Cat Breeds that don't Shed

First things first, and I hate to break this to you but all cats shed, irrespective of their breed. So, there is nothing known as a non shedding cat. Shedding in cats is a natural event in the life of every cat. Well, vacuuming all that hair off the carpet does not really make a cat owner happy, but then, it is essential to understand that shedding its fur is good for a cat. The process actually helps a cat replenish its fur and remove the dead hair from its body. Also, the ability to shed an inappropriate coat and build a new one helps cats prepare for the warm or cold weather and survive major temperature changes in its habitat.

However, there are some cat breeds that don't shed or rather shed quite less. These are usually the purebred hairless cats or cats with fewer layers of a fur coat. Here is a list of some non-shedding cat breeds.

List of Cat Breeds that don't Shed
Let's take a look at the different cat breeds that are most popular. Based on this list, you can take your pick of the most suitable breed of cats that don't shed.

Sphynx: This hairless cat breed is certainly quite a looker with its short, suede like coat and a "totally naked" look to it. These peculiar looking cats first originated in Canada in 1966 as a result of a natural mutation. Since then, cat breeders have bred the Sphynx to normal coated cats and then back to hairless for more than thirty years. Although these cats might look totally hairless they do have a coat of fine downy hair covering their bodies. The Sphynx is a medium sized or large cat with strong bones, good muscle development and extremely large ears. They are usually open-eyed with an intelligent face and a friendly expression. It is also the only cat to possess sweat glands because of which, they tend to have have skin secretions, which discolor their skin. Thus regular bathing and cleaning is essential for your people friendly Sphynx cat.

Peterbald: The elegant and slim Peterbald breed is a cross between the Don Sphynx and the Oriental short hair. It was bred in 1994 in St. Petersburg in Russia. Many cats within this breed have the most obvious coat of all of the hairless cat breeds, available in all sorts of colors and markings. They can be categorized as either bald (completely hairless), flock (short, downy hair), velour (hair that is one to five millimeters long) and brush (curly, wiry hair). Most of these cats loose their hair over time.

Don Sphynx: This hairless cat was discovered in in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and owes its hairlessness to a dominant gene. Unlike a Sphynx, a Don Sphynx is completely hairless, with no hair on its body.

Devon Rex: Found in 1959 in England, the Devon Rex has curly shaggy mop of loose curls or a thin suede-like coat with some areas nearly bare. Although this cat sheds like any other breed, the absence of guard hair makes the shedding less obtrusive than that of many cats. This small cat breed with a hypoallergenic coat is not only great for people suffering from allergies, but is actually a delightful, mischievousness little bundle of joy.

Cornish Rex: Although they might look it, but Cornish Rex cats are not actually from outer space. Their washboard waves coat is short and has a velvety feel to it. The shedding in these cats is minimal and these affectionate, people friendly cats make for excellent pets.

Apart from these cats, certain other breeds without an undercoat, such as the Siamese cat breed, the Short Haired Oriental or Tonkinese, also shed lesser as compared to other cats. It is important to remember, that people who are considering buying cat breeds that don't shed because they are allergic to the fur of cats, is that allergies have nothing to with the cat's hair. It is caused by the presence of a particular protein in the saliva, so when the cats clean themselves with their tongues, the dried saliva flakes become part of the dander released by the cats. So, before you can go and invest all that money on buying purebred cats and kittens that don't shed, keep in mind that caring for a non shedding cat breed can be quite an effort. So try sticking to the short haired breeds, and it might make the cat shedding season more tolerable for you.