Fur monsters

If you have indoor cats or dogs, then you have the same fur problem we do. We sort of noticed it in Kansas City, especially because our dog was a stress shedder. When she got nervous, you could see the fur fall from her almost like snow. It was oddly compelling.

Now that we are in a place 1/3 the size of that house, we can't escape the fur and we have to work much harder to control it. We sweep, dust mop and vacuum a couple of times a week and the hand attachment on the vacuum isn't just nice, it's a necessity to get the fur off the furniture. We regularly use the Furminator on the cats. And I also have a special secret method which, while low tech, is quite effective. I put on my dish washing gloves, get them slightly damp and then pet the cats from head to toe, ruffling their fur as I go. It's amazing how much fur comes off that way.

The cats love to sleep on our bed. So in the summer, we use a washable bedspread which is washed at least once a week. In the winter, we use the amazing quilt my mother made, which we don't wash. The colors are vivid and I want them to stay that way. To help keep the fur off the quilt, we use a washable lightweight blanket on top.

Kent had washed the blanket on Sunday but by Wednesday, it was super furry again. So I washed it Thursday. This picture shows how much fur was in the dryer lint trap after just five days of use:

Of fur, flies and wine

First the fur. This picture shows just a small portion of the fur I got off all three kitties Thursday morning. I use my dish washing gloves, put a tiny bit of water on them, and then rub the kitty fur like I'm grooming with a brush. The water on the gloves gets their fur damp and then the gloves can sort of tug at the fur. I think it's probably similar to how cat tongues work--only a lot bigger. All three seem to love this process because when I'm grooming one, the others circle around waiting their turn.

I got this video clip last night, and I do apologize for it being pretty jerky. But Eddie was bound and determined to catch the fly you see at the end. I'm pretty sure it was a fruit fly, and Kent finally squished it if only to keep Eddie from taking a flying leap onto Kent's head.



Finally, we are going to take a trip to Braintree tomorrow to check out this wine sale. I've been following the owner on Twitter and I think we'll be able to get some really good wines at very reasonable prices. Stay tuned, I'll let you know what we find.