Copious Fur Sheddings In Midst Winter

I adopted four years old Sombra from a shelter 3 months ago. I was surprised that the first month she didn't shed any hair and I didn't even get any hairs when brushing her. But for the last month or so she is shedding very heavily although we are right in the middle of Winter here. I brush her every morning but before I do her hairs are "flying" all over the place. I get two brushes full at every morning brushing although she is short haired.

Sombra seems in excellent health and doesn't seem affected by this abundant shedding. She doesn't even scratch herself too frequently. I wonder whether the central heating system which is very high in this buiding could have something to do with it. Sometimes I have to turn the air conditioning on to cool down the atmosphere. I cannot open the windows for obvious reasons since my apartment is on a sixth floor.

As long as shedding heavily in Winter time is not unusual I can live with it.

Hmmm, thisi s interesting. Many shorthair cats shed profusely. I used to have one like that. But not shedding at all in the summer seems weird to me. Which season was it when you adopted her?

Asl ong as she is just shedding a lot and not losing all that fur by overgrooming, it is unlikely to be a medical condition.

Thank you for your reply Daisy6. Sombra came to me in the middle of Autumn. It has been suggested to me that she could have been bathed and thoroughly brushed at the shelter before handing her over to me that being the reason why she wasn't shedding then.

My angel Cucumella shed all the year round but only started her heavy shedding in October which is the Spring season here. She lived under the same central heating conditions for many years though but never shed heavily in Winter.

Maybe it's from a diet change? Do you know much about her background? Such as where she lived before the shelter or what foods she ate? Otherwise I would think it's from adjusting to a new atmosphere.

I only know that before living in the shelter in town she had lived in a farm where she had her little ones. She has been castrated and vaccinated at the shelter. I am feeding her the same food as she had in the shelter and which they recommended as being the best (Purina Excellent).It is more expensive than the other Purina food variety She doesn't seem at all uncomfortable.

Hmm. Maybe it's just adjusting to living in a climate controlled environment then. I've heard others mention their cats coats going through an adjustment period. I hope it calms down soon!

Oscar is a big shedder. There are a few things that I have started to do recently that have helped a lot. He still sheds, but not the as much as before. Once a week I use a Furminator brush on him. Then daily I do this routine First I comb him with a flea comb. Then I brush him with a brush with metal bristles. After that I brush him with a brush with soft bristles. Finally I will him down with shed reducing wipes that I bought on Amazon. I think these may help his skin not get so dry which makes him shed more. He still sheds, but I no longer have orange cat hair every where.

I just thought of something that might explain the backwards seasonal shedding - the part of the world you live in. Domestic cats (felis catus) originated in Egypt. If this translated to all cats shedding from April to September regardless of location, the timing seems weird but really is not. Does this make sense?

Yes Daisy your idea seems to make sense. For the moment Sombra continues her copious shading. Let's see what happens next month although if I remember it rightly my late Cucumella started her heavy shading in October i.e in autumn.

By the way, Sombra doesn't like to be brushed but will put up with it without showing any aggression, she just tries to get away. I have tried to change her attitude treating her with snacks she loves but for the moment it hasn't worked.
I believe cats like being brushed and Cucumella loved it but for some reason Sombra doesn't.