and a drier/rougher coat. Meat should be the main ingredient in foods and not a lot of filler stuff like corn products. Quality brands are Wellness, Innova, Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul, Max Cat and Royal Canin. You can get canned food in these brands too. Its best to feed at least one meal of dry and one meal of canned. Canned is better. Dry does not keep cats teeth cleaned like people and vets will tell you.



Cori

The general rule is that any excellent cat food helps to reduce shedding because their fur is in such excellent condition it doesnt drop as fast. You cant prevent shedding. Most of these foods are either raw (hard to do well with cats), cooked (need to be under the guidance of a nutritionalist) or atleast grain free top of the line foods like Go!, Evo and Wellness Core. Other brands as your area carries them. Note: If your cat is on a poor diet, you might find that they "blow their coat" when you switch them. This is a good sign as their body is pushing out the older, fur and replacing it with better, healthier fur faster than the body expected.



Bambi

In dry foods, yes, and they do work. The dry I feed my cats is Nutro for senior sensitive systems and it claims to reduce shedding and I cant argue. There are a few other ones that give those claims also. As to how much with my cats, I was actually thinking about that the other day after my black cat lay on a white sweater all afternoon, but I would say easily a 50% improvement. Dry is only a small part of my cats diet, as wet is really the best food overall for maintaining coat and skin health. I must admit, however, that since I switched to the Nutro dry I have noticed less shedding, significantly fewer hairballs, and with my longhair, not a mat. One of the things you have to bear in mind when choosing both a wet and dry food, is the grains they have. Corn, wheat, soy, and their glutens hurt skin and coat health, and are often the cause of allergies and skin irritations, which, in turn, causes more shedding. If a brand claims "less shedding" but still has those ingredients, the effects are essentially neutralized (like adding baking soda to vinegar), or it actually means "less shedding over the other cheap crappy dry food we make." Grooming also helps, and I make it part of lap time. Combs, brushes, grooming mits are great helps. To help clean up the hairs, get some microfiber cloths, and rub clothes, bedding, and furnishings in a circular motion with a damp cloth, and it will bring up all the hairs. You can also rub your cat to get out hairs. There are new dryer sheets that help repel pet hairs (moderately effective, but the hair has to go somewhere).Good luck, and start with the food.



Aron

Shedding is a natural process in the life cycle of the hair on a cat. So no - certain foods wont decrease shedding. But a poor diet does yield a poor quality coat and due to vitamin deficiences can lead to excess shedding and even hair loss. If youre feeding your cat a cheap grocery store food made mostly of corn switch to one with meat as the main ingredient and with little to no grain. Innova Evo, Petcurean Go! Natural and Blue Buffalo Wilderness are all excellent choices - 50% protein and grain free. Also give the cat canned food daily. Do you GROOM your cat? A shorthaired cat should be brushed well at least once a week to remove the loose dead hair. Longhaired cats shouldnt be brushed - they should be combed. Cats with thick undercoats - like that of the Persian and Maine Coon - should be combed at least every other day all year long. Cats with light, cottony coats need to be combed at least once a week.



Marci

I think if a cat is getting a balanced healthy diet, then changing it is not going to make a big change in shedding. Make sure you are feeding a quality diet - no Friskies or other grocery store brands - and after that its up to you and the brush to work on the shedding.



Fredricka

There is no way you can stop a cat from shedding unless you have a hairless cat but they are really ugly.



Sharron

I dont know of any that reduce shedding, just hairballs. if they reduce hairballs it will say so on label. science diet has a hairball reduction food.



Ardelle

Brush them a lot. It works.



Carole

Wellness