14 Low Shed Cats and Cats That Don’t Shed

Cats are adorable creatures, but they often shed hair that gets tiring to clean repeatedly and require an extra budget for grooming your cat with tools like a cleaning slicker brush, cat comb, etc. 

The sofas and carpets are often filled with cat fur, making a real mess. If you already own a cat, you would know better how to clean the couch and carpet with the lint roller several times. 

You also require grooming for your cat, who sheds hair. If you don’t groom your pet regularly there would be cat fur all over the house. Does it sound problematic? Don’t be afraid there is a solution to this. Cats that don’t shed save the house from their furs as well as being beneficial to allergic people. 

Today we will discuss the cats that don’t shed hair to protect you from allergies and your couch from the mess.

Are You Allergic to Cats? 

If you are an allergy sufferer who happens to like cats, we have the solution for you. Cat’s shed hair and that triggers your runny nose and itching in the eye. 

To help you with your allergy and save expenses on cat grooming, lint rollers, and other tools for cleaning, we have come up with the idea to list the cats that don’t shed. 

This is a misconception that only the cat’s fur causes you to have an allergy. People with cat allergy are allergic to proteins in the cat, dander( dried flakes of skin ), urine saliva, and at last, the fur. Getting rid of the cat hair does not stop your allergy entirely, but it helps control it.

Hypoallergenic Cats: Cats That Do Not Cause Allergy

Unfortunately, there are no hypoallergenic cats. This is because the main two proteins for cat allergies are- Fel d1 and Fel d4 which are only produced in the cat’s body. These proteins are produced in the submandibular salivary glands and sebaceous glands of the skin.

The proteins are deposited in cats’ hair during grooming. We blame cat hair as the main culprit for allergy but actually, the real culprit is the saliva that is produced inside a cat’s body. 

Since all cats bear these glands, it is impossible to get a complete hypoallergenic cat breed. But if you do not have an allergy and the cat fur is just ruining your mats, carpet, and couch, then I prefer you look for cats that don’t shed or at least. This saves much of your expense and also protects you from the risk of fleas.

Cats That Don’t Shed(or, at Least)

Cats that don’t shed prevent spoiling of your furniture and cat fur on your clothes. Once the cat fur is stuck to your clothes, this gets tough to remove even after washing, especially black garments. The wise will choose cats that don’t shed or cats that shed less hair than to face trouble with the fur. 

Low-shed cats are perfect for families because they take a lot of work out of owning a cat. Cats with short coats shed less hair and prevent the risk of fleas. There are some cats without any coats, like the Sphynx. There are also cat breeds with long coats but do not shed hair.

Sphynx 

Name: Sphynx Cat

Price: $1500-$3000

Country of Origin: Toronto

Average Lifespan: 8-14 years

Sphynx is not an Egyptian cat breed. They originated from Toronto and are named after the famous cat statue in Egypt. They are one of the cats that don’t shed.

This breed of cat has no coat, although they are not hairless. The Sphynx is a cat breed that originated from genetic mutation by selective breeding in the 1960s. This short-haired breed is considered hypoallergenic in many cases. 

They are friendly, energetic, and playful cats and make a perfect companion if you have kids in the house. They make warm cuddle buddies. The Sphynx has some hair around its nose but does not have any coat over the body which does not cause any hair shedding.

Donskoy 

Name: Donskoy Cat

Price: $500-$1500

Country of Origin: Russia

Average Lifespan: 8-14 years

The Donskoy is a Russian cat breed. Being similar to Sphynx, they are also called Don Sphynx or Russian hairless cats. They are hairless cats and sweat to shed excess heat. This is usually quite warm to the touch because it lacks a coat to regulate its body temperature. 

Do you have other pets or dogs at home? Donskoy is known to get on very well with other pets in the house. The Donskoy is a sociable cat and does not do well if left alone for long periods. Having a second pet in the house will give them companionship as they are very affectionate.

