Do Siamese Cats Shed?

Everyone knows how entertaining cats can be as a pet. They’re constantly surprising us with their blend of aloofness and over-the-top affection. 

Siamese cats are a popular, friendly breed with beautiful coloring and a distinct personality.

But if you have allergies or don’t want to deal with those horrible hairballs, you may wonder whether Siamese cats shed.

Siamese cats do shed just as much as other cats in the Spring and Fall, and they are not truly hypoallergenic, although their hair loss is less noticeable due to their shorter coat. An indoor Siamese will shed year-round.

There’s a lot of fascinating science behind why Siamese cats still trigger allergies, but the good news is that if you’re looking to avoid cat fluff covering everything you own, there are some helpful care tips that will help you.

The rest of this article will cover why Siamese cats shed and how to avoid getting cat fluff on everything.

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Why do Siamese cats shed?

The short answer is that all cats shed to some degree unless we’re talking about the hairless Sphynx cat. 

Even short-haired cat breeds like the Devon Rex and Siamese still shed, despite the misconception that they won’t shed.

Because they don’t have as much coat to shed, short-haired cat breeds won’t have as noticeable an effect on your furniture and aren’t as likely to gag out a hairball.

Cats shed to thin out their coat, and for outdoor cats, this behavior can be observed mainly in the Spring when they are getting rid of their winter coat and in the Fall when they are preparing to grow a new undercoat to prepare for winter.

Indoor cats, however, don’t have the natural weather cues for their body to know when it’s appropriate to shed. 

As such, indoor cats will shed year-round, although typically more around the same time of year.

Are Siamese cats hypoallergenic?

The term hypoallergenic means to produce a lesser allergenic response. 

Unfortunately, among almost all breeds of cats, only the Devon Rex is considered truly hypoallergenic, but not for the reason you might think.

Contrary to popular belief, the amount that a cat sheds actually has nothing to do with the amount of hair; instead, about 10% of the population is extremely sensitive to a protein found in the saliva (protein Fel-D1), urine, and dander of cats.

When cats clean and shed, they send little airborne missiles that irritate the respiratory tract and cause an allergic reaction. 

As such, Siamese cats are not hypoallergenic. Shockingly, not even the Sphynx is hypoallergenic.

The only reason Devon Rex are considered hypoallergenic is that their skin absorbs the protein compound, so it doesn’t spread in the air anywhere near as much.

How to stop siamese cats from excessive shedding

Of course, there is no way to prevent your cat’s body from doing what is a perfectly natural process, but it can be a nuisance when every surface is covered in cat hairs. 

Although cat shedding is normal, there is a way to avoid excessive shedding.

Grooming

Your Siamese will require regular grooming to keep that fluff under control.

For long-haired cats, owners are recommended to brush daily to avoid being overrun with hair, but if you’re the lucky owner of a short-haired Siamese, you only really need to give them a quick brush once a week.

You may worry that this habit will bother your cats if they don’t want to be brushed, but don’t worry― most cats actually enjoy being brushed. 

Better still, you’ll strengthen your bond with your cat that much more when you engage in regular grooming.

If you have multiple cats, you may observe them grooming each other to show affection. 

By giving your Siamese a quick brush over every now and again, you effectively communicate your love in cat speak.

It’s also an excellent way to spot-check for fleas―but your cat doesn’t need to know that! 

Regular brushing helps remove the abundance of loose fluff that will be shed wherever your Siamese travels and hopefully help your chairs and clothes stay fluff-free!

Diet

Cats are carnivores and naturallly need a diet with a heigh protein content to stay healthy.

Cat food, especially dry food, often contains too little protein which causes health issues, including hair loss. 

Diets that contain sufficient protein content and fat (Omega-3 and Omega-6) have proven to reduce hairloss in all cat breeds. 

Try to feed your cat (wet) food with at least 45% protein content. Another option is to look into feeding your cat raw meat regularly. Fish is a great source of Omega-3 and 6)

Read more about diet changes that prevent cat shedding at PetMD.

Shedding as a symptom

If you notice excessive shedding is a way that your Siamese never had before, then it’s smart to consult your vet as sudden and excessive hair loss may be an indicator of another health issue.

How to clean up Siamese hair

Thankfully, even if your living room looks like a giant hairball exploded inside, there are still plenty of inexpensive options to get your home (or clothes) back in top shape.

Ensure that you address the hair issue before tossing them in the machine for clothes. 

Cat fur tends to clump and puts your appliances at risk of malfunction, especially if you make a habit of tossing your cat-hair-laden clothes into the machine.

Best way to remove cat hair from clothes

To remove cat hair from clothes, you can wet your hands or a paper towel and run them gently over the affected wardrobe item, picking up and discarding any large clumps of cat hair as you go. 

Anti-static spray can also help you avoid cat hair clinging to you in the first place.

You can use lint rollers or a sonic vacuum to tidy up most other surfaces (clothes, too) that are overrun with cat hair. They’re quick, cheap, and effective.

Brush regularly – Your cat will love it

Honestly, the best way to reduce cat fluff around the home, especially for Siamese owners, is to establish a weekly or twice-weekly schedule for brushing. 

You’ll be surprised how much hair comes off on that brush!

The verdict

Unfortunately, no cat besides the Sphynx is truly immune to shedding. 

All cats shed, but due to how fine the hairs are, it’s just a lot less noticeable on short-haired cat breeds like Siamese cats.

Siamese cats will trigger allergies and are not hypoallergenic since it’s actually the protein in the saliva that causes the cat allergies, not the amount of hair produced.

To tidy up after your cat, there are several steps you can take, but overall, a lint roller is a must-have for any cat owner to remove excess fluff from furniture or clothing.

However you choose to address the shredding problem, Siamese cats are wonderful, affectionate, and bursting with personality, making wonderful lifelong friends.

References

https://epicpetclub.com/do-siamese-cats-shed/
https://animalpath.org/do-all-cats-shed/
https://www.hepper.com/do-siamese-cats-shed

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