Cat Hair

" Cat hair care changes based on the length and type of hair. Long hair requires combing while short hair needs less care. Combing and brushing will help avoid hairballs. Diet such as the proper amount of protein intake and vitamins contribute to maintaining a healthy coat. "

Cat hair protects your cat's body from foreign objects such as insects, helps regulate temperature and enhances the sense of touch. 

There are four different types: 

• Guard Hairs: Long course hairs that insulate your cat's body that also help with the sense of touch. 
• Awn Hairs:  thin hairs that are within the coat. Insulates and protects the body. 
• Secondary Hairs: part of your cat's undercoat. The hairs are the thinnest on the cat and help control temperature. 
• Whiskers: the long hairs attached to nerve cells in the face

Care for Different Cat Hair Types

It is a good idea to begin brushing your cat's hair from the time it is a kitten so that your cat gets used to it. This will help remove hair that has been shed that can cause the coat to mat. Brushing contributes to a clean look by stimulating the release of protective oils. It also keeps your cat from ingesting any hairs which leads to hairballs.

Different breeds have different types of hair such as:

• Long Hair Requires brushing with a Cat Pin Brush (7.5 x 1 inch coarse/fine) to avoid having the hair mat. Groom as frequently as every day to keep the hair from shedding, but not falling off. The teeth of the comb should reach all the way to the skin. You might also want to consider a cat lion cut which keeps the hair short with exception of the face and the mane. 
  
  If the hair mats, try gently picking at it with the teeth of the comb. Do not cut the mat out since it is very easy to injure the skin.
  
  You can start buy combing the hair and then finish with a brush. 
• Close Coated: You can care for short or close-coated cat hair by lightly moving a soft chamois over the coat. 
• Short Hair: requires little combing or bathing. Use a bristle brush or a 4 inch fine/medium (also called a greyhound style brush). Brush against the direction of the coat at first and then finish by reversing and brush in the direction of the coat.
  
  Harder brushes help to avoid knows. Softer brushes are good for sleek coats. 
• Mutant - short curly hair or coats that are woolly (eg; require wire pin brushes that are with or without rubber tips. Wire-pin brushes are the preferred choice for cats with medium to long hair and those with curly or woolly coats, such as the Rex breed. Combs also work well for curly coats.
  
  A Flea Comb can work well for delicate areas such as the face.

Alternative Cat Hair Brushes

If you cat does not like it when you brush its hair, there are some alternatives.  Each can be purchased by following the links below for approximately $5.

• Grooming Glove This glove is worn on your hand. It has prongs that work as a brush as you stroke your cat. Gentle way to remove lose hair, particularly if your cat sheds.
• Rubber Curry Brush The palm brush is hidden in your palm. The rubber bristles are soft and lets you brush your cat without your cat really knowing. Helps add a sheen to the coat.
• Wall Grooming Comb You can buy a brush that attaches to the wall. Your cat will rub up against the wall and and brush itself. It has a small compartment for catnip which encourages cats to rub against the comb's teeth. Great to catch hair before it sheds.
  
  Another trick is to store brushes in a bag with a few pieces of catnip.

Cat Hair Shedding

All cats shed hair throughout the year. The amount of shedding depends on where the cat lives, nutrition and health. Sunlight and artificial indoor light affects when cats shed with outdoor cats shedding more in the spring and fall and indoor cats shed throughout the year.

Cat hair grows quickly and then slows until it stops. New hair growth then starts pushing out the older hair, causing shedding.

Check your cat's health with a veterinarian if you notice excess shedding.

Cat Hair Health and Nutrition

Protein and Cat Hair Care

The hair itself is made of protein. If your cat's diet doesn't contain enough protein from animal (chicken fat) and plant sources (vegetable oils such as corn and soy), then the hair could be too dry, fall out or feel brittle to the touch.

Most commercial cat foods contain adequate amounts of two fatty omega-6 fatty acids are important for coat health in cats. Linoleic acid helps the coat from becoming dull and dry. It also helps avoid hair loss and greasy skin. Cats also need arachidonic acid for normal skin and coat health.

Kittens require that 30% of the diet be protein and adult cats should have 25-30%. If your cat is getting a balanced diet and you still see problems with his or her coat, then consider a fish oil based fatty acid supplement such as Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet - Gel Caps

Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Cat Hair Care

Many owners and holistic veterinarians prefer that the vitamins come from herbal and natural sources. These are some of the herbs to look for:

A supplement made for this purpose and that is worth exploring is Skin and Coat Tonic. It has a reputation for helping cats maintain a healthy skin and a glossy coat using a combination of the ingredients listed above.

Cat Hair Loss

Cat hair loss has multiple causes including parasites, illness, allergy and in 10% of cases due to stress. To diagnose feline hair loss your veterinarian will first do an examination to look for a parasitic cause such as fleas or mites (mange). Once these are ruled out they will look for allergies such as from foods or something in your cat's environment.

Feline hair loss can also can be attributed to diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, thyroid disease, and Cushing's disease of the pituitary or endocrine system. Other symptoms that are clues to the reasons for hair loss in cats include excessive urination, excessive appetite and other changes in behavior.

Cat Hair Cutting

In general, grooming and shedding should take care of your cat's hair. If your cat requires feline hair cutting then be very careful such a cat's skin is very thin and can easily be cut. Preference should be for a professional groomer. If you cat suffers from matted hair consider rubbing some corn starch into the hair and leave on for 15 minutes and then try brushing. This will absorb moisture and help with the combing process.

One way to get started is with the cat hair clippers and grooming kit offered  by Oster. It conveniently includes an instructional DVD.

Cat Hair Vacuum

Finding a feline hair vacuum can be challenging since not every vacuum is created equal when it comes to picking up feline hair. Fortunately, Consumer Reports rates vacuum's on this statistic. Their top picks are all listed on our  feline hair vacuum guide. The top pick is the Kenmore Progressive 35922.

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References:

Choosing and Caring for Your New Cat
Cornell University Feline Health Center
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Brushing Through Cat Combs - Hartz

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