Moulting

[secretscwirrels]

We've had scwirrelcat 18 months now and he did moult a lot last year but over the winter I had forgotten how much. He's a short haired ginger and white.
It must be spring and he's shedding his winter coat. He's reasonably co-operative about being brushed only bites me after 10 minutes, but even after brushing he walks around the house leaving ginger clouds of hair.
What more could I do? I have threatened to hoover him .

I think the only thing you can do is to chill out about the clouds of ginger hair and accept that it's going to be on the furniture and your clothes and that's that. Oh, and when you sweep them up chuck them outside- I've heard it makes a good lining for birds' nests.

Since acquiring a ridiculous number of cats I've just had to teach myself not to care any more:)

Haha, another ginger keeper here! God it's everywhere isn't it? My duvet is covered. I'm just going to do a big Hoover every couple of days - didnt know about brushing though!

Yup. Tortie here is moulting too...I've already had to clear up a furball off our bed today.

Well I thought that by brushing it would remove some of the loose hair. I get enough fur out of the brush to make a new cat but it doesn't seem to help.
I need ginger furniture.

You could try a furminator. I haven't tried it but have heard good things about it and have just ordered one. If they're even half as good as the videos make them seem then it'll be worth the money.

That's interesting QS. Do let us know how you get on with it. You would still need a pretty compliant cat though ...

Furminators don't drag the coat like other brushes and combs do, our cat rolls over to have his tummy done.

Rice is the most laid back cat you could imagine - I was brushing her before I was told that I should wait a bit before trying it. I could probably . I imagine that she's sleep through being furminated.

\link{\Bobo, the cat who loves being hoovered}

mine are black & are shedding a lot atm - black hair probably looks grubbier than ginger. one of them hates being brushed, the other sort of likes it but bites brush, hand etc. I wish I could hoover them!

I might try a Furminator...

Oh yes I love the hoovered cat. I'd never get him near a switched on hoover though.
The furminators are very expensive, maybe worth it if they live up to the claims. He does roll over and let me brush him and purrs happily for a while, but when he's had enough instead of just walking away he starts to bite.

My previous cat used to chase the hover, it loved the brush attachment. It also used to let me wrap it up in blankets and put it in pushchairs etc. One postman thought it was my baby sister (I was 7 at the time)

Our current cat is long haired and 16 with hardly any teeth left we are really struggling with her lugs as she can't groom herself. This year is the first year that she's not cried when we brush her. Think she's finally realised we are trying to help.

well I have now ordered a Furminator too - I'll let you know how my cats like it, secretscwirrels

(or not )

Oh please do

Currently I have to empty the Dyson 3 times when I vacuum the house. Full of cat hair. I only have a small house!

Love to hear more about this furminator.

I have a furminator & it works brilliantly - my cats are short-haired but have decidedly plentiful coats in both length & thickness. Between the furminator & an anti-hairball lick-stick we have only had one hairball ever & what was before we got going with current grooming regime.

Do still have some issues with the cats shedding (why did it have to be blond cat who shed all over my black leo, why?!) but it's nothing judicious use of a lint-roller & regular vacuuming doesn't keep up with

parcelforce brought my furminator today & I didn't hear the door it won't be at the parcel office until after 5pm & it's closed then so I can't get it until tomorrow

I got a furminator when we rescued a long haired cat last year - it is brilliant. When he is in the right mood I take out another cat's worth of hair. I get left with enough to stuff a cushion and he looks much sleeker. He has never had a hairball so maybe it helps with that too.

Starting to use it on the rescue short haired tortie now as well, though the long haired is the most satisfying due to the enormous amount of hair I take out of his coat, tail, neck. Still trying to persuade him to let me do his fluffy tummy but he attacks me so I guess he's ticklish!

I have a beautiful pedigree that has the most appalling personal health ishoos. The vet despairs about him. She calls him 'grubby'.

When he loses he winter coat, great clumps stick out of his new fur for days. I do try to groom him but value the skin on my ands too much.

I think I will invest in one of those furminators!

secretscwirrels, DO get a Furminator!!! lovely Parcelforce man just came back with mine (he often does, I pay the extra 50p to zooplus specially) & it is unbelievable

skinny, very-short-haired cat hates being groomed with anything (I have an actual brush, & one of those gloves with rubber spikes, & she hates them too) but being very-short-haired she doesn't shed much anyway

very hairy cat does quite like it, luckily, & I got wads off her, it was amazing!!! She's not keen on having her legs done, but tolerated back, sides & front, & tail to a certain extent, so if I make sure to do it regularly it should make a big difference to chairs & carpet

now if I can just get them to sit still long enough to clip their claws...hairy cat has black claws, which makes it harder to see where to clip, & doesn't sleep on laps, so I have to sneak up on her when she's sleeping in a chair. I managed 3 front claws today, which is better than nowt. (they are making mincemeat of carpets & chairs atm despite having a lovely tall scratching post)

tedmundo, you too - do it!

just ordered a Furminator, I can just about see the computer screen through the clouds of ginger fluff!
here's hoping

Watching this thread with interest as I sit amongst piles of shed cat hair! Mine are short hair and this is their first spring as adults so I'm not quite used to this level of moulting. I'd love to be able to hoover them but they run away fast as soon as the vacuum comes out the cupboard! They love being brushed though, well one of them anyway...

Don't leave black jumpers or school uniform lying around unless you want to find them kindly redecorated to ginger by your dear cat with a new texture too!

Actually, Lucy, just stop wearing black!

I swear mine divvy up my clothes hairwise: black!cat goes for the lights, blond!cat for the darks. Then they run round the house wearing my leotards (stolen from the clothes airer) like superhero capes. My (white, romantic) tutu lives with the AD rather than at home with me precisely because the cats would claim it as their own & a very peculiar Wili/Swan I'd make this summer in a furry tutu* It does seem the not-unreasonable-amount they shed they make sure it gets left somewhere I will find & appreciate it. Thanks for that, cats...

• AD keeps it in his car, mostly, so HIS cat doesn't get the chance to assume ownership of it.