Do Bengal Cats Shed – Managing Dander and Allergies

People usually know if you have a cat. There will be traces of cat hair all over your clothes, no matter how many times you use a lint roller. It’ll be stuck in the zipper of your jeans, on your eyelashes, in your car. Naturally, it’s everywhere. You know that most cats shed, but do Bengal cats, with their short hair, also shed?

Bengal cats do shed. Bengal kittens do not shed as much as other breeds, but shedding increases with age. Their dander can still cause allergies, so Bengal cats are not entirely hypoallergenic. Like many other breeds of cat, they have short hair and clean themselves regularly.

Even though Bengal cats have short hair, it doesn’t mean that their coat will never shed. It’s just a fact of having a cat. Shedding doesn’t mean you’ve been defeated, though. There are things you can do to prevent significant shedding and products on the market to help with inevitable hair explosions.  

Do All Cats Shed

The hard truth is that cats shed. If you want a cat and don’t want cat fur around your house, you have one option: the Sphynx. The Sphynx, commonly called a hairless cat, doesn’t shed because it doesn’t have any fur to shed. Not that surprising, right? The cat is covered in some peach fuzz, but that won’t end up all over your house and furniture. 

If you don’t have a Sphynx, then it’s safe to say that you’ll have a shedding problem, though it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your dream to have a spotless house. 

Why Do Some Cats Shed More than Others

Several factors cause some cats to shed more than others, including:

• Fur length. Long-haired cats often seem like they shed more because their hair is longer.
• Season. Cats shed their winter coat in the spring and summer, so expect more hair. 
• A change in diet or stress level. Extreme changes to either may cause your cat to lose more hair.

When you get a new cat, you’ll learn how much it sheds – and quickly. If you notice that your cat is suddenly losing more fur than usual, it’s probably a good idea to contact your vet. 

How Much Do Bengal Cats Shed

Bengal cats, like almost every cat, sheds. The Bengal cat does not shed a lot, though, especially in its youth. As a Bengal cat grows, so will their shedding. A Bengal cat’s hair is not as long as the fur of long-haired cats, so that translates to less dander and allergies for most people. This means that the cat hair around your house won’t morph into furry tumbleweeds like the cotton-like fur from your long-haired cat.

As much as no one enjoys it, you’ll still have to clean up your Bengal cat’s fur, and you’ll probably continue to find its hair all over your freshly washed laundry. But when you’re picking the cat hair that stuck to your lip balm, just remember: it could be worse. 

What’s Different About a Bengal Cat’s Fur

Bengal cats don’t have long hair; in fact, the Bengal cat has very short hair, especially compared to other breeds of cat that are also considered short-haired. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your cat will shed less, but it does mean that the cleanup job might be more manageable. 

The shorter hair won’t get wrapped around the nozzle of your vacuum or stuck in the arms of your Roomba as it frantically tries to clean up after your Bengal cat. You’ll still have to deal with hair, but it might not be such a huge feat. 

Are Bengal Cats Hypoallergenic

Although some cats are better for your allergies, no cat is 100% hypoallergenic. People often think that there are breeds that will not make your allergies worse, but that is not entirely true. Bengal cats are no exception to that rule, unfortunately. 

If you suffer from allergies around cats, your Bengal cat may make your allergies act up. Since the Bengal cat has short hair and does not shed as much as other breeds, your allergies might not be as bad as if you were around a long-haired cat, but you still might be reaching for a tissue. 

Is My Cat’s Shedding Making My Allergies Worse

Surprisingly, you’re probably not allergic to the actual cat fur that gathers around your house. It’s a protein called Fel d1 protein attached to the coat that’s probably making your eyes water and your nose tickle. The Fel d1 protein comes from your cat’s saliva and gets on its hair while it cleans itself.

To better manage your allergies, you’ll also want to control the hair around your house. There are, however, thinks you can do to manage the shedding before the hair even comes off your cat. Constant vacuuming and sweeping isn’t your only solution. 

How Can I Manage Shedding

Since you won’t be able to say with certainty that your Bengal cat will never shed, you’re probably looking for tips about what to do when the inevitable happens. Thankfully, there are things you can do before that fur starts falling out. Here are a few tips when faced with Bengal cat’s shedding:

• Brush your cat. Even though Bengal cats clean themselves, extra brushing will capture loose hair (and prevent hairballs!).
• Avoid bathing your Bengal cat too often. Too much bathing will dry the skin and cause the hair to fall out.
• Find the right diet for your Bengal cat. If your cat’s diet is not right, its coat might be the first to suffer.

Products To Combat Shedding

Try managing the hair before it gets everywhere with some of these best-selling products. If you combat the hair before it’s all over, it’ll make your daily clean-up jobs much easier and faster. 

• Try brushing your cat regularly. You can use a brush with bristles that are close together, like these.
• Brushes work well, but also try a deshedder tool, like this one. These tools help manage the thick undercoat that many cats have. 
• Some people swear by supplements that will help shedding. 

Cleaning Products To Clean Cat Fur

There are tons of products on the market to clean up your Bengal cat’s hair. 

1. A lint roller will be your best friend. This one doesn’t have those annoying sheets that you need to peel off and can be reused. 
2. This tool is more like a paint scraper. Trust me; you’ll need one to get the Bengal cat hair off your furniture.
3. For more heavy-duty cleaning, you’ll need a vacuum created for pet hair, like this one. Any old vacuum might break with all the hair you’ll be sucking up!

Additional Tips For Shedding

You might not be able to stop your cat from shedding, but you can find dozen of tips to keep shedding at bay. 

For instance, think about creating an area within your home that your cat can call home. If you find a cat bed that your Bengal cat can’t resist, your Bengal cat will be more likely to sleep there than a new spot around the house.

A tip like the one above won’t create a hair-free household, but it will go a long way to ensure every footrest in the house isn’t coated in a thick layer of cat hair. 

If you’re looking for a cat that won’t shed, you’ll have to look past the Bengal cat; however, that also means that you’ll be giving up on a new best friend! There are easy ways to manage your Bengal cat’s shedding, and products on the market make clean-up a breeze (or, at least easier with a vacuum that’s made to handle the job).