Say Goodbye To Pesky Pet Hair With These Low-Shed Dogs And Cats
When you add a pet to the family, shedding is often an inevitable part of the deal. But even though you adore your furry friend, that doesn’t mean you have to love their hair all over the place. If you’d rather spend more time loving your pet than cleaning up their fur, consider dogs or cats that don’t shed a lot.
Low-shedding cat breeds include Bengal, Burmese, Sphynx, Devon Rex, Siamese, and Bombay. Dog breeds that don’t shed very much include Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu, Maltese, Goldendoodle, Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier, and Miniature Pinscher. To limit your pet’s shedding, bathe and brush them regularly, feed them a healthy diet rich in Omega 3s, and protect them against parasites and excess stress.
Dogs and cats are going to shed their fur. But not all breeds are created equal when it comes to how much hair they leave behind. Therefore, before bringing home a new pet, keep reading to learn more about the breeds that won’t blanket your furniture in fur.
Why Do Dogs And Cats Shed?
There’s no big secret to why dogs and cats shed. Breaking it down to the most simple reason, your dog or cat gets rid of old, damaged hair as new, healthy fur grows. Other factors, including the weather, stress, fleas, medical issues, and diet also affect how much your pet sheds.
Your pet may shed to help control their body temperature, or they could be stressed. During times of stress, your pet’s body releases adrenaline, which can lead to falling hair. Damaged hair also leads to more shedding, which is why proper grooming and a nutritious diet are essential.
You likely won’t ever be able to avoid pesky pet hair completely. However, choosing a low-shed breed makes a significant difference in the amount of time you spend cleaning up your dog or cat’s fur.
10 Low-Shedding Cat Breeds
If a feline friend is in your future, consider one of these low-shedding cat breeds.
1. Bengal
The Bengal has a soft short coat that sheds minimally. The pattern on their fur makes them resemble little leopards. They’re beautiful cats that won’t require much time when it comes to grooming.
2. Bombay
Bombay cats have beautiful all-black coats with a glossy shine. This low-shedding breed only needs weekly brushing to keep the fur in check.
3. Burmese
Burmese cats have fine, short coats that don’t require a lot of upkeep beyond regular brushing. The satin texture of their fur makes them irresistibly soft and give them a pretty shine.
4. Colorpoint Shorthair
Thanks to a silky, short coat, colorpoint shorthairs only need a comb through once a week to keep shedding low.
5. Cornish Rex
The fur of the Cornish Rex is typically short and curly. The hair sits close to the body and sheds infrequently.
6. Devon Rex
Similar to the Cornish Rex, the Devon Rex also has a short, curly coat that doesn’t shed often.
7. Russian Blue
Russian Blues have thick, plush coats that often resemble velvet. But despite its thickness, the coats shed little, especially with regular brushings. However, during the spring shedding season, it’s recommended to brush these beauties more often to help get rid of loose hair.
8. Siamese
Siamese cats have silky coats that don’t require much more than a daily brushing to practically eliminate shedding.
9. Sphynx
It doesn’t take much to realize why this breed is considered low-shedding. The Sphynx is a naturally hairless cat breed.
10. Tonkinese
The Tonkineses is a mix between a Siamese and Burmese cat, sharing these breeds’ low-shedding tendencies.
10 Low-Shedding Dog Breeds
Before bringing home a new canine companion, check out these popular dog breeds that don’t shed much at all.
1. Airedale Terrier
This active breed sheds minimally, but it’s best to brush them a few times a week. They have an undercoat and overcoat that do best with a visit to a groomer a few times a year since, they are susceptible to matting.
2. Bichon Frise
Bichons require significant grooming if you want to maintain the classic powder puff look. However, these pups don’t shed very much, so if low-shedding is your main focus, this pooch is a good pick.
3. Goldendoodle
Goldendoodles shed little, because of the Poodle part. However, it depends on the genes. When choosing a Goldendoodle, if their facial features resemble more of a poodle (with furry furnishings like a goatee, eyebrows, beard, etc.) than a Golden Retriever, they’ll likely shed less.
