Do Siberian Cats Shed? What Owners Should Expect

Yes, Siberian cats shed — especially during seasonal transitions in spring and fall. However, many families are surprised by how manageable their coat truly is.

Brushing your Siberian once a week:

• Reduces loose fur

• Maintains coat health

• Strengthens bonding

See our blog on grooming your Siberian for more details on how to maintain their coats. With our kittens we begin grooming practices early, using a small slicker brush so they get used to the sensation of being groomed. Grooming your cat is also an amazing bonding experience and as long as you don’t tug on their fur too much, they enjoy the process.

Living in North Carolina, I was worried about the hot weather and whether my cats would over heat. As long as I groom my Siberians weekly, especially reducing their undercoat during seasonal transitions and remove any mats, they are extremely comfortable and enjoy time in the sun and time on the catio. Some of my friends have their Siberians and Maine Coons “Lion Cut” by groomers. This definitely eliminates the need for seasonal grooming - but I find that it takes a long time for their fur to grow back out, so I do not prefer this cut. For my cats that mat more than others, I prefer an “Underbody Tidy” and I shorten areas such as their chests and under their arms so that I can easily address any new mats that appear.

There are many simple tools for keeping your home fur free. Eliminating fur is easy because Siberian fur is downy so any little tufts can be addressed with a hand-held vacuum. A simple triangular pet hair remover easily eliminates any fur adhering to furniture. If you are a multi-cat household, we do recommend a vacuum cleaner that is engineered for pet-hair removal. This typically means a high suction vacuum with a larger, and easy to dump canister. We use a rechargeable Shark brand of vacuum, and could not be more pleased with it’s performance.