FURmination Complications

When we left Green Bay it was roughly 30 degrees. Today, mere weeks later, it’s about 90. This sudden onset of really high temperatures and longer daylight hours has left the cats in a shedding frenzy! We’ve had to vacuum every surface nonstop and sweep like crazy, and it feels pretty futile. So this weekend we caved, went to Petco and got ourselves a FURminator®.

It’s a fancy kitty “deShedding tool” that looks dangerous and scary. Per FURminator®‘s website:

The FURminator® deShedding Tool is designed to remove the undercoat and loose hair without cutting or damaging the topcoat on double-coated breeds. The deShedding tool removes the undercoat and loose hair. 

Which it does. One swipe and I’ve got a FURminator® full of undercoat.

So it’s great, right? It’s working, getting tons of fur off the cats and into the wastebasket! What could be better? Well, for starters, the cats could actually sit long enough for me to use it effectively.

We recommend using the FURminator® deShedding Tool 1-2 times a week for 10-20 minutes each session. You may need to use the deShedding tool more frequently during heavy shedding seasons.

Yeah, right! I can’t get either of my cats to sit for more than a few swipes before I have to get creative and start wrestling and grooming at the same time. I’ve resorted to guerrilla FURminating when they fall asleep. Konan squirms and then runs away. Brody attacks the damn thing.

It’s such a great tool when I can get them to sit for it (I think I could have made another cat with all the fur I’ve raided from them), but I’m not sure that my energetic ambushing is worth it. Maybe I’ll wear them down and they’ll begin to accept it.

Anybody have any FURminator® tips? How do you control your pet’s shedding? Leave your tips in the comments!