Coping with Cat Fur

Fur, fur everywhere and not just on my cat…

We love our feline companions, but often wish for ways to control or clean up their shed fur. Here are some ideas to help you (and your cat!)

Why cat fur is shed everywhere

Cats have at least two layers of fur (some have three!) and the one we see most often is the longer upper layer. This layer is not shed in great quantities by cats. It is the dense shorter underlayer designed to insulate cats during weather of any kind that is shed. Shedding of old fur occurs year-long, with a seasonal increase after winter being the most prolific. A cat’s self-grooming of this seasonal shedding is what leads to spring and summer hairballs and the resultant problems for your cat and you. Having said this, we turn to ways of decreasing shed fur, first on your cat, and then in your home.

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Last night I never did get to sleep. I stayed up all night working on fixing various problems with various websites, and then at 4:30 AM, drove Scott to school so he could sign up for a driving class (last month, Susan drove him to school at 6 AM and he didn’t get in!).

Finally I went to sleep around 5:30, secure and happy in the knowledge that Glory (who had slept on a chair all night) was cuddled up next to me. Various people and cats poked at me during the morning hours, but I valiantly ignored them all and slept till a reasonable 2:30 PM or so.

After I actually was walking around the house, Jennifur reasonably wanted to know where the hell I had been for so long. The interesting thing was that she was vocalizing, which she has done very rarely since she came to live with us. I realized she’s been doing that more often lately, and so I told her out loud that I liked to hear from her. She immediately started in with more and more meowing, which made me laugh happily because she really does enjoy pleasing me.

Today Steven went to visit one of his friends, who just got a Siamese-mix kitten. I went to pick him up and ended up picking her up (the kitten, that is). Her name is Marshmallow, which fits because she’s mostly white and has the most incredible soft fluffy fur…not like a Persian but kind of "springy", although it’s not curled up like a Cornish Rex. I held her and she was quite a purrball!

Of course, when I got home, I had to reassure both Glory and Jennifur that they were beautiful and wonderful. They tend not to be jealous in general but take no chances when it comes to cute female kittens!

Before You Adopt A Cat…

A very basic checklist before you adopt a pet, no matter where the cat is from.

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It seems that just after Susan’s birthday…

…completely out of nowhere…

…how can I say this…

…we suddenly…

…got another Bengal!!!

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