Four Years Old Started Shedding 2 And A Half Months After Adoption.

[golondrina]

I was surprised when I adopted Sombra last May that she did not shed at all and didn't even leave "hairs" in the brush when brushing her. I hadn't had any experience with a short hair diluted tortie and thought perhaps the autumn season had something to do with it. I stopped brushing her since she didn't like it and it didn't seem necessary.

To my surprise today, two and a half months later in the middle of the Winter season, for the first time I found sheddings on my computer where she had been laying. I then brushed her and I very quickly filled two brushes with her fur. She is being fed with the food she was used to in the shelter and which had been recommended to me as being the best i.e. Purina's Excellence.

Sombra is fine, eats, drinks and uses her litterbox normally. I am not at all worried about her but I would like to know if it is normal for some cats to stop shedding for a period of time

and start shedding again in plein winter time.

 

[Margret]

Yes, it's normal. It varies from cat to cat when they shed the most. With short hairs at least they don't generally get matted - my Jasmine (my avatar picture) started her big shedding season right about the time I broke my right wrist in February; at this point she's so matted I'm going to have to clip her.

Margret

 

[golondrina]

Thank you Margret for your prompt reply. I understand then that sheddings do not correspond necessarily to the seasons of the year but that it varies from cat to cat. It would seem more logical that your Jasmine would have started her heavy shedding after February since Spring starts in March and not like Sombra in the middle of Winter.In my mind I had thought that they got rid of their fur at the arrival of the warm weather. What had struck me with Sombra was that at a given moment she didn't shed at all and then she did in the cold weather. Never mind I have been "accused" more than once of being too logical.

I hope your wrist has been completely "mended" by now. Take care and thanks again for your reply.

 

[silkenpaw]

Som ta might have had a good brushing just before you adopted her and that’s why she wasn’t shedding until now. You will minimize shedding if you give her a good brushing on a regular basis. I understand not liking brushing. My Samson likes being brushed on his head but not on his rear end, where the mats appear. I give his a few brushes on his head, then his rear end, then his head, and so on. It helps.

 

[golondrina]

Thank you silkenpaw. Yes It is possible that Sombra had a good brushing at the shelter. They are very reponsible people. Sombra is accepting the brushing a little better now. I let her play with one brush while I brush her with the other one and it works. But now I have to hide the brushes when not in use as she sees them as toys to play with.

 

[Jayflower]

C'est Moi is shedding a lot right now, too. It is summer here right now, I just figured that she is shedding so much because she was losing the excess fur that she put on over the winter. I brush C'est Moi daily, and always end up with a brush full of fur. She actually likes being brushed; she sometimes gets playful when I'm brushing her and she tries to attack the brush.

 

[golondrina]

That C'est moi sheds heavily in Summer because she loses the excess fur that she puts on in Winter is the notion that I had. That is why it surprised me that she started to shed in Winter here. But it may well be that, as suggested by silkenpaw, that she has started shedding now after having had a good brushing at the shelter just before I adopted her. I'll see how it goes from now on.