Peterbald

Name: Peterbald Cat

Price: $1000

Country of Origin: Russia

Average Lifespan: 12 years

Perhaps you have already guessed it from the term ‘bald’ in their name. This is another hairless cat breed having no hair over its body. They are a little unpredictable- sometimes they are born with fur and occasionally bald. 

The Peterbald cat breeds with hair and gradually loses hair with age and turns hairless. They have large and sharp ears. They resemble the oriental short hair with hair-losing genes. Their small heads accentuate the eyes and they are very intelligent compared to other cats.

Devon Rex

Name: Devon Rex

Price: $600–$1000

Country of Origin: England

Average Lifespan: 10-15 years

Devon Rex is an English cat with tall ears. They have short coats and curly hair over their body. This cat is intelligent enough to learn complicated tricks and can be trained easily. They develop a strong bond with their owner and they seek attention. 

That means more hair, saliva, and contact with your body. If you are allergic, then the Devon Rex is not a good choice for you. But they shed the least hair and protect your furniture. 

Remember that they need great attention and are very affectionate to their owners. Devon rex is one of the cats that don’t shed.

Cornish Rex

Name: Cornish Rex

Price: $800-$1200

Country of Origin: England

Average Lifespan: 12-15 years

The Cornish Rex has a proper coat, but its fur is more petite, and has curly hair. Due to genetic mutation, the fur has a unique pattern that allows the dorn layer to grow. Therefore, it is missing the outer two layers of its coat. 

You need extra steps to keep them warm for maintaining their body temperature or they might develop respiratory issues. They are very affectionate cats and love to hang out with people. 

The Devon Rex and Cornish Rex cannot be confused if seen together because of their visible differences. The Cornish Rex has only curly down hair that forms an undercoat. But the Devon Rex has all three types of curly hair; awn hair, down hair, and very little guard hair.

Oriental Shorthair

Name: Oriental Shorthair Cat

Price: $600-$1000

Country of Origin: United States

Average Lifespan: 15 years

This is one of the many variants of the Siamese. The primary difference between the Siamese and the Oriental is the pattern of the coat and color. This comes in the combination of 300 colors which marks the cat as Oriental rather than Siamese. 

They rarely drop any fur so they do not need high maintenance. However, they require grooming to shed loose hair off the body. They rarely engage in fights and quarrel with other pets, so do not hesitate to introduce a new pet to your Oriental.

Cats With Actual Coat That Don’t Shed 

Many of us want to have a furry feline friend, but we are also aware of the hair shedding of cats. Most of the long coat breeds shed hair and we often need to clean the hair off the couch or our clothes with a lint roller. But I am providing you a list of cats that have long coats but they are non-shedding (cats that don’t shed) or if they do, this is at the least.

Javanese

Name: Javanese Cat

Price: $1500-$2500

Origin: South-East Asia

Average Lifespan: 8-12 years

A cat has three layers of fur- guard, awn, and down. The Javanese cats have guards but lack in the other two layers. If you want the low maintenance of cats that don’t shed, the best option for you is the Javanese cat. They require minimum maintenance. 

In other words, they look almost like a typical cats and they love people and company. They will play fetch and get well with children and other pets in the home. You need the minimum effort to train a Javanese.

Bengal

Name: Bengal Cat

Price: $1500-$3000

Country of Origin: United States

Average Lifespan: 12-16 years

The Bengal cat is a hybrid domestic cat created from the breeding of Egyptian Mau and Asian Leopard. Bengal cats have coats that look thick, but actually, it is pretty thin as it seems. Their hair sheds very little amount and they rarely need grooming. 

Of the cat breeds that don’t shed, the Bengal cat is a beautiful cat with a beautiful coat with intricate patterns, unlike many other low-shedding cats. They have an affectionate nature and might get emotionally disturbed if you do not provide them with enough attention. They are also a part of the group of large cats.

