Cat shedding, Normal?

[giggler]

I'm new to cat ownership, inhereted my Mom's old cat...

this is my second summer with him and It's very hot this summer in Texas...

"Boy" is still sheading very much. I brush him every night out on the back porch when it cools down...

The vet ( a really nice older fellow who took care of all my Beagles) pronounced him " a fine old cat" , and he seems healthy and happy..

but when he "cleans" himself ( a very interesting activity compared to the dogs I've owned)...sometimes he sort of Chews out big mouthfulls of hair..

this leaves a small bald spot for just maybe a day or so, then the new hair is quite fluffy...

Oh, also... do cats get baths?

I gave him a little bath outside when I first got him with a little baby shampoo because he smelled kinda funny... he sat there and I thought sort of liked it...

but my SO said " what are you doing? cats don't take baths!"

Thanks, Eric Austin Tx.

 

[simplicity]

I have a long-hair cat. I also brush her every day. She sheds a lot when the weather warms up. Her coat becomes thicker in winter. She's an indoor-outdoor cat. She does not, however, chew out mouthfuls of hair and she has no bald spots.

Most cats are meticulous groomers and neither want nor need baths.

 

[Chicks]

Hi Eric,
Yes you can bathe your kitty but I do suggest that you get cat shampoo as baby shampoo can dry the skin. As for the shedding it is probably normal, one of my kitties is a shedding machine. I use a shed ender comb and it seems to work. Pulling the hair out is another thing may just be a bad habit. If the skin doesn't look inflamed it probably isn't a problem. Good luck with "Boy" Kitties are wonderful pets.
C

 

[luvs]

they shed during summer months.
& yep, some kitties will take baths. some will flip thier lids at seeing water & claw bajeezers out of you; others will tensely allow you to bathe them while meowing pathetically.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I'm in Texas, too, and some cats shed a huge amount in the summer. One of mine does and the other doesn't. The little bald spot is not usual, but my shedder cat does get a little bald spot every month where I put the flea control drops on his neck. New hair grows back immediately, though. Could this be it?

Good luck with your new addition. Aren't cats wonderful?

 

[LadyCook61]

Maybe the cat is allergic to something , if it's not fleas , or just being in a new home.

 

[texasgirl]

yeap, it is definately hot this year, whew!! I had a cat growing up and I bathed her. she loved it too. Some cats do not, some cats are not bothered by it. I would think, that cats, like dogs, they can get heat spots and itch. 2 of my dogs do this. I get a good oatmeal shampoo and that seems to help.

 

[Barbara L]

This is off-topic, but I just want to add that since she is a long-haired cat who cleans herself a lot and is shedding a lot, you might want to get some hairball medicine. We gave it to one cat and she loved it. It comes in a tube, is greasy, and it stinks, but cats don't think it stinks. LOL It just provides a little lubrication that helps them eliminate the hair easier rather than cough them up.

Barbara

 

[babetoo]

if your cat is like my thomas, he will spit it out. no matter where i put it in his mouth or down his throat, he manages to spit it out.

i just smear it on his paw. he will immediately clean it off, problem solved.

babe

 

[Barbara L]

Now that you mention it Babe, we had to do it that way the first couple times too. After that she liked it. That is a neat trick though! They can't stand to have anything like that on their paws, so like it or not, they will lick it off! It is also the best thing to do when you move to a new house--if you rub butter on their paws, they take in the scent of their new home as they lick it off. We always do that.

Barbara

 

[buckytom]

lol, barbara and babe. if i were a cat i'd vomit in both of your shoes.

 

[Barbara L]

lol, barbara and babe. if i were a cat i'd vomit in both of your shoes.

LOL My cat loved the hairball medicine after awhile, and she didn't have to have it too often.

BTW, Cubbie (our German Shepherd) did poop in James's boot when he was younger! Not on it, but inside of it (and they had kind of high tops)!

Barbara