The summer heat is really beating down, which means one thing: more cat hair than I ever want to deal with. I’m not even allergic to cats, but during the summer, the dander in my apartment is so thick my whole face itches. I’ve thought about shaving my cats, but I’m scared it would be too stressful for them.
Here are signs that you, too, might have a cat shedding problem on your hands:
- When you empty the dryer lint tray, it’s one huge cat hairball.
- Your apartment has become a minefield of furballs that your cats have vomited up for you. (Mine are always kind enough to leave them in front of the bathroom in the middle of the night, so I step right in them on my way to the restroom).
- You can’t lay down a garment on any furniture unless you want to spend hours trying to get fur off. In fact, you’ve learned to avoid buying black clothing altogether.
- You’ve been to the grocery store more times than you can count for the sole purpose of getting a new lint roller.
- You need to dust more regularly just to remove the thick layer of cat fur that has collected on every surface.
- You’ve contemplated turning your cats’ fur into craft balls or decorative jewelry.
Unfortunately, my cats hate being groomed by me. They growl, hiss and run away at any and all of my de-furring attempts. When I finally do hold them down for a good brushing, you would think I was torturing them instead of trying to give them much-needed relief from the heat. Because they have such a negative reaction to the traditional cat brush, here are alternative methods I’ve tried:
1. The mitt
This oven-mitt-looking pad was supposed to be the answers to my cat fur problems. It’s soft, yet textured, so you’re able to remove hair by just petting your cat. The problem? It looks pretty scary. How would you feel if a huge red hand came at you? The cats did not approve. Even when I sneak up behind them with it and reach out to pet them, they whip their furry little heads back at me to see what’s wrong with my hand.
2. The cat vacuum
I watched an infomercial on a vacuum-like grooming aid that gently sucked the hair as you ran it over your cat. It seemed less invasive, since I wouldn’t have to be pulling at their real hair. Unfortunately, the motor is noisy, which scares the cats. It also has a rubber nozzle, which gets caught on the cats’ fur. They hated it more than all the other cat grooming products I used. This type of product probably works better on long-haired dogs, who don’t seem as bothered by grooming as cats do.
3. The answer to my problems: the Goody Comb
As silly as it sounds, the only thing I use now to get rid of excess hair is a comb made by Goody. It’s not as sharp or rough as traditional cat brushes, and it really grabs onto the fur.
Most Goody combs have two sides, one with larger spaces between the teeth and one with fewer. I start with the wide-toothed side to get them used to it before I moved onto the other side.
And I never, ever comb the back of my cats’ legs. I don’t know why, but they loathe that.
Are your cats better about letting you brush them? What has been your saving grace when it comes to keeping cat hair under control? Have you had better luck with any of the things I’ve tried? Let me know in the comments below.
Read more on grooming:
