Why she is not naked, I do not know. Tillie has been shedding fistfuls and she still retains a coat of fur. She may be cute but the two-inch undercoat and three-four inch overcoat of Maine Coon hair is a pain in the butt. A friend visited and remarked that another friend must have been over because some of her hair was on the chair. Nope, it was just a four-inch segment of Tillie. Tillie’s lion mane has grown so large that it impedes her ability to clean the rest of her body. I had to trim off the bottom portion of the mane and work out some Rastafarian bits. She was happy and purred.
As soon as the ambient temperature rises above 60 degrees, Poof! the cats begin to shed. I usually keep the house at 58 degrees during the winter so a few degrees makes a difference. Every time I pet either cat, my hand is covered with fuzz. I procured a comb but the tines are not small enough to catch Tillie’s pelt adequately. Zozo possesses fur less than an inch in length so it’s not nearly as cumbersome. Zozo refuses to be brushed and she really doesn’t need it.
I increase the amount of anti-hairball food that I mix with their regular food. It seems to reduce the incident of gross fur-balls. It cannot be pleasant for the feline to throw up and it’s really awful for the human to clean up. I am a sympathetic so when someone, human or animal, vomits I also get the urge to be ill. Not an enjoyable experience. I grasp the coughing cat under her armpits and raise her to an almost standing position with her feet on the floor. I massage her abdomen until it stops pulsating. This technique works 75% of the time to stop the fur-ball from being blown forth. However, they usually puke when I am not around and I have to clean the mess. If I am lucky, it is in the basement or on the floor of the kitchen or bathroom. Unlucky on carpet, the stomach bile permanently tints the fibers. I want to rip out the carpet and restore the hardwood floors. I will have to make certain that the finishing material can handle cat vomit. Ugh.
Beware the fur; I noticed that some had accumulated on the stairwell carpet. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how slippery it was and I ended up sliding down a few steps. Resulted in a minor bruise but a brutal reminder that one must vacuum on a regular basis. My friend Sandy’s husband died after falling down stairs. I don’t want that to be my fate. All my clothes require a roll over by a lint collection device before I venture into public. Since Zozo has light fur and Tillie has dark hair I am affected regardless of the hue I wear. Too bad there isn’t a market to sell fur, I’d make a lot of money. I have no desire to weave the fur into a sweater. I just collect it and place it in the compost bin.
Got Fur?
© 2012 Ima B. Musing
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