Q. My family aspires to environmentally friendly cat buying. Because our cat is indoor only, at that place is an excess of hair in the house that gets on piece of furniture, bedding, and dress, and then we go through a lot of the gummy tape lint rollers.

We've tried the felt brushes that are supposed to be a good alternative, but our cat's hair is very thick and extra clinging and they just don't piece of work as well equally the tape. We brush her to reduce shedding, but that doesn't stop her hairs from floating onto my black pants minutes before I have to get out for work.

What is the almost effective AND depression-waste matter lint roller alternative?

Frances E.
Seattle, WA

A. Honey Frances,

You mean beyond shaving the cat?

I child, of grade. Cats rarely sit even so enough for a shut shave. Unless you're a Sphynx devotee, hair is an unfortunate byproduct of pet ownership. The good news is that you don't accept to resign yourself to tumbleweeds of cat pilus globe-trotting through your living room. Constructive fur removal does crave a flake of elbow grease, though.

Brushing kitty (or puppy) daily with a stainless steel tool is a great start, every bit that snags loose hairs earlier they can get on your pants and redistributes oils in your pet's coat to further reduce shedding. Only as y'all note, Frances, that won't solve the problem entirely. And while lint rollers with sticky tape can exist effective, yous don't need to throw away gobs of used tape to get the chore done. In fact, despite what pet stores would have you believe, you don't even need a special tool.

Now, I've cleaned up afterward my share of pets over the years, and I've found that nothing de-hairs the couch like hands-on scrubbing with a slightly damp rag or old sponge. Repeatedly wiping the surface with one makes pet hair clump together in strings, which you then can pluck easily from the surface and compost. It feels a petty gross, I suppose, but hey, it'southward just cat pilus – the very aforementioned stuff that feels and so soft and cozy when it'due south notwithstanding attached to a purring feline.

In instance you'd similar a few more than options, Frances, I hear microfiber cloths work wonders. Others swear by condom gloves (either clammy or dry out) or even your bare hands. No matter what yous pick, I've always institute it's easier to de-fur the business firm frequently, before a pillow's worth of cat hair builds up on the cushions.

What all these methods have in common is that they're zero-waste product: The tools can be washed and reused to boxing pet hair some other day. And there'southward no need to buy whatsoever specialized products, so you'll save yourself a few bucks (and trips to the pet store) while you're at it. Cleaning upwardly after pets is never exactly fun, but at least you lot can remainder like shooting fish in a barrel knowing this strategy fits perfectly with your green pet-owning style.

Furrily,
Umbra