Do Cats or Dogs Shed More? 13 Helpful Facts (Examples)

Cats and dogs are well-known for shedding a lot of fur and hair. But who are shedding the most and how do the different types of cats and dogs stack up?

Do Cats Shed More Than Dogs?
Across the many breeds, dogs will naturally shed more than cats. This is because they are bigger so the quantity of the hair and fur is bigger. However, we do find specific cat breeds that shed more than specific dog breeds.

Here’s everything you should know if you’re looking to adopt a cat or dog that doesn’t shed a lot.

Many people are becoming allergic to pet hair these days so we have also listed some hypoallergenic breeds at the bottom of the article.

Do Cats Or Dogs Shed Most On Average?

When we are looking for average quantities of herring across all the different species and breeds it’s rather safe to conclude that bigger dogs shed the most.

This is simply because they are bigger than cats.

There are a couple of other factors we need to take into the equation:

1. The size of the animal
2. Breed-specific differences in the fur
3. Single-coated, double-coated, or triple-coated
4. Age and gender

Let’s go over these factors one by one.

1) The size of the animal

The size of the animal is obviously of great importance when we are talking about the quantity of hair for being shed. The bigger the animal, the more hair will be shed.

If you’re looking for getting the least amount of fur and hair possible into your home you should definitely go for a small dog or cat that sheds very little.

It doesn’t matter so much whether you’re choosing a cat or dog it matters much more which breed you get. Let’s continue by looking at how the different breeds stack up.

2) Breed-specific differences in the fur

Before we continue to look at single-coated and double-coated fur there are a few other factors we can take a look at regarding the fur.

Some dogs and cats have long hair while others will have shorter hair. This is very important when we are looking at the amount of shedding you should expect in your home.

If you want the least amount possible should go for a small shorthaired cat or dog.

Things can get a little confusing here so let’s take it slow. Shorthaired dogs and cats actually often shed more than cats and dogs with long hair. So why would we recommend getting a shorthaired animal when we want the least amount of shedding?

We recommend getting a shorthaired animal because even though they shed hair in higher numbers the hair will take up less space. Simply because the hair is shorter so you don’t notice them as much.

When you look at how much the hair will annoy you on a daily basis it’s important to take this into consideration.

3) Single-coated, double-coated, or triple-coated fur?

Dogs can be single-coated or double-coated. This basically means that they would either have one layer of hair or two layers of her hair.

Dogs that are double coated will always shed more than dogs with single-layered coats. This is because the extra layer of hair is shed in greater amounts when the winter turns to spring and again when summer turns to fall.

When we are talking about cats, on the other hand, things get a little more complicated.

Many cats actually have 3 layers of fur.

They can either be single-coated, double-coated, or triple-coated. The ladder is the most common.

You obviously want to go with the single-coated cat breeds if you want the least amount of shedding in your home. Following the logic from above, the extra layers of fur and hair will fluff up during the changing of the big seasons. You can see more here about exactly when cats and dogs shed the most.

4) Age and gender

The last factor we will look at here is the age and gender of the animal.

The older the cat and the dog gets the more it will start shedding. You can read more here about why older dogs shed more than younger dogs.

Gender also plays a role.

As the cat or dog becomes pregnant it starts shedding more because it induces a lot of stress on the animals. This is normal and something that is common for both species. It’s just one of the many similarities between domesticated dogs and cats.

So, if you are still looking for a pet that sheds the least you should go for a small cat or dog that is young and male.

Do Cats Or Dogs Shed More In The Spring?

As we mentioned above, cats and dogs will shed much more in the spring than during the summer.

Here’s a quick chart to show you exactly when you should expect the most amount of shedding:

This happens because the cats and dogs will fluff up their coats during the fall in order to keep warm during the winter. And when spring arrives they will let go of the thicker winter coat to avoid heating up in the coming summer months.

So who sheds the most during the spring season? Cats or dogs?

To answer this question in the best way possible we have to compare double-layered dogs to double-layered cats and single-layered dogs to single-layered cats.

When would do it this way the amount of shedding will be quite similar.

But remember, that when we are talking about cat breeds we find many breeds with triple-layered coats. These are the breeds to avoid if you want a pet that doesn’t shed extensively.

Popular triple-layered cats:

Here’s a list of some of the most common cats would triple layers of fur:

• Siberians
• Maine Coons
• American Wirehaired

Popular single-layered cats:

These cat breeds only have a single-layered coat and will shed less than the cats listed above.

• Javanese
• Cornish Rex
• Davon Rex

Hairless Cats And Dogs

Here are the real winners when it comes to cats and dogs that shed the least. They are what we call hypoallergenic breeds because they do really well among people with allergies.

Popular hairless cat breeds:

• Sphynx
• Peterbald
• Donskoy

The Sphynx cats are really popular for people who don’t want any shedding in their home. They are the cat breed that sheds the least because they are not able to shed without the hair.

Popular hairless dog breeds:

It’s a rare sight to see pet dogs that are completely hairless. That they do exist.

Here are some of the dog breeds that are almost completely hairless. They are a great option if you’re looking for a dog that doesn’t shed at all.

• American Hairless Terrier
• Chinese Crested Dogs
• Peruvian Inca Orchids

Indoor Cats & Dogs Shed More

Another factor that has a great impact on the amount of shedding is whether the cat or dog is kept indoor or outdoor for most of the time.

When you keep the animal indoors most of the time it will not be able to detect when the season change from winter to spring from summer to fall.

These are the main shitting seasons for cats and dogs. They will shed extensively during these periods because they are changing their fur from the winter coat to the summer coat (and vice versa).

The problem arises when the animal is not able to detect the changing of seasons because they are kept indoors most of the time.

So what happens here is that they will often start shedding extensively all through the year instead of during the season changes. This can be a big problem because she will have dog and cat hair all over your home all year long.

As you can see, it’s very important to get your cats and dogs out in the open to feel the fresh air and to be able to detect the changes in sunlight and temperatures.

Besides this, it’s obviously better for pets to get as much time outdoors. Cats and dogs are not meant to be kept indoors most of the time. They need access to fresh air in order to thrive.

A Great Trick To Get Rid Of The Hair

It’s almost impossible to get rid of all the pet hair unless you choose a hairless breed. But for most people, the hairless breeds look a little weird and they are not exactly what you imagine when you think about getting a cat or dog pet.

So what do you do about all the shedding in the spring and fall?

There is actually one solution that can really help you out here.

You need to know about the specially designed vacuum cleaners that work perfectly with pet hair.

Most vacuum cleaners will get the hair tangled up in the brush roll and that will stop them from working properly every 10 minutes or so. And believe me, it’s a big hassle to get all the dog hair out of the roll.

(I’ve been there. Several times.)

You can find these great pet hair vacuum cleaners here.

We have taken a close look at the market for these pet hair vacuum cleaners and found the best options which we can recommend.

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