Combing
I have spent an inordinate amount of time today on females' hair. My own, merely washed and combed.
But, in going to have the hair clippers sharpened and adjusted by the shop, I noticed - an electric comb shedder. The shopkeeper said they'd had it from the company's salesman, to put out and have tried out by customers in the hopes that it would increase sales. The idea is that the massaging comb pulls the downy undercoat out, and leaves the topcoat combed, but unpulled, and the vibrations of the massager feel so nice, the animal does not notice the pulling.
So I took it home to try out while my clippers were serviced, and I have tried it out on both long haired Maine Coon felines. I got a grocery bag's full of fur off of each cat, with minimal fuss. I did break it up into several sessions, and they got slightly annoyed - in a "I'm done with petting now" way. At the beginning of each session, both kitties purred. They are sleeker, softer, and thinner looking. I'm going to have to buy one of these things. The comb even evened out the undercoat butcher job I'd done on trimming earlier this summer, so my darlings no longer look quite so raggedy.
Now yesterday, my darling Sparkle had wanted two ponytails instead of braids, and i'm afraid she slept in them, and rammed about today in them, and had horrid, horrid tangles. A bath and Johnson & Johnson's de-tangling conditioner, and a solid ten minutes of yelling took care of the crisis. I will say this for Sparkle - while she screamed bloody murder, she sat stock still throughout the entire process. I did not tell her to be quiet, not once, because I figured for the amount of pulling I had to do, she deserved a little yelling to make her discomfort known.
I had pangs when she lifted her tear-streaked face to me and said "I'm still crying," after it was all over. A few minutes later, I was able to braid her hair for bedtime, and she sat peacefully, handing me her hair bandies. I told Sparkle she was very brave and stoic, and praised her for sitting still while I got every tangle out.
When I got out the cat brush just now, the kitties still wanted their loving, and let me brush them. And instead of the full brushful from each cat I normally get, I only got stray hairs from both cats. Still, I did not expect that the worst combing session of the day would be with the human girl, rather than the kitty girls.
But, in going to have the hair clippers sharpened and adjusted by the shop, I noticed - an electric comb shedder. The shopkeeper said they'd had it from the company's salesman, to put out and have tried out by customers in the hopes that it would increase sales. The idea is that the massaging comb pulls the downy undercoat out, and leaves the topcoat combed, but unpulled, and the vibrations of the massager feel so nice, the animal does not notice the pulling.
So I took it home to try out while my clippers were serviced, and I have tried it out on both long haired Maine Coon felines. I got a grocery bag's full of fur off of each cat, with minimal fuss. I did break it up into several sessions, and they got slightly annoyed - in a "I'm done with petting now" way. At the beginning of each session, both kitties purred. They are sleeker, softer, and thinner looking. I'm going to have to buy one of these things. The comb even evened out the undercoat butcher job I'd done on trimming earlier this summer, so my darlings no longer look quite so raggedy.
Now yesterday, my darling Sparkle had wanted two ponytails instead of braids, and i'm afraid she slept in them, and rammed about today in them, and had horrid, horrid tangles. A bath and Johnson & Johnson's de-tangling conditioner, and a solid ten minutes of yelling took care of the crisis. I will say this for Sparkle - while she screamed bloody murder, she sat stock still throughout the entire process. I did not tell her to be quiet, not once, because I figured for the amount of pulling I had to do, she deserved a little yelling to make her discomfort known.
I had pangs when she lifted her tear-streaked face to me and said "I'm still crying," after it was all over. A few minutes later, I was able to braid her hair for bedtime, and she sat peacefully, handing me her hair bandies. I told Sparkle she was very brave and stoic, and praised her for sitting still while I got every tangle out.
When I got out the cat brush just now, the kitties still wanted their loving, and let me brush them. And instead of the full brushful from each cat I normally get, I only got stray hairs from both cats. Still, I did not expect that the worst combing session of the day would be with the human girl, rather than the kitty girls.