Shoulder

I love this photo... I usually hate anything with me in it! Marta loves shoulders- Indigo did, and Marta spends a not inconsiderable amount of time perched up there. Usually most days at least once she'll climb aboard for a bit. Gretl does too, but she has to be removed regularly as she thinks spectacles are a cool toy. Marta just snuggles though, and tickles my ear with her whiskers!

Speaking of whiskers, I've been FURminating Ava and Sofia a lot recently as they seem to be having their spring moult, this despite the coldest weather this year, go figure. Anyway, the other day Sofia lost a whisker. They do shed whiskers, but they never cease to fascinate me and it was good to study one up close. Needle sharp at one end, tapered to a thin, fine strand at the other, whiskers (or whisker pads, I guess) are incredibly sensitive and partially responsible for  balance and all sorts of things. A cat who loses his whiskers might be rather wobbly until they grow back, and occasionally a mama cat will chew off her kitten's whiskers to make sure they don't stray far from the nest!

Back to Marta once again, she and Liesl had a lovely visit from their family yesterday- well before the snow came I am relieved to add! And their new names are chosen too- Lily and Iris, after family members. Awwww! The family aren't 100% as to who will be who yet, but they rather think Liesl will be Lily and Marta will be Iris.

Yes, Please!

Sofia, eager for another Furminating session!

I have Furminated every day, and the three girls I'm not getting a lot from now, certainly not the handfuls I was getting earlier on in the week. Theo's is still fairly prolific, but he doesn't tolerate the brushing for long.

Definitely worth the spend!

Yet Another Hairy Post

Theo, looking rumpled, post nap

Ok, so I tried the FURminator on Theo, with mixed success. He enjoyed having his chin brushed and tolerated (briefly) some of the longer floof on his haunches, but didn't like his back brushed much. But then he's not a huge fan of being brushed anyway.

I don't think it hurt him, I think the sensation was a bit too intense, as he'd purr and purr but then suddenly the paws would come out to warn me (gently, claws in...) but then he would thrust his face forward for more brushing. I stopped after a short time once his tail started swishing back and forth as this conveys irritation in a cat, he'd had enough.

So for Theo, not sure if it's for him. Ava and Sofia were up for another brush though, and several more handfuls of floof were removed!!! The Furminator doesn't cut or pull the hair, it removes already loose undercoat hairs in much the same way a cat would with its tongue, which is why cats get hairballs, of course. It's amazing how much they do shed though.

Another Hairy Post

I got a parcel yesterday, from Zooplus. In it was the usual order, litter, food and stinky treat sticks for bribing-uh- encouraging the cats to come when called (for the vet, etc...) but this one contained something I've been wanting for a while, a Furminator. Or a FURminator, as I think it prefers to be called lol.

A Furminator is apparently a super- effective kind of cat brush that is good at removing loose undercoat (the undercoat being the bit that builds up for insulation over the winter months) and I've heard a lot of people rave about it. So naturally I had to see for myself.

I was a little sceptical I must admit, because as I said the other day, I brush nightly anyway (at this time of year) so how much was it likely to get out? Heh... LOADS, that's how much. What is more, both Ava and Sofia loved the feel of the brush so much that they both rolled onto their backs and permitted me to brush their tummies briefly with the Furminator... unheard of for both of them.

Theo wasn't so thrilled, although he isn't so thrilled at being brushed anyway. Apparently there's one that's slightly wider, that's better for longhair breeds. What tickled me though is that the Furminator even got some floof off Indigo. Ok, a very small amount, admittedly, she didn't stay still long enough, but I reckon if I did it every night, it would soon make a difference to the state of the furniture!

So I would heartily recommend one if shedding bothers you, or if it's something you have to control carefully because of allergies and so on. Or even if your cat enjoys a good brush, like I said both Ava and Sofia like brushing in general but they went bonkers for this particular one. Oh, but don't buy it from Zooplus... it's way cheaper at Amazon. I could have kicked myself when I realised... but it was already ordered then. Ah well!

I'll just add that if anyone was wondering, nope, I have not been paid to say this or sent the item free for review. I have not and would not ever review a product sent to me for free without telling you I was doing so, and actually reviewing it, so if it was rubbish I'd jolly well say. I would NEVER accept payment for 'bespoke content writers' to plug something on this blog. Anyway I paid for this Furminator... but if anyone wants to send me the 'longhair' one for free... *grin*