Quest for the Best Pet Hair Remover pt1

I've now owned ragdolls for a year and a half. In that time I've experienced the wonder of the full beautiful Ragdoll fur coat.. and the nightmare shedding aftermath! 

I am always on the lookout for cheaper, more effective and eco friendly products to help make life easier, with varying results. I dread to think how many lint rollers I have gone through and how much money I've spent experimenting with different products! Here are a few of the best, which I still use today:

Disposable paper lint roller

Sometimes only a sticky bit of paper will do! They usually retail at between £1 and £3 and are great when you are on the move or the item isn't on a flat surface, i.e. hanging curtains, clothes that you're wearing, cushions etc.

Pros: stocked everywhere, cheap to buy, good to stick in your bag for emergencies

Cons: not cost effective in the long run, disposable so not environmentally friendly, wasteful - I end up with all of these spare plastic handles that go in the bin eventually

Deshedding Tool

This is a special comb which is designed with a unique edge that removes excess dead or loose hair without cutting your cats coat. It will remove fur balls from long haired cats without causing distress.

I bought mine off a shopping channel. It was called the Groomit Deshedding Tool but it's very similar to the FURminator which is readilly available in the UK and USA.

I was pleasantly surprised as Darcy HATES being groomed, but tolerates this and on occassion looks like he might even be enjoying it!

Pros: Easy to use, very effective at removing dead fur, good for cats who get distressed at being groomed, gentle

Cons: Overuse can damage sensitive cat's skin or effect the natural coat - be careful and follow the instructions! More pricey than your average comb.

The AmazeBrush Lint Remover

I discovered this little gem at the Ideal Home Show. It is a small hand held linter and the pad surface is like a fine grained sandpaper. You can use it on almost any fabric (avoid silk, satin or leather) and 'brush' the fur off in short sharp strokes. I find this particularly good for getting fur off of the curved parts of my stairs as my hoover doesn't cope well with this and it's also good at defuzzing the sofa. Although not related to cats at all, I accidentally left a tissue in the wash yesterday and found that this worked a treat at removing the mess.

Pros: Cost effective and eco friendly - one pad should last you at least a year. Easy to use, good for small jobs.

Cons: Only works on a flat, taut surface. Website orders only - I haven't seen it stocked in any pet shops.

Even with these to help me, I still spend a great deal of time vacuuming and can't say I enjoy the process! Even with a great deal of effort it tends to just leave gathered clumps of cat hair on the carpet rather than actually picking it all up, so I have to go back over each room to pick the bobbles up by hand. I need a nw vacuum. 

I've scoured the internet for reviews and recommendations and I think I've found the top pick, but it's not in stock. Hopefully within a few weeks I'll be able to post how I get on.

If anyone has any tips for removing pet hair or recommendations on a good product you've found please feel free to share it below by leaving a comment.