Q. My family aspires to environmentally friendly true cat ownership. Because our cat is indoor only, there is an excess of hair in the firm that gets on furniture, bedding, and wearing apparel, and then we go through a lot of the viscid tape lint rollers.

Nosotros've tried the felt brushes that are supposed to be a good alternative, only our true cat's hair is very thick and extra clinging and they just don't work also 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 leave for work.

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

Frances Eastward.
Seattle, WA

A. Dearest Frances,

You hateful across shaving the cat?

I child, of course. Cats rarely sit down still plenty for a close shave. Unless you're a Sphynx devotee, hair is an unfortunate byproduct of pet ownership. The good news is that you don't take to resign yourself to tumbleweeds of true cat hair drifting through your living room. Effective fur removal does require a bit of elbow grease, though.

Brushing kitty (or puppy) daily with a stainless steel tool is a great start, as that snags loose hairs before they can become on your pants and redistributes oils in your pet's coat to further reduce shedding. But as you lot annotation, Frances, that won't solve the problem entirely. And while lint rollers with sticky tape can be effective, you don't need to throw away gobs of used tape to get the job done. In fact, despite what pet stores would accept 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 tin pluck easily from the surface and compost. It feels a little gross, I suppose, but hey, it'southward merely cat hair – the very same stuff that feels so soft and cozy when it'south still fastened to a purring feline.

In case you'd like a few more options, Frances, I hear microfiber cloths work wonders. Others swear by rubber gloves (either damp or dry out) or even your bare hands. No matter what you lot choice, I've always found it's easier to de-fur the house ofttimes, before a pillow'southward worth of cat hair builds up on the cushions.

What all these methods accept in common is that they're zero-waste: The tools can be done and reused to battle pet hair another day. And there's no need to buy whatsoever specialized products, so you'll salve yourself a few bucks (and trips to the pet store) while you're at it. Cleaning upwards afterwards pets is never exactly fun, but at to the lowest degree y'all can rest like shooting fish in a barrel knowing this strategy fits perfectly with your dark-green pet-owning style.

Furrily,
Umbra