I have shared my life, and my home with a cat (or more commonly cats) all of my life.
And a home is not a home to me unless it includes at least one animal. Just the same, it is also true that everything in our house is covered in a patina of cat fur. I can vacuum, dust and clean until the cows come home and there will still be cat hair. Everywhere.
Years back when an allergist requested that I bring a teaspoon from the vacuum to our first appointment what I took to him was dirty cat hair. Interestingly of the ten most common allergens the only ones I am not allergic to are cat and dog hair.
I have frequently said that if only I could knit, I could knit another cat.
Which is why the smaller portion included this book with my Christmas presents this year.
And the author was not joking. She does indeed make handicrafts from the cast-off fur from her cats, and those of her friends, and assures us that 'No cats were harmed in the making of this book'.
Finger puppets, coin purses, trinket boxes, book covers, portraits, badges... This book contains a step by step guide to making these things - and more.
I laughed when I opened the parcel and read the book with a great deal of interest. Her instructions are detailed, and I suspect quite easy to replicate.
Will I follow suit? Not a chance. I appreciate the work which goes into making them, but these are too cute for me. Nauseatingly cute. And far too fragile as well. Like the cats they came from, these craft items would moult. And none of them purr.
She is much, much more diligent than I am and less wasteful as well. The piles, clumps, mounds and mountains of fur that our cats discard will continue to collect in corners on their way to the compost bins. And the vacuum. And the furniture. And our clothing. And everywhere else as well.
And a home is not a home to me unless it includes at least one animal. Just the same, it is also true that everything in our house is covered in a patina of cat fur. I can vacuum, dust and clean until the cows come home and there will still be cat hair. Everywhere.
Years back when an allergist requested that I bring a teaspoon from the vacuum to our first appointment what I took to him was dirty cat hair. Interestingly of the ten most common allergens the only ones I am not allergic to are cat and dog hair.
I have frequently said that if only I could knit, I could knit another cat.
Which is why the smaller portion included this book with my Christmas presents this year.
And the author was not joking. She does indeed make handicrafts from the cast-off fur from her cats, and those of her friends, and assures us that 'No cats were harmed in the making of this book'.
Finger puppets, coin purses, trinket boxes, book covers, portraits, badges... This book contains a step by step guide to making these things - and more.
I laughed when I opened the parcel and read the book with a great deal of interest. Her instructions are detailed, and I suspect quite easy to replicate.
Will I follow suit? Not a chance. I appreciate the work which goes into making them, but these are too cute for me. Nauseatingly cute. And far too fragile as well. Like the cats they came from, these craft items would moult. And none of them purr.
She is much, much more diligent than I am and less wasteful as well. The piles, clumps, mounds and mountains of fur that our cats discard will continue to collect in corners on their way to the compost bins. And the vacuum. And the furniture. And our clothing. And everywhere else as well.
Where ever the cat lounged on the carpet you could roll the hair up in a cigar shape.
ReplyDeleteDelores: They are also particularly skilled at moulting where the colour clash is most obvious...
DeleteOur furnace filter has to be cleaned monthly just because of all the cat hair.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of bird is that on your header? The black and white one?
ditchingthedog: The fur which collects on all our filters is mountainous. The black and white bird is a magpie. I love them - and their haunting song.
DeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteI've often said I could stuff a pillow with the hair my two cats shed.
Lea: Welcome - and thank you. They moult an amazing amount don't they? Sometimes I can't understand how there is any left.
DeleteI do not have cats but I used to have dogs although not any more as I travel too much but I do remember all the hairs from my Golden retriever and how much less cleaning I did when she no longer was with me.
ReplyDeleteMargaret Adamson: I grew up with German Shepherds. One at least of them could give the cats a run for their money on the moulting stakes.
DeleteDear EC
ReplyDeleteI know as a felter, than you can incorporate animal hair/pet hair into felt but this is something I haven't tried yet (not sure I will, either!) Still, perhaps if I'm at a really loose end one day...
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: She talks of making a felt from the fur, but it is (I think) a very temporary felt. I would love to see what you could produce if you ever were at a loose end.
DeleteWe had a husky who would shed his inner coat every year. I've heard of people knitting with this very warm husky fur.
ReplyDeleteSue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: I have heard of it - but not seen it. Yet.
DeleteAbout time someone put all that shedding to good use.
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: Is it a good use, or more dust catchers? My jury is still out.
