“Do you have a cat?” a colleague asks during a business meeting. We both look down at my black pants, which are covered in blonde fur.
“A dog,” I say, smiling meekly, “two, actually,” as if that somehow excuses my dogged appearance.
“I have a cat,” she says. “Same problem.”
Right, I think, only her clothes look immaculate. I mutter something about loving them anyway, then slink off in search of some masking tape to de-fur my pants.
I am not alone with this problem. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 46 percent of U.S. households — nearly 90 million — have at least one dog, and 32 percent have at least one cat.
That is a lot of fur flying.
Even though I like a clean house, I’d rather have a life-filled home than a pristine show place. Shed happens, so I have found ways to bust the fuzz and meet fur halfway. Besides keeping a lint brush in several rooms of the house, and now, since the cat comment, in my car and purse, here are some more ways to combat fur-stration.
1. Start at the source. Of course, the best way to combat unwanted pet hair in the home is to keep it out of the home. First, if it’s not too late, pick a non-shedding dog breed. These have hair not fur. Pippin, my miniature labradoodle, does not shed but needs frequent trips to the groomers. Luke, my Great Pyrenees-German Shepherd mix, sheds for five dogs. Shedding dogs and all cats benefit from regular brushing, which helps remove excess fur. I use a hand mitt with rubber teeth and work over Luke’s coat like a curry comb once a week. (Do this outside.) During peak fur season, he goes to the groomers for a professional de-shedding.
2. Bust the fuzz. After Michael Sweigart, of New Jersey, got tired of literally wearing the hair shirt, he invented FurZapper. This squishy, reusable, doughnut-sized ring made of silicone has a super tacky surface that grabs fur while tumbling around with clothes and pet bedding in your washer and dryer, then releases it into…
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