4. Havanese
Havanese have an outer coat that tends to hold onto dead hairs instead of dropping them. Therefore, regular grooming and brushing helps get rid of these dead hairs and keep your pup looking beautiful.
5. Maltese
Maltese hardly shed at all, with their hair-like coats catching most of the dead hair. But they do need regular brushing because their fur tends to mat easily.
6. Miniature Pinscher
Brush your min pin a couple of times a week and you won’t spend tons of time dealing with pesky pet hair. These pups have a sleek, short coat that’s easy to take care of and sheds very little.
7. Papillon
Papillons have long silky hair with no undercoat. They do shed, but regular grooming (baths and brushing) significantly reduces the amount of shedding.
8. Poodle
Poodles are a low-shedding breed with a single coat that doesn’t experience seasonal shedding. They’re a top pick for dog lovers who don’t want the hassle of pet hair on anything but their pet.
9. Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu has a double coat and silky hair. The coat tends to hold onto most of the loose hair, which is why you won’t find a lot of it on your furniture and clothing. Regular brushing helps keep your pup’s coat healthy.
10. Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkies have hair that acts and feels very much like human hair and sheds minimally. If you keep them in a puppy cut, grooming becomes even easier.
Helpful Tips And Tools For Getting Rid Of Pet Hair
When your furry friend sheds, it’s easy to tackle the pet hair problem with some helpful tools and practices.
- Feed your pet a diet rich in Omega 3s to promote a healthy skin and coat. Talk to your vet about food recommendations appropriate for your pet. Your vet may also recommend an Omega 3 supplement.
- Bathe your pet regularly. Cats typically do a good job of grooming themselves, but if your cat is outdoors most of the time, give them a bath every one to two months. Short-haired dogs need a bath every few months and medium or long-haired dogs about every 4 to 6 weeks.
- Brush your dog or cat every day to get rid of debris and dirt, dead skin, and loose hairs.
- Give your pet parasite prevention medication to protect against fleas and ticks.
- Help ease your pet’s stress with interactive toys, lick mats, calming sprays, or other means. If your pet seems to deal with high amounts of anxiety or stress, talk with your vet.
Using tools designed to tackle pet hair (on your pets and your belongings) is also a must when you have a dog or cat. These tools make handling pet hair problems much more manageable.
1. Chom Chom Roller
The Chom Chom roller picks up pet hair quickly off of furniture, blankets, and rugs. It doesn’t require refills or batteries and holds the hair in a compartment until you dump it with the push of a button.
2. The Furminator Brushes And Deshedding Shampoo
The Furminator line of pet hair rakes and brushes does wonders for removing loose hair and working through thick fur. There are many styles and types, so choose the one that’s right for your pet’s coat. Furminator also has a deshedding shampoo for dogs and cats designed to strengthen your pet’s coat to reduce excess shedding.
3. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser
To eliminate pet hair from your furniture and carpet, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser provides powerful suction and easy clean-up. It also features a crevice tool, dusting brush, and more to make it easy to get stubborn pet hair out of hard-to-reach spots.
A Final Look At Low-Shedding Dogs And Cats
There are quite a few breeds of dogs and cats that shed lightly or hardly at all. If you want a low-shedding breed, top cat picks are Bombay, Bengal, Burmese, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, Sphynx, Siamese, Russian Blue, Colorpoint Shorthair, and Tonkinese.
If you’re more of a dog lover, some popular choices for low-shedding pups are the Airedale Terrier, Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu, Havanese, Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, Yorkshire Terrier, Poodle, Papillon, and Goldendoodle.
No matter what breed you pick, you’ll always have a little pet hair to clean up. Proper grooming, good nutrition, and parasite and stress prevention help reduce shedding. When shedding happens, tackle it with tools like the Chom Chom or Furminator. You don’t have to let a little shed stand between you and the furry love of your life.
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Stacy Randall is a wife, mother, and freelance writer from NOLA that has always had a love for DIY projects, home organization, and making spaces beautiful. Together with her husband, she has been spending the last several years lovingly renovating her grandparent's former home, making it their own and learning a lot about life along the way.
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