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The Prowl: A
Feline Purr...spective
The FURminator
By
Stacy Mantle
We recently came across
a glorious new product that I am absolutely and completely in love
with. It's called the FURminator and if you can't figure out what it
does from the name, I'm here to explain it to you.
The FURminator first
came to my attention over a year ago, but being the pessimist I am, I
figured it was “just another shedding
comb.” This is just one of the delusions that I
have since been proven wrong on over the last year and a half of
running PetsWeekly. But, wrong first impressions aside and
another year of dealing with shedding from no less than 21 pets, I
opted to try out the FURminator system.
Imagine my shock when
it not only worked, it worked so well that I couldn't keep up with it.
The FURminator has
literally changed our lives along with the status of our home. Now,
with so many animals, I could literally spend every hour of every day
on grooming alone. But, then the animals would soon starve to
death, grow irritated at the constant brushing, and ultimately cause
problems with my (very patient) husband who would soon grow tired of me
spending all of my time with my pets. So – we have
to settle for a grooming session each week. No matter... This product
holds up to even the toughest coats.
Let me start at the
beginning. We first requested the FURminator Medium Comb,
just to see how it held up. Every one of our pets has
incredibly different coats, some I didn't even know shed! For
example, my stepson, Tanner. Of course, we are equal
opportunity product testers, and if it isn't good enough for my family
and I, it's not good enough for my pets. Tanner opted to take
the initiative on product testing for this one. One of the
claims is that it will remove the bottom coat without cutting the
topcoat. Tanner tested this out on his own head and proved
the FURminator's claims were correct. Not only does it not
cut hair from the topcoat, it actually makes the coat, in Tanner's
words, “really smooth.”
After Tanner gave it
his blessing, we went ahead and checked it out on the pets.
In fairness, Tanner doesn't shed much. One swoop on Tristan,
and the hair came right out without any pulling. Tristan,
part wolf, ends up with a very thick shedding that I refer to as
“wolf wool”. If you have a large,
longhaired dog, you know what I mean. Chunks of hair just
fall out all over the house and it's very unpleasant to live in. But,
the FURminator got them all.
First thing I need to
tell you is to use this product outdoors, not in the house.
It literally removes so much hair that I have yet to find a vacuum that
can conquer the amount. Birds, on the other hand, love hair for making
cozy nests and it's not long before whatever I missed cleaning up in
the yard can be found in a tightly woven nest in the trees.
After testing out
Tristan, Cheiss (who ends up with dreadlocks after many jumps in the
pond) and Roscoe the beagle, who has no hair loss at all (at least I
thought), we found it worked equally well on all of them. We finally
moved into the cat section of our home, of which we have 18 residing
with us.
Now, as far as cats go,
we have nearly every type of coat represented throughout our
home. Longhaired, shorthaired, medium-haired, course, fine,
thick and baby soft. We have used this comb on every one of them with
equally successful results. In fact, more than successful –
boarding on miraculous.
Baby, who hates to be
brushed because he has paper-thin skin and it hurts him to be brushed,
now purrs contentedly as I comb through with the FURminator.
Blackie, the “man's cat” who doesn't like to be
brushed because he is, well, a tough guy, also rolls around as I brush
him. Guinnevere, the princess of the family with her thick,
long, black hair is a huge fan of the FURminator and is able to rule
the household in style. This product literally works on
everyone, and as I write this, I'm glancing at Tanner who is
distractedly combing his short hair as he watches TV. Feeling it after
stroke because it's so “smooth”. He
glances at me and grins, “Do they make one of these for
people?” Not yet, my friend… But I, for one, will
wait.
This product is
completely effective in and of itself, but if you want a little more,
order the entire deshedding system that includes a coconut-based
shampoo, conditioner and treats that all facilitate easier removal of
hair. While we have not used the products to bathe our cats
yet (we simply aren't that willing to die a horrible death in the name
of journalism), we have used it on the dogs. While I'm not a huge fan
of bathing our pets due to stripping of natural oils, we have had no
problems with this system. Created from a coconut-oil base,
the shampoos do not dry the hair out, are hypoallergenic and smell
super good, and they do help remove the dead hair much
easier. Mostly, since it's wet when you remove it, it helps
the grooming process since there is less hair to remove during
brushing. If your dog hates water, use the waterless system
of shampoo. All of the products are packed with healthy Omega
3 and 6 fatty acids that help promote a shiny, healthy coat.
If you can't tell, I'm
completely enamored with this product!
Now there are certain
breeds of dogs and cats that the FURminator does not recommend using
their product on. Those include the super-fine, easily matted
hair of dogs such as the Glen of Imaal Terrior or the thick, curly hair
of Poodles and Havanese. And I can’t believe I have
to actually write this, but you don’t want to use it on
hairless animals either, such as the Chinese Crested or those
“Dr. Evil” cats. Just use your head when
it comes to your pets. If they shed regular clumps of fur or
are shorthaired and just shed all the time, use it. If they
don’t have any hair, or have the kind that does not respond
well to combs, such as coats that mat (all the time) or long, thick or
curly hair, don’t use it. If you need further
clarification, click here for the breeds that you probably
shouldn’t use it on.
But for those of you
who can use it, use it gently, use it often and use it well. You will
love your pet even more (if that is even possible) and you’ll
absolutely revel in the results.
From the cats:
HIsses & Spits: We love it, you know we hate our long
hair shedding all over the place in the hot summer - just help us get
rid of it!
Purrs: Unanimous. The human glories
in the low, rumbling purrs of 18 very contented cats...
From the humans:
Two opposable thumbs
up!
Drawback? Be
very careful using it on certain breeds - extra thick or curly hair is
not good for this product. Be sure that you have de-matted your pet
prior to use.
About
the Author
Stacy
Mantle is a
freelance writer who currently resides in the southwestern deserts of
Arizona with a number of cats, a coyote/wolf hybrid, and a very
understanding husband. Her writing has appeared in publications such as
The Arabian Horse Times, Today’s AZ Woman,
and Pets Illustrated. Many of her stories and
articles have been translated into several languages, and now reach an
international audience. Quickly becoming known as "…the
Erma Bombeck of animals", her writing has skyrocketed to new
heights as she records the stories of those she loves, inspiring the
reader to learn why we have all come to love the animals we share our
lives with. She is the author of Conquering the Food
Chain: Living Amongst Animals (Without Becoming One),
which is available in Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide, as
well as online at www.bn.com or www.amazon.com.
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