DeleteWe figure anybody who chooses to visit us is just gonna have to accept the pet hair, and since most of our visitors are pet lovers, it isn't a problem. We get the same hair treatment when we visit them.
ReplyDeleteBut making crafts out of the hair? I don't think that'd be my thing, either. Besides which, I AM somewhat allergic to cat dander. Tough. I'd rather put up with the sneezing and runny nose than give up our cats. They're family!
Susan: Cats are indeed family. And at least as demanding as any of the other family members. Sometimes more demanding.
DeleteI have heard of the cat fur craft. I wonder what the end product feels like, which is silly thing to say because it would feel like cat fur but maybe you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: I do know what you mean - and doubt that the craft beasties retain the silkiness.
DeleteDid Shirley Conran's book, Life's Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom reach Australia? That phrase sprang to mind when I read your post......though the portrait made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteGillie: The book did reach here - but I like stuffed mushrooms. I will even (occasionally) make time to stuff them. The cat craft? I don't think so. At all.
DeleteThis makes me very happy. Now on my list of projects for 2015: make nauseatingly cutesy felted cat hair thingies!
ReplyDeleteAlexis, Baron von Harlot: Nauseatingly cutesy doesn't link well with you in my head. Just the same, I would love to see what your mind and hands could produce. I dare you. I double dare you.
DeleteChallenge accepted xx
DeleteOkay I have to say the idea of making little cats out of cat fur is slightly bizarre. But who am I to judge?
ReplyDeleteLL Cool Joe: It would perhaps be slightly more bizarre to make parrots out of them. But yes, I agree, it is odd.
DeleteI have a dog with hair that would spin beautifully! Then knitted it would be like mohair. But..like you...I'm not doing it. Who has time after all the cleaning up, ha!
ReplyDeleteBookie: I don't even have time to do all the cleaning, much less make things from the debri. What type of dog do you have?
DeleteI love silly Christmas presents ~ people remember those laughs for a long long time. Your other half is a very clever present buyer!
ReplyDeleteCarol: He is. One of the best gifts one very hot summer was bath crayons. I sat in the bath for hours and hours and hours drawing ships and wrecks and dolphins...
DeleteAs I read this I glanced around my floor which is very much in need of vacuuming. The rolls of cat fluff are everywhere and I dread to think how many are under the couch and bed which are his favourite sleeping places when I am not home. I shifted a chest of drawers yesterday to retrieve his ping pong ball and the cat fluff under there was a blanket! Looks like today is vacuuming day.
ReplyDeleteRiver: It should be vacuuming day here too. Except that the way they are moulting every day should be vacuuming day.
DeleteI'm not looking forward to the heat of February, March, April; Angel's coat is so thick, (think bear skin rug) and he will probably drop handfuls at a time in the heat. And he doesn't like being brushed.
DeleteHa ha, the cats paradise, and they give up their fur, lovingly.
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: They donate it whether I ask or not. Including in some places I would prefer they didn't. Like in my cups of tea.
DeleteI've seen what some clever people do with cat and dog hair, and they can be pretty amazing - score one for recycling.
ReplyDeleteAnd, long after our loved furbabies leave us, they can be precious mementos to remember them by... for some.
Even seen jumpers made from dog hair for the owners. Here's a link to one article - hilarious!
http://www.anorak.co.uk/182160/tabloids/making-sweaters-from-loved-ones-and-dogs.html/
I recently saw some (rather nice) felted ball necklaces made out of cats' hairballs.
Too far perhaps, but clever nonetheless.
Here's a link
http://dailydelights.sheknows.com/articles/823947/cat-hair-ball-jewelry-inspiring-or-ick
Vicki: Thanks for the links. I suspect that wearing a jumper made using the fur of a past pet would make me cry and ocean. I did laugh at the article though.
DeleteCat hairballs are known in this household as UDOs (Unidentified Disgusting Objects). I don't think I could wear them - but yes, it is clever.
For the moment I am going to continue to recycle their fur in my compost.
Well, you have to admit it is ingeneous ... but, like you, though I have ample supply of cat hair, it seems like a lot of work for something that has a short life span. I wouldn't mind giving one as a gift, however ... if somebody like this lady, who clearly knows what she is doing, made it for me. I love even the idea of the book ... I'll have to look into it :) I have to say the SP has it together ... and with a sense of humor. No wonder you two make it through all of the difficult times, Thanks for this EC ... you perked up a dreary winter day :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From The Sol
Andrea Priebe: He was (justifiably) very, very pleased with this gift and couldn't wait for me to open it. And I laughed and it was one of the first of my Christmas books to be read. And definitely the first to be blogged about.
