When the sun is shining, and the house is getting unbearably hot (and I’m scoffing Twister ice lollies just to keep cool) I take a look at my cats and feel sorry for them. Okay, I know they’re supposed to have fur but blimey they look really fluffy right now.
And seeing as shedding season for cats is usually the Spring (in preparation for the hot, hazy summer) I’m assuming that my little balls of fluff haven’t quite gotten round to shedding their tufty winter coat yet. Indoor cats can shed (or retain) their fur all year round because they don’t need that protection from the cold wind; hence the reason that I regularly find cat-sized tumbleweed balls – or should that be tumblehair balls? – under the bed.
She’s not sure…
You see, my cats have always been indoor cats (no amount of coaxing with treats would encourage them to go outside unless they really wanted to) which is one of the reasons why our little fluffies ended up in the cat rescue shelter in the first place. They refused to go outside to the loo (well, would you?) so the previous owner gave them up because they didn’t want to deal with a litter tray. And lucky for me that they did, because now I’m the cat mummy of these two stubborn-but-loving creatures.
Cookie loves being combed…
Anyway, like all indoor cats, they shed their fur all year round, and it gets everywhere. Allowing Cookie or Muffin to sit on your lap when you’re wearing black trousers is a no-no. She’ll get up and leave half of her white tummy-fur behind. And I no longer need to vacuum the whole house; I just target the skirting boards, because that where a hedge-like clump of fluff gathers every week.
A whole cat came out…
So what can be done about this? And how can you help your cat to shed their fur more easily? Make way for The Furminator. Honestly, when I got this product, I didn’t think I’d be writing a review on it. I thought it would just be another comb in my cats’ collection of grooming tools. However, the results were so shocking that I just HAD to write about it.
Can we distract her with some new toys?
The thing is, it’s not the cheapest grooming product, and the price very nearly put me off ordering it. But I had to do something to help my little fluffy-pants; they’d been coughing up hairballs and that’s mostly down to swallowing excess hair during grooming. If I could help to brush out some of that extra fluff, that could only be a good thing right?
Well, the surprising moment came during the very first combing. One swipe over Cookie’s back, and a whole extra cat came out. I couldn’t believe it. The Furminator wasn’t cutting the hair, there wasn’t any resistance against the skin and it wasn’t pulling the hair out. It was just combing it out. I sat open-mouthed as clumps and clumps of fluff gathered in the teeth of the tool.
This is what Muffin looks like while waiting for a treat…
Cookie was actually enjoying it; she rubbed against the handle of the comb to encourage me to groom her more. And when I held out the tool, she combed her own head against it. What a result. Muffin was a little more reluctant at first; she’s always been the more sensible one. But after a bit of encouragement with some Cosma Snackies (omg, the best treats in the world – Muffin goes crazy for these – and they’re 100% chicken so are perfectly healthy too) she allowed me to give her a comb with The Furminator.
This grooming tool comes in two designs; one for long-haired cats like my little ladies, and one for short-hair cats. And there’s also a Furminator for dogs too. I’m so happy knowing that they have less loose fur to swallow (fewer hairballs, I’m sure) and are probably feeling a little cooler too. And those hairy skirting boards are almost a thing of the past!
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
2 responses
Aw lovely, what wonderful names! It’s a pleasure to groom cats who want to be brushed, isn’t it? Ooh that’s an interesting idea Lucy, and certainly a good way to recycle all that fur!
Like Cookie and Muffin my 4 cats Sennon, Merynn, Tensing and Ayvlin are indoor cats who thankfully love to be groomed, they will try to push each other out of the way as I’m combing them 🙂 With 2 being half Ragdoll it is a bonus that they love it as I’m sure I could get a new kitten out of the shed fur from each cat! I have just started felting their fur and making it into brooches.