Posts tagged "cat hair"

All the cats I had growing up were terrified of the vacuum cleaner. As soon as someone would fire it up, they'd bolt and hide you wouldn't see them for an hour. It was pretty normal behavior. Countless pet owners have dogs or cats who want nothing to do with those dust-sucking behemoths.

This cat is the weird one. Not only is it not afraid of the vacuum cleaner, it's actually luxuriating in it. Is this an acceptable alternative grooming option? The cat isn't complaining about it. And maybe there will be less shed fur covering all the upholstery and everyone's shirts. Why wait for cat hair to get over every scrap of fabric in your home before you vacuum it up? Cut out the middle man!

Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "Complete Kitten Care" and "Complete Care for Your Aging Cat."

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Many cat owners discover wads of wet fur -- hairballs -- late at night when they step on them with bare feet. Cats seem to instinctively choose to decorate the most stainable portions of the carpet.

It's normal for cats -- especially those with long fur -- to experience hairballs once in a while. Cats spend up to 50 percent of their time awake grooming, and swallow fur in the process. What doesn't end up in the litter box comes out the other end as nasty cigar-shaped hairballs.

But swallowing lots of fur isn't healthy, and hairballs are more than a nasty nuisance. Kitties that produce three or more hairballs a month should be checked by the vet to rule out other health issues. Hairballs cause diarrhea, appetite loss, coughing, retching, constipation -- or even deadly intestinal blockage. Cats have had hairballs as big as baseballs that require surgery to be removed! Most cases won't need surgery, though, and most hairballs can be easily eliminated. Refer to these tips to untangle your cat's hairball problems.

The Cornish rex is one of six breeds of "rex" cats, where "rex" indicates curly hair. The hair of the Cornish rex is its most distinguishing feature, besides its slender body, large ears, and tiny, egg-shaped head. The Cornish Rex has only a down coat, usually the undercoat of a normal cat. This means that a Cornish rex's coat is extremely soft, curly, and unique.

The breed originated in 1950s England. When a cat was born in Cornwall with this strange genetic mutation, it was bred with its mother to produce more of what are now known as Cornish rexes. After that, they were taken to America where they were bred with Siamese cats, giving them their skinny appearance.

Affable, curious, and very intelligent, Cornish rexes make great cats for children and people with other pets. The coat does very little to insulate them, so they can suffer hypothermia quite easily. They fare better as inside cats, especially in a home with lots of warm, cozy objects they can rest on. Some Cornish Rexes have a mildly cheesy odor, particular to their breed, which comes from the scent glands in their paws.

Brush the cat hair off the computer monitor and read carefully.

According to a new survey released by Bissell Homecare, Inc, 50% of pet owners give their pets the run of the house, which leads to some pretty hairy homes. Okay, so maybe this isn't news to you pet owners out there, but the survey did uncover some pretty interesting numbers.

57% of pet owners say their four-legged friends are more likely than a significant other to kiss them when they come home, which is either the saddest or sweetest statistic we've ever heard.

86% of pet owners say they don't mind having to clean up their homes more because of their animal companions, but 38% of people surveyed said they would adopt a pet (or get another) if cleaning up after them were easier.

"Sadly, I do believe that cleanliness issues do keep some people from adopting pets," pet lifestyle expert Kristen Levine told Paw Nation. "Anything that poses an inconvenience or a hardship will cause some to think twice about changing their lifestyle."

When we asked Levine, who works with Bissell, for her top pet clean-up tips, she responded, "Before I offer advice, I'd like to tell potential pet adopters this: The love and companionship a pet brings to a family far outweighs any clean up inconvenience in the world! Once you adopt a pet, you'll know what I mean!"

Now for the advice:

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