DeleteThis is either dear, or borderline mental illness, LOL! I would like to see the cat you might knit, if you did not have a MILLION other things on your list to do first.
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
<3
Cloudia: Too much time on her hands? Too much imagination? Not for me, but I am very glad that she does it. And even gladder that she wrote the book.
DeleteI'd love to see you take all the hair your cat sheds and use it to make another cat ;)
ReplyDeleteMichael D'Agostino: It would be a better behaved cat that the ones which currently rule the roost. No demands for midnight feeds, no scratching, no early wake-up calls... and NO kitty litter. I may have to learn to knit.
DeleteHahahaha I used the picture of this book a few years ago as the subject of some amusing email to someone, it killed me. But it is real! I'd be sneezing the whole time so, should you take this up as a hobby I'm out gift-wise *laughs a lot*.
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming: The author thought of you - and devotes some time to ways to protect you. Essentially to seal the crafts behind glass. You aren't safe yet...
DeleteI could add to the cat fur, as my cat loves being brushed. Amazing there are things you can do with it.
ReplyDeleteGlennis: Rather a lot of things you can do with it. Neither of our cats do like being brushed, they are fans of the random moult. Big fans of the random moult.
Deleteahhh the things I could create from the hair from my (until recently 3) 2 dogs. Spring and fall I just used a leaf blower and opened the front door.
ReplyDeleteAuthor R. Mac Wheeler: Vicki sent a link to things you can do. Knit a jumper (sweater) and wear it on cold days... The sky is the limit really.
Deletepleased to meet you R Mac as I also use a leaf blower for housecleaning - gets everything out from under the frig, the bed and behind the stove. blows pictures off the walls until you get the hang of it (yuk yuk) though.
DeleteNote to self, buy a small leaf blower.
DeleteI shake my dog and cat hair outside in the spring ~ along with what I clean from my hairbrush ~ in the hopes of finding a bird nest with soft cushioning hair for the babies. But I can't see your bird friends building a nest like that...
ReplyDeleteThings Are Looking U.P: I throw some fur to the winds as well, but most of it just goes into the compost bins. So far...
DeleteKnowing they are made of cat hair makes them very un-cute to me. Something's wrong about that.
ReplyDeleteRawknrobyn: It was an odd thought. But people ARE odd. Which I love.
DeleteI never understood the attraction to preserving one's pet hairs in any form what so ever. However, for a price I have spun both cat and dog hair into yarn for the dear owners to make something of fluffy.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: It is harder to spin? I assume it would be, and hope your price reflected the effort. My father used to repair items for antique shops and from time to time added a boredom surcharge. Which wasn't small.
Deleteso glad you got that beaut book. just imagine the author pitching it to a publisher! Decades ago I saw on TV a woman who made sculpture out of lint from tumbledryer filters.
ReplyDeleteI did house-sitting for a family with a very big house (29 paces across the living room floor) with 4 cats, an Alaskan Malamute, and 2 long-haired German Shepherds. They had a built-in vacuum system, which if you are not familiar, has plugholes in every wall ducted to A Big Metal Tank in the garage. much bigger than a regular vac canister. The woman had to buy me a regular vac for the petsit because the bloody thing blew up, unable to cope with all the pet hair. I do sympathise with all people allergic to dander (it's not the hair it's the dander in it which causes the sneezing fits).
Ann ODyne: I am not at all surprised that the built-in struggled. The German Shepherds I grew up with weren't long haired but the volume of fur was incredible. Add a Malumute to the mix, and the cats....
DeleteIt is a fascinating book - even if I am not going to take up the craft.
I'm surprised to hear a ducted system couldn't cope. Perhaps the collection tank was already nearing full and due for emptying which the owners neglected to have done before leaving.
DeleteI know what you mean. i've often wondered if there's anything I can do with what my dogs shed. But , I just vacuum and vacuum. Luckily, not allerigic either. I try to accept them for who they are - my furry family. Don't know how i'd feel about someone making crafts with my skin shedings or my hair.
ReplyDeleteMyrna R.: That is a perspective I hadn't considered. And probably should. Certainly the description of craft made from my off-cuts wouldn't be cute - but still...
