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One of the first things that draw people to Birman cats is their fluffy and silky fur. These gorgeous cats make visitors stare at them in awe and their owners proud to have them. These compassionate and adorable cats have the prettiest blue eyes and make for some of the best pets. They enjoy being around humans but tend to find their favorite human and stick with them.
So if you’re thinking about getting one of these amazing cats, you may be wondering: do Birman cats shed?
So, Do Birman Cats Shed?
If you’ve seen a Birman in person before or have been scrolling through the internet looking at pictures of them, there’s no way you haven’t noticed how long their coats are. Long hair cats are beautiful, and many people want them. But you’re probably wondering, do Birman cats shed? And do they shed a lot?
The short answer is that yes, Birman cats shed like pretty much all animals. With long and silky fur, it’s almost impossible to avoid any shedding. You may be thinking that owning a Birman means you’ll wake up to kitten-sized balls of fur all over your house or apartment. But, Birman cats don’t shed as much as you may think they do. If you’ve had other long-haired cats in the past, it’s understandable that you’re concerned about shedding. But, your Birman won’t shed nearly as much as another long-haired cat. The best way to understand how much shedding you can expect with a Birman is to understand their coat.
Understanding Birman Cats Coats
If you’re looking for a hypoallergenic cat, you may need to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, Birman cats are not hypoallergenic cats. However, while they’re not considered hypoallergenic, they do cause fewer allergic reactions than other long-hair cat breeds. The majority of cats have three separate coats, the top, intermediate, and undercoat.
Topcoat
Many people know the topcoat of your cat’s fur as the guard hairs. The primary purpose of the topcoat is to protect your furry friend’s skin. In addition, the topcoat is responsible for safeguarding your Birman from water, cuts and scratches, and UV rays. The hairs in the topcoat are coarse and very straight.
Intermediate Coat
Often referred to as the awn hairs, the intermediate coat is for insulation. This coat is longer than the undercoat but shorter than the topcoat. For cats that have an undercoat, the intermediate coat protects those soft and wavy hairs.
These awn hairs are there to regulate your cat’s body temperature so that they don’t overheat or get too cold. You know how voluminous and fluffy your Birman’s coat looks? The Intermediate coat is responsible for a lot of that volume.
Undercoat
Your cat’s undercoat is there to keep your cat warm. These hairs are the closest to your cat’s skin and tend to be wavy or curly. These are the hairs that cause tangles and knots in your cat’s fur. The undercoat generally is comprised of three types of fur. The three types are short, Downey, and soft.
Luckily for you as a Birman owner, this long-haired cat doesn’t have an undercoat. Since the undercoat is the area that tends to mat the most, the lack of an undercoat means your furry friend is much easier to groom. And, this means that they will shed much less than a cat with a matted undercoat. In addition, because Birman’s don’t have curly undercoats, Birman’s are considered a tangle-free cat.
While it’s rare that your Birman will have mats or large tangles, if you see that they have one, do not try to brush it out. Since they don’t have a strong undercoat, trying to brush out a tangle can be painful and traumatizing for your pet. The best way to handle a situation like this is to cut it off. If you’re wondering which brush is best, why not click here to find out which is the best brush for Birman cats.
How Can You Make Your Birman Cat Shed Less?
These cats already shed significantly less than other cat breeds. But if you’re noticing that your Birman is shedding more than you think they should, there are steps you can take to reduce their shedding, hopefully.
Brush Them Regularly
One of the best ways to reduce the amount of shedding from your Birman is to brush their coats regularly. Because Birman cats don’t have that curly and easily tangled undercoat, you shouldn’t need to brush them more than once or twice a week. Remember to brush with the fur and not against it.
If you notice that your cat is shedding more than usual, you may want to brush out their coats more than once or twice a week to remove any loose fur from gathering on your floor or furniture.
Brushing out your Birman’s coat regularly will do more than keep their beautiful fur silky. Brushing their hair will help keep the circulation of their skin and blood healthy.
There are hundreds of brushes on the market today that you can use on your cat, but there are some that stand out above the rest. A couple of my favorite and quality brushes to use on a Birman are:
Hertzko Pin Brush
This brush easily detangles fur and is gentle on your cat. The pins have rounded ends that make brushing a pleasant and safe experience for you and your cat.
Pet Grooming Glove
This brush is great because it’s a glove. Therefore it almost feels more like you’re petting your car rather than brushing them. The bristles are soft but strong enough to remove any loose hair on your cat.
IMISNO Cat Groomer With Catnip Pouch
This brush is a cat self-groomer. The IMISNO cat groomer was designed to be a rubbing object for your cat that brushes their fur at the same time. In addition, there’s a pouch that you can put catnip in so your cat is even more inclined to rub against it.
Change Their Diet
If you see that your cat is shedding more than usual and even has small bald patches, it can be a sign that your furry best friend has an allergy or sensitivity to something in their diet.
Veterinarians can perform allergy tests on your cat to see what may be causing the problem, but if you don’t want to put your cat through that just yet, there are other things you can try. For example, instead of going out and buying a new brand or flavor of cat food, try putting them on a bland diet to see if that helps.
You can feed your cat a bland diet of two parts protein and one part carbs. Some ideas to try feeding them are chicken with no skin, bones, or fat, plain white rice, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.
After several days of a bland diet, if you see improvement in their fur and shedding, you can slowly incorporate other foods to see what the issue might have been.
Give Them a Bath
I know you’re reading this thinking, there’s no way you’re bathing your cat. Cats hate water! But hear me out. If brushing your car once or twice a week isn’t reducing the amount of fur they’re shedding, a quick bath once every couple of months might help.
If you’re going to be brave and give your water-hating pet a bath, make sure you’re using a shampoo that is specifically created for cats. Also, since shedding can be an indicator of allergies or sensitivities, try to find a formula that is unscented or gentle.
Are Birman Cats High Maintenance?
Many people assume that it’s a high-maintenance breed of cat because the Birman cat has long hair. But, surprisingly, these cats aren’t very high-maintenance.
When it comes to the personality of Birman’s, they’re pretty low-key. They’re known as very chill cats that can adapt to pretty much any environment. They typically love being around people but are fine spending time on their own too.
Some Birman’s are more playful than others so having toys that can keep them entertained is essential to their happiness. But don’t worry, they don’t want to play all the time, unlike some higher maintenance breeds.
The lack of undercoat on a Birman cat means they need much less grooming and are much lower maintenance than other long-haired cats.
Keep in mind that while Birman’s tend to be reasonably low-maintenance cats, every cat is different. Just because your neighbor’s Birman prefers to lounge all day and play every once in a while doesn’t mean that you won’t get a Birman who adores playing with toys.
Conclusion
Birman cats are some of the most elegant-looking cats with their long and silky coats and beautiful blue eyes. It’s no wonder people are drawn to these gorgeous cats. Not only are these cats pretty, but they’ve also got some of the most laid-back personalities and are pretty low-maintenance compared to other long-haired cats.
You can rest easy knowing that you won’t be walking around your home finding bundles of long cat fur every day. While these long-haired cats do shed like most cats, their shedding is minimal compared to other long-haired breeds.
About the Author
Hey there! I'm Jeremy and I’m the brains behind Pet Care Project, a website chock-full of pet-care know-how. I've got the experience and knowledge to help you keep your furry friends happy and healthy. And let's not forget about my own little fluffball, Lunar, my Ragdoll cat who keeps me on my toes.
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