Do Kittens Lose Their Baby Fur? 7 Things You May Not Know
Nearly every kitten is born with a soft, fluffy coat. Some people who just got a new kitten might be surprised because they were hoping for a sleeker cat.
Is a kitten’s fluffy fur always there, or do they lose it when they grow up?
Do kittens lose their baby fur?
At five months, your kitten will start shedding its baby fur and start growing its adult fur. The process can start before five months, but it can also start after five months. This will depend on the cat, its breed, and where it lives.
Keep the kittens in one room or plan to do a lot of cleaning at this time because their fur will shed everywhere.
Some kittens might finish the process in less than a month, while others might take longer.
During this phase, a kitten will grow and change, but the pattern or design that makes it unique will stay the same.
It’s possible that the kitten’s adult fur will be a little darker, but this doesn’t always happen.
Even if there are small changes in colour, your kitten or cat will look the same as it did before it lost its fur.
When the kitten starts to lose its baby kitten fur, brushing it can help the process go faster.
Do kitten’s fur change?
Yes, a kitten’s fur changes as it grows from a baby to an adult. It will shed its baby fur and grow a new adult coat.
A kitten’s fur is soft and fluffy, but an adult cat’s fur is soft but stiffer and stronger, so it can stand up to the weather and protect it from the outside world.
The colour of a kitten’s fur might change slowly over time. It might get a little darker, or it might not change at all. The pattern or design won’t change, though.
They are like cats in that their markings and patterns stay the same from when they are babies to when they are adults.
Types of Cat Hair
Vibrissae
The whiskers on your cat’s face (and on the back of its front legs, too!) are organs that help it feel its way around.
Undercoat
Awn Hairs
These are not common in most animals, but most cat breeds have them. They are thinner than guard hairs and are part of the cat’s first line of defence.
Guard Hairs
The longer, shiny outer coat of most breeds is made up of main hairs and guard hairs. This type of hair helps the cat stay clean and dry and protects it from its surroundings.
Why do kittens lose their fur?
Kittens lose their fur as they grow from babies to adults. This is a natural process that is controlled by their bodies.
There are other reasons why a kitten’s fur might fall out that have nothing to do with this normal process. These reasons might require a trip to the vet.
Some of these conditions are more serious than others, but they all need to be checked out by a vet to see if medicine or other medical help is needed.
Most of the time, a kitten loses fur because it is growing up and becoming an adult cat. However, if there are other problems at home, that could be another reason.
If a kitten starts to lose fur in big clumps or patches, a vet should be called.
How long do kittens stay fluffy?
Unless they are Persian or Angora cats, which usually have fluffy fur, kittens will stay fluffy for the first few months of their lives while they have their baby kitten fur coat.
The fur of a kitten is usually soft and fluffy, but when the kitten is about five months old, it will shed that soft, fluffy fur and grow its adult coat.
What they get after that depends on what breed they are.
In any case, most cats, no matter what breed, have fur that feels like velvet. Even though their adult cat’s fur coat won’t be as fluffy as it was when they were kittens, it will still feel soft and velvety.
Can I train my cat to like being brushed?
Yes, but also no. Many kitten cats can be taught to be okay with being brushed when they are young, but some cats will never like or enjoy it.
It depends on how young they are when they start being combed and groomed.
Cats and kittens are born knowing how to clean themselves.
No matter how old they are, they don’t have to brush or bathe unless they are very dirty or if they need to for a medical reason, like when they wear a cone on their head after surgery.
If you want to brush your kitten or cat, if you start when they are young, they may get used to it and even like it as a way to show them affection.
You should only brush and groom a kitten or cat if it is a breed that needs it, like an Angora or Persian.
The fur on these cat breeds is thicker and longer, and it tends to shed all over the place.
These cat breeds don’t need to be brushed or groomed, but when they shed, it may be harder to clean up their fur around the house.
How to control cat shedding?
Talk to a professional groomer like me to find out which tools will work best for your kitten. For short to medium coats, gloves, rubber curry-style brushes, combs, and tools for shedding work well.
Kittens and cats with longer hair may also benefit from these tools, but a good comb that can reach all the way to the skin is a great idea for longer-haired species to help prevent mats. During times of shedding, mats can form quickly.
Use these hair care products a few times per week all year, and every day if your hair loss is severe.If you brush away that hair, you won’t have to vacuum it up later.
When the kitten is shedding the most, some owners like to bathe it themselves. After giving your cat a bath, comb and brush him until he is completely dry. This will get rid of a lot of hair.
During times when you’re losing a lot of hair, your friend the vacuum cleaner will help keep your house looking nice.
During shedding season, you can wash and dry the blankets, sheets, or towels that cover your cat’s favourite places to sleep once a week or so. Easy!
Rubber-tipped brooms and rubber brushes that you hold in your hand make it easy to get rid of cat hair on smooth floors, furniture, and carpet.
Buy several lint brushes and keep them in easy-to-reach places, like your car, your office, and several rooms in your house. These are great for quickly getting rid of clothes and furniture.
Use a damp kitchen sponge to remove hair from sofas, chairs, and cat trees.
Check to see if your pet has parasites inside and outside of its body.
Closing Points
Kittens lose their baby fur when they are about five months old. An adult fur coat takes them about a month to obtain.
Each kitten will go through the procedure in a different way and at a different speed.
Their fur will look the same and have the same pattern as it did before the phase.
How long it takes and when it happens is up to the person, but the process stays the same.
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