Cat breeds that shed little

No cat sheds nothing at all — but some breeds lose noticeably less hair than others. That mostly comes down to coat structure: breeds with short, close-lying coats or without a dense undercoat leave fewer tufts on sofa, clothes and floor. If a largely hair-free home matters to you, a low-shedding breed makes life noticeably easier.

Here you find 47 cats that shed little with all key facts — filtered and comparable.

47 breeds + Refine filters

Bengal

A mini leopard with an engine that never idles — brilliant, demanding, unforgettable.

Talkative, brilliant and utterly devoted — a shadow with a voice that follows you everywhere.

Naked skin, maximum heart — a warm, mischievous cuddle magnet that demands presence and skin care.

A perpetual-motion clown in a ticked wildcat coat — curious, quick and always mid-project.

An elf in astrakhan curls — impish, warm-skinned and glued to its favourite human's shoulder.

A Siamese in a hundred colours — brilliant, loud, endlessly devoted and never, ever boring.

Siamese soul in silk — the talkative shadow with a flowing coat and zero grooming drama.

Silver-tipped reserve and deep devotion — a gentle soul that saves its heart for its own people.

Velcro cat in satin — people-mad, playful into old age and convinced your lap is its office.

Wild spots, zero wild blood — a spotted athlete with a dog's sociability and a family heart.

The golden middle of Burmese and Siamese — aqua eyes, silk coat and sociability dialled to warm.

A pocket panther in patent leather — copper eyes, jet-black gloss and a heart set to velcro.

A greyhound in crushed velvet — marcel waves, warm skin and acrobatics that defy physics.

Half serval heritage, all commitment — the tallest, wildest domestic cat and a specialist's project.

The sprinter of the cat world — naturally spotted, gooseberry-eyed and devoted to its chosen few.

The smallest cat breed with the biggest opinion of your lap — sepia-toned, saucer-eyed and busy.

The original Siamese — apple-cheeked, sky-eyed and devoted, with the volume knob one notch gentler.

A pocket tiger by design — flowing stripes, trainable brains and housecat manners throughout.

Thailand's silver good-luck charm — heart-faced, devoted and quietly opinionated.

A creature of the mist — silver-blue silk, luminous green eyes and devotion reserved for its own.

A jungle-cat hybrid for specialists — cougar looks, marathon energy and requirements to match.

Chocolate from whiskers to toes — a rare, curious charmer that investigates the world paw-first.

White boots on Siamese warmth — a rare, people-glued charmer with a softer voice and painted face.

Australia's living-room specialist — misted spots, even temper and a deliberate love of staying in.

Farm-born corkscrew curls with a heart of gold — a curious, hands-on charmer in a perm.

Thailand's diamond-eyed white gem — jewel eyes, royal history and a sociable, chatty heart.

The Burmese in every colour — a chatty, warm shorthair family with Burmilla roots and British polish.

Russia's wrinkled original — devoted and warm, with a dominant hairless gene that demands scrutiny.

St. Petersburg's hairless aristocrat — oriental elegance, warm skin and total devotion.

Brazil's street-smart national cat — sleek, warm and robust, with two decades of health on board.

The first curly cat of Europe — Berlin street origins, plush waves and an easy, affectionate soul.

The werewolf cat — a natural roan mutation with wolfish looks and a hunter's merry heart.

The Oriental in evening dress — silk plumes over the same brilliant, talkative velcro soul.

A serval look without a drop of wild blood — long legs, satellite ears and sociable spotted energy.

Kenya's wood-grained forest rarity — athletic, clever and quietly devoted on its own terms.

Folded ears on naked skin — a devoted Ukrainian design breed that doubles two contentious genes.

Greece's island native — a bicolour fisher from the Cyclades, sociable, sturdy and saltwater-brave.

A springy steel-wool coat on farm-cat calm — America's rarest native, easy and even-tempered.

Türkiye's sturdy all-rounder — the Van's shorthaired cousin with water curiosity and farm-cat health.

The desert original of the Gulf — heat-built, robust and openly affectionate, straight off the streets of Arabia.

Hairless plus short-legged — a double-gene design whose sweet heart cannot offset the welfare maths.

Sri Lanka's golden ticked islander — small, sunny and affectionate, Italy's favourite secret.

China's ancient tabby — a self-reliant, clever native with fox ears and working-cat honour.

A pointed bobtail from the Mekong — royal Siamese looks, kinked pompom and devoted, chatty warmth.

Hairless, short-legged, tiny — a triple-design experiment whose sweet nature cannot carry the maths.

Thailand's copper treasure — a solid-red rarity from the old manuscripts with a loyal, talkative soul.

Russia's oldest curl — dense soft waves from the Ural mountains on a calm, devoted family soul.

Why some cats shed less

It is not coat length alone that decides, but the undercoat. Breeds with dense, double coats such as the Maine Coon or British Shorthair drop large amounts of undercoat during moulting. Breeds with single, short or silky coats without much undercoat — the oriental breeds or the Rex cats, say — lose hardly any hair. Hairless breeds naturally leave next to no hair but need intensive skin care instead.

Which breeds shed particularly little?

Considered low-shedding are, among others:

Russian Blue — a dense but finely structured coat that sheds little and is considered allergy-friendly.
Siamese, Balinese and Oriental Shorthair — fine, close-lying coats without appreciable undercoat.
Bengal and Abyssinian — short, low-maintenance coats that leave hardly any tufts.
Devon Rex and Sphynx — curly or absent coats; they shed least of all but need special skin and warmth care.

Reducing shedding further in everyday life

Even with a low-shedding breed, regular brushing pays off — it removes loose hairs before they land on the sofa and prevents swallowed hairballs at the same time. High-quality food keeps the coat healthy and firm with less hair loss. During moulting in spring and autumn, brush a little more often. Smooth floors and washable blankets make cleaning easier still.

Low shedding is not the same as low maintenance

Good to know: shedding little does not automatically mean needing little care. Rex and hairless breeds lose hardly any hair but need intensive skin and ear care, and some low-shedding breeds are very active and demanding. Let the shedding scale in each breed profile guide you and combine it with your other wishes. Our "Which cat fits me?" test treats shedding as its own criterion and suggests matching breeds.

Hypoallergenic cats → Indoor cats → Family cats →