Cat Hair Everywhere. Do You Care to Snare the Hair Instead of Wear?

First: All cats shed. Unless you have a hairless type. Some just lose more hair than others.

Second: Time. You’ll need it as you make an effort to reduce the amount of cat hair flying around and stuck everywhere. Not a lot, but being consistent helps.

Third: Buy a few simple things. Not costly. Not much. But unless you have a magic wand to make the hair disappear, you’ll need to purchase at least a few basic items to help in your quest to not be physically covered in cat hair all the time. (SOME of the time is one thing. But not ALL of the time.)

Your Personal War Against Cat Hair – Plan of Attack:

>>The person who invented the Extra Sticky Lint Rollers and the Two-Sided Lint Brushes is a genius. And most likely wealthy.

Even though I cringe from often I spend money on those sticky rollers because they quickly are tossed in the trash, they are by far the best in getting cat hair off clothes. I make sure I use every last bit of stickiness I can find on those wonderful little creations.

The two-sided (or single-sided) lint brush works better on certain types of material than others. I find the lint brush does not grab the cat hair off clothes as well as the sticky rollers, though. Of course, they last far longer than a sticky roller does, as I’ve literally gone through five tear-off sections of the sticky type in one day. Masking tape works too, but the ease of those brushes is nice.

>>One huge difference I discovered in ridding my clothes of cat hair is to use either the sticky roller or lint brush on the clothes BEFORE I wash them. But instead of having a basket or hamper full of clothes that need the hair removed off them all at once on wash day, I take the time to de-hair the clothes each time I finish wearing them. Two minutes and the task is done. When the clothes are washed and dried, I have very little hair lingering on them. So slight is the amount, that it is bearable to me.

>>When drying your clothes, if the material allows it, use a fabric softener sheet and warm air – allowing the clothes to be dried as much as possible. Obviously don’t shrink, over-dry, or cause massive wrinkling to your clothes, possibly ruining them! For clothes and especially bedsheets and blankets, the warm/hot air and fabric softener sheets will force most of the cat hair off (reducing the static and hair tends to stay glued to wet material=dryer the better) and into the lint filter.

>>Vacuum often. Some people do this chore on a daily basis. I do not. I also do not have children and no other pets. Personal choice will influence this one, determined by your available time, number of pets and kids (especially babies and toddlers), physical ability to vacuum (many have serious back problems using vacuums), and how strong-minded you are in reducing cat hair. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet to reduce the static charge and any odors. I vacuum the entire house once a week quite thoroughly.

>>And I just bought a handy-dandy Bissell 3-in-1 Lightweight Vacuum for a mere $20 that I’ve fallen in love with! NOTE: It does NOT have a rotating brush and isn’t meant for full-blown vacuuming though. The little vacuum IS perfect for zipping across my kitchen and utility room floors and to suck up simple “stuff” on the carpet area most walked upon. I try to use this every day for a minute or two to catch loose hair and cat litter. Oh – it also unsnaps (comes apart) to become a basic handheld vac (like a Dustbuster) or even a shorter vacuum with no long handle plus a crevice device is included.

>>Keep furniture and flat areas dusted. I use either a microfiber cloth or a Swiffer (or generic) duster.

>>Every week BRUSH your cat! Perhaps even brush daily for some cats with longer hair, thicker coats, and certain breeds. If the cat is new to brushing, start out slow and don’t spend much time. Gradually increase the length of time until you’re able to perform a complete, detailed brush job. Jessie Cat has short hair, it’s not too thick and she enjoys the brushing. Ten minutes and we’re done with a brush full of cat hair as the prize. Hair that WON’T be getting on things!

>>I’ve heard about, but haven’t tried, using a rubber glove. Maybe even dampening it with water then rubbing it over the hair-covered areas. The hair is supposed to stick to the glove but I envision an icky, sticky, hairy mess trying to remove the loose hair from the glove. Unless the gloves are cheap, I doubt you’d want to throw it away after one use. There are other rubber products on the market that could be experimented with, too.

>>A cat’s skin and coat are easily affected by diet. A high-quality cat food can help make your cat’s skin less dry and lessen the amount of shedding.