LaPerm

Name: LaPerm Cat

Price: $300-$600

Country of Origin: United States

Average Lifespan: 10-15 years

Are you looking for a haired cat with a wavy coat that does not shed? The LaPerm is a cat of such type. They have long and thick skin that sometimes makes them look like they have just emerged from the dryer.

The LaPerm can display many colors and patterns in their coat and they are soft to the touch. They are very active and playful cats and do not want to be at rest and idle during the day. Instead, they are very intelligent in learning trickles and fetching objects for you. 

Despite having thick coats and long hair, they shed extremely little, which is considered noshed. You do not have to spend much time grooming or cleaning the hair as they are easy to groom and hair shedding is extremely low.

Russian Blue

Name: Russian Blue Cat

Price: $400-$600

Country of Origin: Russia

Average Lifespan: 15 years

The Russian Blue has a bluish-gray coat with green eyes. They need some time to form bonds with their owners, but they stay very loyal to their owners once they get close. Russian Blue is a sweet-tempered loyal cat who follows its owner everywhere. They only shed once or twice a year, so you don’t need to worry about the shedding. 

They are unlikely to get attached to strangers or guests in the house as they do not like outsiders. They are intelligent and attentive which makes them trainable. They prefer to spend time with their owner than to get with new friends.

Siberian

Name: Siberian Cat

Price: $1200-$4000

Country of Origin: Russia

Average Lifespan: 8-10 years

If you need a long-haired feline friend with a thick coat, the Siberian cat will be the right choice for you. They are very strong and powerful cats with extraordinary jumping abilities and speed. Siberians vary in their size from medium to large size cats. 

This long hair cat has an interesting trick. As we have discussed earlier, a cat coat has three layers. So, when the Siberian cat sheds, the fur gets caught in the awn and guard layers preventing it from falling off and messing. 

They are devoted but not clingy. They will follow you in different rooms but will not disturb you unless you have time for cuddles. They do not mind noise or strangers in the house like most other cats. 

Birman

Name: Birman Cat

Price: $600-$1000 or $1200-$3000

Country of Origin: Myanmar

Average Lifespan: 12-16 years

Birman is a Burmese domestic cat with long hair and deep blue eyes. They have a silky, thick, long coat but they lack an undercoat. This cat breed has a colored face and legs and their body is off-white. 

This cat breed is very fluffy but sheds the most petite hair and you do not need frequent grooming for this breed of cat. Felines love to chase and play with other pets. They are very affectionate and the favorite part of the day is the cuddle time. They like to cuddle with their owners.

Siamese 

Name: Siamese Cat

Price: $600-$1200

Country of Origin: Thailand

Average Lifespan: 10-12 years

The Siamese cat is a famous Asian breed of cat. The Siamese cats have a coat that traps and catches the shed hair within the coat, so you can brush them occasionally to get rid of the trapped fur. They do not discharge fur here and there.

Most Siamese cats tend to choose one person as their best friend for life. They like to hang out with both people and other pets. Siamese cats have one of the most protective instincts of all cats. They commit to protecting their inhuman family.

Turkish Angora

Name: Turkish Angora Cat

Price: $900-$1500

Country of Origin: Turkey

Average Lifespan: 12-18 years

The Turkish Angora is a natural Turkish breed of cat with a long, silky coat that lacks an undercoat. Despite having long and soft hair, they do not shed much. This is one of the easiest breeds to train. 

The presence of a single blue eye indicates that the cat is deaf on this side of the year. They are very loyal and affectionate to their owner and they love to play and run around the house. They get well with children or other members of the house.

To Wrap Up

Low-shed cats protect your furniture and clothes from fur and you do not require frequent grooming and cleaning of your household from fur. However, it is challenging to consider a cat to be completely safe for people with allergies, but the Sphynx is a hairless cat that prevents irritation in the eyes and nose. The less shedding, the more beneficial; some might prefer a hairless cat. Choose your cat wisely as you want your companion to be.