Can One Find Non Shedding Cats?
If you’re tired of finding cat hair all over the house, but love cats, the obvious answer is to consider non shedding cats as the solution to this problem. This is a solution that isn’t really possible, unless you buy a stuffed cat and place it in the mantelpiece (it still may shed a little when dusted), but if you have a little time and lots of money you can come close.
Do You Shed? – There really aren’t any truly non shedding cats. Shedding is natural, and healthy. Cats shed, dogs shed, we shed, though we don’t call it that. We call it normal hair loss. Some breeds shed less than others, and a few breeds are noted for shedding quite a bit, especially some of the longer haired breeds.
If you can put up with a small amount of shedding, consider a short haired cat as possibly an acceptable choice. Notice the words short haired cat instead of short hair breed. While there are a large number of different breeds of cats, very few cats are purebred, making it sometimes difficult to tell what the some of the characteristics and features of a kitten may be when it grows up.
Of course if you get a Siamese kitten, you have a pretty good chance that it will grow up to be a short haired cat. It will shed less than many other cats, but it still will shed. If you don’t believe that, try driving one to the vet when it doesn’t like being in a car. Unless you take it in a carrier, you and the interior of your car, will be filled with cat hair.
There are some breeds that are called non-shedding breeds, though that’s not 100% accurate. In truth, if a cat has hair it will shed, but in the case of these special breeds, shedding will be quite minimal.
The Sphynx And The Don Sphynx – One such breed is the Sphynx. The Sphynx is considered a hairless cat, though it does have a downy coat. It just looks hairless from a short distance away. The Sphynx has to be bathed regularly so is not a low maintenance animal, but it is considered one of the friendliest and intelligent breeds, perhaps making up for any extra attention required.
It is also one of the most expensive, but that’s true for any truly purebred cat. Another choice is the Don Sphynx that, in spite of its name, is not related to the Sphynx. The Don Sphynx comes from Russia, and is presumably named after the Don River.
It is closer than the Sphynx to being truly hairless. It loses its fuzzy “baby” coat by the end of its second year of life, after which time has precious little hair left to shed.
The Cornish Rex And The Devon Rex – Two other choices for non shedding cats would be the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex. Though not related, they are similar in appearance. These are not hairless cats, as both have a thin curly coat of hair. Both breeds however are noted for shedding only slightly, and either would be a good choice if you want a non shedder with some fur on it.
If you do get a Cornish Rex, a Devon Rex, or just a cat with very short hair, and groom it on a daily basis, you’ll probably find few excess hairs around the house. This applies to most cats, but for the most part we don’t groom our cats everyday, so they’re going to lose their hair on their own, whether on the furniture, or in hair balls which they often leave in unwanted places.
A Final Word – Once in awhile, non shedding cats are considered to be a good solution if one is allergic to cats. The truth is, cat hair is not the source of the allergy, dander is. Dander is created from saliva when a cat grooms itself. Even a hairless cat will groom itself, so dander will still be present.
Purchasing hairless or non shedding cats to avoid allergic reactions will more often than not be a waste of money. Get a Tabby and keep it groomed.