When I first heard about the Furminator I thought I could kiss my cat hair problems goodbye. Friends raved about it, the Internet buzzed about it – I thought for sure this was the real deal in pet grooming tools. And I was at my wit’s end trying to keep up with the shedding of this hairy beast:
Not even the $34.99 price tag deterred me. I think I even paid for rush shipping.
Two years later, my Furminator sits on a shelf among the numerous grooming devices I’ve tried over the years - as sad and dejected as the rest of them. I tried to make it work, but Foster would have none of it.
According to their website, the Furminator “grab(s) and remove(s) the loose undercoat.” Though I can’t be certain, I’m pretty sure it’s the “grabbing and removing” that Foster objects to. No matter how gentle I am, I can’t get more than a few strokes in before he catches on to my trickery. For now, I stick to gently pulling apart Foster’s mats with my fingers or trimming them with scissors. Though he doesn’t love this method either, he tolerates it better than anything else I’ve tried. It’s a good thing he’s so cute.
For the less sensitive souls, I have no doubt that the Furminator is a great tool. I know many people who swear by it for both their dogs and their cats - even their horses! And many animals seem to really enjoy it. This video demonstrates just how effective it can be.
In the end, I can only recommend the Furminator with hesitation. It doesn’t work for me, but for people with large dogs and less thin-skinned cats it may be worth the investment.
Please stop trying to furminate me.