Normal Changes in a Cats Coat

Question
A little background: I recently adopted a 1 year old (the vet's estimation) domestic shorthair cat from my local humane society.  She's very healthy (no diseases or fleas, she's been worm-free for the past 2 months, and I feed her a high-quality indoor cat food), but she sheds like mad!  I've had long-haired cats before and the shedding is exponentially higher with this little lady.  I brush her regularly, but I'm still drowning in fuzz!
So here's my question: The hair she's shedding is the downy under fur - is this just a sign of growing out of kittenhood, or should I just resign myself to scraping the inch of kitty fuzz from my carpet every day for the rest of her life?

Answer
Stacey,

My recommendation is that you try a tool called a deshedding tool. This is a grooming tool designed to remove the dead undercoat by brushing it away. You will be surprised at the amount of fur that will come off of your little girl. It is important that you not brush too hard because deshedding tools can cause skin irritation if you use too much pressure. Another option is to use a shampoo that is safe for you and your cat. I use a shampoo made by a company called Earthbath. It is a soap free formula that is less likely to irritate your cats skin. You can check out the product online at www.earthbath.com and see what you think. I will warn you that if you groom your cat with a deshedding tool and then bathe her that she may shed a bit more in the few days afterwards but things normally settle fairly quickly. You can opt to have your kitty groomed professionally, but it is important to know that not all groomers will work with cats and not all groomers should work with cats. Bathing your own cats isnt actually too hard, but it takes patience and it is wise to prepare everything before you start. I can send off some instructions on the proper way to bathe a cat if you like. At 1 year old your cat is an adult cat, her age in human years is about 15 so she isnt a baby anymore. I think that the shedding is simply due to the warm weather. I hope that this information helps. If you have any further questions or concerns or you would simply like to send an update my way, please dont hesitate to contact me again.