The FURminator Really Works

I came across several Web sites that recommended a grooming aid for cats and dogs called the FURminator. I was skeptical at first, but our cats really needed something and nothing we’ve tried before has been of much use. Rakes, brushes, combs, those weird loop blade things—they all disappointed us.

I especially wanted something for my oldest cat, who is a bit stiff in her joints and thus has some trouble grooming herself, particularly in her hindquarters and the top of her back toward the nether end.  (Although Cosequin for Cats is helping her noticeably; she is more nimble and mobile and has even slimmed down a bit.) As for our long-haired cat, I wanted something that would reduce the amount of fur that he was ingesting while grooming himself. The other cats are less in need of grooming, since they spend a lot of time outdoors, which seems to help them shed more easily.

With our oldest cat before, whenever I petted her, I ended up with handfuls of fur. The best I could do to help her with this problem was to use a flea comb to pull out those loose hairs, which worked okay for her, but not so  well on our long-haired cat.

So, with some trepidation, I decided to order the FURminator, and I am so glad I did. The FURminator is to the other grooming aids we’ve tried as a Lamborghini is to a go-cart. It is a bit pricey, but is worth every penny. It has a very sturdy, comfortable handle, and it works incredibly well. Mind you, you have to pay attention to their fine-print instructions, and when they say to groom your beloved pet in an open area where it will be easy to clean up the fur, they mean every word of it.

The first time I used this tool on my oldest cat, she was a bit dubious about it—for about three seconds. Then she started to purr and knead as she felt me remove masses of loose fur from her coat. She was very cooperative. I was amazed at the results. I quickly pulled out an enormous amount of loose fur. I kept grooming her, and kept pulling out more fur than I thought was possible. Where was all that fur coming from? My poor cat!

I groomed her again two days later and got just as much fur the second time. I also groomed our long-haired cat, and although I didn’t get as much fur out of his coat, I did get a lot. For both cats, their coats look much healthier, shinier, and cleaner.

There are different sizes depending on your pet. There’s

• the cat size (which is what I am using)
• the small dog size (which the FURminator people say is recommended for small to medium-sized dogs, cats, rabbits, and ferrets)
• the medium dog size
• the large dog size
• and even one for horses

A reminder: It takes a very light and gentle touch. Be sure to read the instructions, or you might hurt your pet. Also, this tool is NOT recommended for certain breeds of dogs and cats. Be sure to see the FAQs at the FURminator Web site for the lists of recommended and not-recommended breeds as well as a complete set of instructions.

Legal stuff: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, heal, repair, or otherwise affect your pet’s health in any way.

Ways to Help Animals

Abbie, a commenter on a previous post, asked how to help animals. We all have so many choices! I am going to list as many as I can think of right now; if you have more to add, please post them as a comment.
 

1. When you adopt animals, as much as possible, adopt them from shelters or rescue societies. That way, you are helping to provide homes for animals that might not otherwise find one.
2. If you have the funds, donate to no-kill animal shelters, or to a local animal rescue society.
3. If you have the time, volunteer to help with a local shelter or animal rescue society. You only have to contribute as much time as you wish. But even if that is only two hours a week, that is two hours more of help a week than they would otherwise get.
4. Be aware of the conditions under which food animals live. For instance, most chickens being raised to produce eggs, even ones that are raised “free range,” are de-beaked. There is a growing movement toward small chicken ranches on which the animals are well taken care of and are not de-beaked. The eggs will be more expensive from such places, but isn’t it worth it? Likewise, if you eat meat, buy organically raised meat only, or do without. (I do eat meat, but tend to eat vegetarian when I dine out, because I don’t know what those animals might have gone through or whether they have hormones and antibiotics in them.)
5. It may not seem directly related, but if you have a yard, go organic. Your own cats and dogs, as well as those of your neigbors, and all kinds of helpful wildlife will thank you. I’ve had my cats come home sick because they had obviously been exposed to some kind of pesticide or herbicidal spray at a neighbor’s house. Pesticides and herbicides are poison, plain and simple, and you do not need them. Pull weeds by hand. Once your garden is alive again, the beneficial insects, who will eat the pests, will move right in. Even fertlizers kill the helpful microorganisms and worms in the soil. If you use compost and mulch, and encourage clover to grow in your lawn, you will find you don’t need it. With one exception, my yard has been completely organic—no sprays, no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertlizers of any kind. Within a year of implementing that policy, the hummingbirds started showing up. Within two years, I had earthworms in my soil again. After I build a large, low, non-mortar stone planting area, the lizards moved in. (The exception? My gardener used a weed-’n'-feed type product in one area of my lawn strictly against my “no chemicals” policy, And we believe that our beloved cat, Rose, died as a result. She started coughing right after he applied it, and our local vet just could not figure out what was ailing her. She died a few months later, and we are still grieving for her.)
6. Reduce your purchases of leather items (shoes, purses, coats, and for example), and never buy items made with genuine fur. There should be no reason for them. You might consider not buying even fake (faux) fur, as even that can give the idea that wearing fur is okay.

A No-Cage, No-Kill Cat Sanctuary and Adoption Center

If you haven’t already found it, please visit the Cat House on the Kings. Especially, be sure to view their video. This is a very worthy endeavour. Consider donating to them!

Not All Animal Rescue Societies Truly Rescue

I just took a look at this Web site—it has a nice, clean appearance, and reviews some really cool products for cats. Take a look, if only for the nifty cat swag.

But also, the author has written an article about Best Friends Animal Society and a recent rescue they have been working on. A case of institutionalized animal hoarding had been found, and Best Friends was brought in to help make things better

Animal hoarding is a weird aberration in which a person or institution (in this case, an institution named FLOCK), collect some type of animal, saying that they are only thinking of that animal. But instead of caring properly for them or trying to find good homes for them, the hoarder(s) maintain the animals in horrific conditions. The animals often die or end up completely frightened and confused—and that is just the tip of the iceberg. The conditions are truly, truly horrible, and the state in which the animals are when discovered requires a strong stomach.

To quote from the HARC (the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium at Tufts University), “Animal hoarding is not about animal sheltering, rescue, or sanctuary, and should not be confused with these legitimate efforts to help animals. It IS about satisfying a human need to accumulate animals and control them, and this need supercedes the needs of the animals involved.”

In this case, the conditions were as horrific as they get.

The story brought tears to my eyes. I have such a hard time understanding how people can harm cats, and I really don’t get the cat hoarding mentality. Yet it is a problem. A few months ago, I read of a case of cat hoarding that took place in Petaluma a few years back. The woman who was doing it said she was “rational.” Ha!

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