DeleteI, too, could start a craft stall selling products made from cat fur; but I, like you, shan't be doing so, either!
ReplyDeleteThe discarded cat fur shall remain...and if anyone doesn't like it...they don't have to visit me. I didn't invite them in the first place...so there!! :)
Lee: People have complained here. And I offer them a brush for their clothes and smile. The cats live here. The visitors don't.
Deletefor some reason cat hair crafts make me just a tad queasy, which is stupid because wool, alpaca, feathers etc dont bother me
ReplyDeletekylie: The only crafts which make me feel unwell are the ones which involve a death. Some feather craft, most fur craft... Just the same, sometimes the tummy rules.
DeleteAnd with all that, you still would not be with our them. I have a similar predicament with my dog shedding like mad and miss my cat but at least have 7 and 3 dogs just down the hill to socialise with.
ReplyDeleteArija: Of course I wouldn't be without them. They have wound their paws firmly into my heart strings. I might think (in jest) of varnishing them, but I wouldn't be without them.
DeleteVarnishing sounds good in theory, but the hair would continue to shed and be collected under the varnished shell until the cats look like bowling balls. On the upside of that you could rent them out as bowling balls.....
DeleteNo way! Cat hair crafts. Wow!!!
ReplyDeleteI can only spend a few minutes in a room with a cat, or even when the cat isn't in the room. I don't like being allergic to cats, but I am. And I guess that's good reason to not have any cat fur on my carpets. But my carpets are still a mess anyway. Ha! No getting around the vacuuming chore here either.
2justByou: Never mind death and taxes being the only certainties, I think most women would agree that cleaning is also there... And yes, allergies are an excellent reason not to have cat fur - on the carpet, your fingers or the wall.
DeleteI seem to be one of the few who aren't creeped out by it :D
ReplyDeleteY'know, if I had a cat now, I wouldn't say no to a felted fur necklace.
I honestly don't see the difference between that and wearing wool from merino, alpaca or any other fleece.
And, I think it's more humane, as it is only the sheddings of the animal, not shorn from their body - sometimes roughly, I know I've seen the bloody results of badly shorn sheep.
As wool felted objects, jewellery and toys are all the rage these days - from shorn animals, why not groomed animals too?
Groomers could make an extra penny or two.
So, upon reflection, I actually like the idea! :))
Vicki: I am not creeped out by it but it isn't my style. And I agree wholeheartedly about shearing. I have seen some butcherous jobs.
DeleteI am still laughing...I love it! I have no cat at the moment, of my own. The neighbor's cat visits me every day. Mostly early in the morning. It loves to come to visit when we are outside gardening. This is the first time I have had no cat of my own. I really do miss having one, though. The idea of making items (however cute) is interesting....but not in my sphere of interests! But...I should have known, someone would come up with such an idea. I guess it is, whatever floats your boat! LOL
ReplyDeleteSienna Smythe: If the neighbour's cat visits you every day I am not sure you don't have a cat. You would have to ask it...
DeleteI can send you some corgi hair if you want. I swear he can fill the vacumn every other day! But at least he is cheaper to take care then our English Cocker Spanial is! Her haircuts cost more then mine do! The book sounds interesting though.
ReplyDeleteTeresa: Moulting up a storm is a phrase we use here. Often. In every season. I am not surprised that your Cocker Spaniel's hair cuts cost more than yours. I have seen dog grooming prices - and winced.
DeleteAmazing! But I am like you - would love to read the book and see the photos, but not interested in re-creating it. Also like you I must keep the lint roller handy. I never change into my going-out clothes until I am nearly out the door. And our cats come in all black, all gray, all white and multi-colour, so there is no carpet, mat, flooring or clothing that will hide ALL of it, so clean I must (at least once in a blue moon) :)
ReplyDeleteI must say the smaller portion is a champion gift chooser!
jenny_o: He gives wonderful gifts. Mostly. The year he gave me a new, whiz bang iron wasn't quite as successful. Which of your cats has the 'stickiest' fur? We had an all white cat whose fur stayed on clothes through the washing. The skinny one went overseas for a couple of months and was stilling removing bits of white fur sitting on the plane on the way home...
DeleteOops on the iron as a gift :) I got a handheld carpet cleaner one year. Oh well :) I've probably given a few less than stellar gifts myself.
