If you have pets, you're probably very familiar with the struggle of keeping the hair off of your furniture, your bed, and your cupboards. Having two cats, this has been a never-ending battle in our household. We vacuum, we dust, and we brush the cats...yet the cat hair still finds a way to accumulate at an alarming rate.When it comes to brushes, we have tried everything (and I mean everything!) Shedding blades, nubbed vinyl mitts, combs, slicker brushes--you name it, we've bought it. In the end, all have ultimately failed to provide satisfying results. Fortunately, our male Siamese has a sleek coat which requires little maintenance. But then...there's Tinker. Tinker is a Siamese mix with a coat that lies somewhere between a rabbit and a sheep. Though smooth to the touch, her undercoat is thick, dense, cottony and endless.
On one of my many trips to the pet supply store to size up new brushes, I came across a product called the FURminator. The display claimed that this brush was better than any other, and that I would be amazed with the results. At a price tag of $30, I was incredibly skeptical. An associate saw me eyeing the display and excitedly shared her own story with me. She said that she bought the FURminator for her Golden Retriever, and the amount of loose, shedding hair that can be removed with the brush is unbelievable. Still skeptical, her story nudged me into curiosity. I shelled out the $30 for the brush, fully aware that my husband would likely have my head for spending that much money on a cat brush.
As soon as I got home, I set my sights on my first victim: Tinker. Fortunately, Tinker loves a good brushing. Bracing my self for the impending disappointment I was certain would follow, I started brushing. My jaw nearly dropped when I made the first pass of the brush. The FURminator was literally removing bails of loose fur. I continued along, removing enough loose hair to knit a small sweater (if only I was that resourceful.) Tinker appeared as amazed as I was to see the mound of fur that was accumulating on the floor next to her. By the time I was done, Tinker's coat was sleek, soft and noticeably less bulky.
Needless to say, my husband was not pleased that I spent $30 on a brush. However, the prospect of no longer having tumbleweeds of cat fur drifting across the living room seemed to quell his displeasure. Now when my husband and I talk of brushing the cats, we affectionately refer to it as "bailing the cats."
So is the FURminator worth the price? Absolutely! You can toss all your other brushes and combs out the window, because this is the only brush you will ever need. Even if the cost makes you cringe (as it certainly did with me), the results will quickly convince you that the FURminator was worth every penny. Now you just need to figure out what you're going to do with all the fur.
For more info: The FURminator for cats, dogs and horses.
