How to Handle Pet Shedding

Dogs and cats are great fun to have around. Many families adopt one of these four legged friends and make it part of the family.

Most puppies and kittens are then allowed free access to every corner of their new home. And, although this is a welcoming and easy thing to do, it can also lead to an abundance of pet fur ending up all over the place!

Pet shedding is a huge problem, and if you have a pet that loses hair, you know that it’s not always an easy issue to deal with.

Constant vacuuming is one way to help fight the effects of having a dog or cat that leaves a trail of shed fur behind.

The problem with vacuuming is that in order to stay on top of the pet shedding problem, you need to be vacuuming every single day. In some instances, particularly if you have more than one pet, you may need to drag the vacuum out two or three times a day! (not what I want to have to do!)

Not only is this tiresome, but it wears away at the carpeting or flooring as well. Another quick solution is to try and keep the pet in only one or two rooms in the home. This can be disheartening for the animal, especially if they have always been allowed to roam wherever they please.

If you are bringing a new cat or dog into the home for the first time, you can try and train it to stay off furniture, which would keep you from being concerned about having to constantly pull stray hairs off the chairs, couches or beds in your home. And this can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to control where pet shedding occurs.

When it comes to dogs, some breeds naturally lose hair at a faster rate than others. If you do have a dog that sheds at a fast rate, consider taking it in for more frequent grooming. Or get your kids to brush the dog’s coat everyday. Your children may enjoy this task as much as your dog like the attention. Frequent brushing can definitely reduce the amount of loose hairs you find around the home.

Cats also lose their coats on a regular basis. With some breeds of felines, you’ll find that the hair the cat drops is much thicker and coarser than dog hair. Just as with dog shedding, you can lessen cat shedding by taking car of the cat’s coat. If the coat is long enough, it can certainly be brushed.

Depending on your cat, this could be a two person job though, as many cats just don't want to cooperate with the brushing. Conditioning your pet’s coat is another approach that you may consider trying. Sometimes, when the coat is very dry, it will become brittle and more breakage will occur. This can result in more pet shedding. You can find any number of great conditioners specifically designed for use on a dog or cat. In addition to helping with shedding, it also makes the pet look great.