DeleteI would have to say the white cat is the worst for us also, although the others are not far behind. I find that their fur tends to felt on certain fabrics in the washing machine, even in cool water, maybe from the agitation. I'm not quite sure how to completely remove it. Burning, maybe :) I've read that you can put fur-covered items in the clothes dryer with a fabric softener sheet and it will remove a lot of the fur, but I can't bear to do that and then put a clean load of clothes in to dry! So I've resigned myself to allocating any ruined blankets for cat use only. It's a losing battle, I think, but I do love my cats - as I can tell you love yours.
jenny_o: Oh yes, I love them. They lower my blood pressure - when they don't send it sky rocketting. And are a big part of the family. I have noticed that the lint from our dryer does always include cat hair - but leaves some behind.
DeleteAs you say, a losing battle.
Perhaps the items are way too cutesy, but think of the gift potential for those unlikeable people on your list who are highly allergic! The fun that could be had! (Ok… you already know I'm not a nice person ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've actually seen this book. I believe it is a translation of a Japanese craft book. If I ever decided to take up cat fur felting here, I'd be busy for the rest of my days!
Paper Chipmunk (aka Ellen); You are right. It is a translation from Japanese. I don't spend any time at the moment with people who are highly allergic to cats - but that is a wonderful revenge...
DeleteThe crafts look like they would be great to do with kids! But I'm with you on the cutesy factor, not my style either. Fascinating to learn about though- thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteRaquel Somatra: Not my style - but fascinating to learn about.
DeleteThe SP sure knows how to make you laugh. Hope he's not looking forward to a finger puppet. Thank you for all the wonderful comments you make on my blogs, EC. Sometimes I think of you being in the world as one of my favorite things to enjoy. You are just the best. Glad SP appreciates you, too.
ReplyDeleteDJan: To visit you is to love you. And if the skinny one wants a finger puppet he is welcome - to make it himself. And clean up after his efforts as well.
DeleteBahahaha! It's too bad you don't want to try your hand at this. I am ready to donate mounds of cat hair to your efforts. ;) I guess I'll have to keep feeding my vacuum instead.
ReplyDeleteThere's a book called "The Cats' House" by Bob Walker that I would much rather try. He created super highways throughout the house for his cats, letting them travel through walls in interesting ways.
River Fairchild: I have seen some amazing cat highways. The cats would have a ball - and there would be another area which required cleaning. I do not want to clean cat puke from a tunnel somewhere over my head. Yes, I know, I am a bad cat parent. They tell me often.
DeleteI've seriously considered the cat-puke-in-the-tunnels problem as well. We could always hire a tiny dog as maintenance help... ;)
DeleteRiver Fairchild: If I added a tiny dog I would need to remove blood stains as well. Both of our cats are seriously territorial. And it would need to be a mute tiny dog as well. I really don't like little dog yaps.
DeleteWhat a fun post. I wonder what the cat will think about all this? :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
A Cuban in London: Our cats suffer badly from jealousy. I suspect they would kill cat finger puppets. Or perhaps just shed on them.
DeleteI saw something similar regarding dog hair - I think it was a service that made things out of it - which I gave to a friend who had dogs that shed a lot. While the ideas are intriguing, and while I enjoy making things, I like your approach better.
ReplyDeleteJesusan: There are already too many things in the house. With their own patina of fur. I don't need any more. I loved reading about it though.
DeleteWow! That's certainly an interesting idea for unique crafting...but no, I don't think that's for me! It does remind me of that old SNL skit where they went to a lady's house and she had so many cats, there was fur everywhere.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Faris: I am obviously already a mad cat lady (which is not a surprise). There is fur everywhere here now.
DeleteKnitting with cat fur? I don't think I would give that craft a chance.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane: Not for me either. Yet. Though a nice furry lap rug has some charm...
DeleteWell, I learn something new every day..I guess it is natural, but after fussing day in and day out about all the cat hair floating around in my house, I surely would not want to have to knit something out of it! LOL!
ReplyDeleteTerri B: Nice to learn (and unsurprising) that cat hair decorates another home. And that the craft was all the cat's.
DeleteLOL! Even if you have no intention of crafting a tea cozy or finger puppet or set of drapes from cat hair, SP wins the "Funniest Holiday Gift of 2014." :-) That's perfect. Purrfect? Furfect?? (And boy do we ever have the same problem with our three dogs! They each shed three times their weight in dog hair daily, I swear. And why must it stick to everything except them?! I don't know which I spend more time doing, cleaning it or complaining about it. But if dog hair is the price I pay for all that love and laughter they give, so be it!)
ReplyDeleteLaloofah: It is a wonder that we have any of our beloved animals left isn't it? They shed/moult/discard so much of themselves. Daily. With extra effort as soon as the vacuum has been put away. And yes, I complain about the fur, and the kitty litter, and the puke - and a house without an animal is not a home. Or not a home for me anyway.
DeleteI agree that having at least one pet makes me feel like a house is a home. I usually have multiple pets at one time. I can't believe you are allergic to cats, but still have them! That is love. :) My cat's hair gets everywhere too. I am with you with the crafts- not for me, but impressive!
ReplyDelete~Jess
DMS - Jess: I am not (fortunately) allergic to cats. Cat and dog hair were the only ones of the ten most common allergens which didn't cause my difficulty. Yay for multiple pets. We have cats, fish - and feed the birds.
DeleteThis is brilliant! i can't imagine living without four-legged companionship. It just wouldn't be right for me... LOVE the craft book! i remember the last time i moved i was so embarrassed when the movers lifted the sofa - and found enough dog fur to assemble a complete labrador!
ReplyDeletedaisyfae: I am chuckling (with sympathy) at the mound of fur under the sofa. Even when I think the house is clean, there is still fur around. Lots and lots of fur.
DeleteI brush my cat! I get enough fur for a HAT! xxxx
ReplyDeleteMy Inner Chick: I am not surprised. A hat a day?
DeleteWhat a neat idea! That lady is a very clever and creative person. The smaller portion is creative two and give you this gift.
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: She is indeed creative - and skilled with her hands. I admire her imagination, and her skill, but didn't like the products.
DeleteHa ha - that's purr-fect! I've heard of people who knit with dog's fur as it's supposed to be very warming. I put Ruby's fur outside for the birds to make their nests from in spring.
ReplyDeleteladyfi: Any bird which gets Ruby's fur to line its nest would have a soft and warm home. And pretty as well.
DeleteElephant's Child,
ReplyDeleteI am allergic to cats and dogs, so none can live with me. If I were not allergic, I would take up this craft of reusing fur. I cannot knit, so it would have to be some other way to make tiny cats. Cute!
Practical Parsimony: I love that people do craft. All craft. This one is not for me though.
DeleteI just typed out the longest comment and it disappeared. But the gist of it was love cats, don't have one now (many reasons), miss having one very much, but wouldn't make a cat finger puppet either. :)
ReplyDeleteLynn: Blogger is infuriating when it swallows your comments isn't it? And it is usually the long ones. Sigh. No, not for me either.
DeletePeggy brushes Brewsky and puts his fur in the trash. I take it out and put it in the compost, so that, like every other pet we've had in the 25 years we've lived in this house, he will become a part of the land.
ReplyDeleteI like the things the woman better than you, I think, but I wouldn't know what to do with them. At our age, our house pretty much filled up with knicknacks.
Snowbrush: Neither of these cats like being brushed. They would rather moult indiscriminately. I too collect their fur and put it in the compost bin.
DeleteI would like to feed the land myself when I die, and hope that eco-funerals are possible. And accessible.
Our house too is filled with knicknacks. Lots and lots of knicknacks. Minimalist we aren't.
Brewsky has his bad nights on which he kicks his back feet and bites the brush, so when this happens, I distract him best as I can. Fortunately, Brewsky is a cat that won't bite you except whey you're cutting his nails, so I really have to help Peggy with that. For the most part though, he enjoys being brushed.
DeleteSnowbrush: Jazz is a cat who does bite. Often. Mostly me. Purring loudly. And he attacks the brush as soon as he sees it.
DeleteAha! That is an awesome concept...and everyone is into the repurposing these days, so this fits right in!! :) :) :)
ReplyDeletemail4rosey: It does fit in, but like lynners (below) it is a step too far for me.
DeleteHaha! I've seen this book, but like you I can't see that I will ever want to do this, perhaps it's taking recycling too far. My house is also covered in cat fur, not so bad now I only have one. I used to have two ginger cats, the amount of shed was diabolical!
ReplyDeletelynners: I swear they shed their own weight in fur each and every week. Is there anywhere in your house which doesn't get decorated? None here. It infiltrates closed cupboards and doors. And there is always a generous layer underneath the toilet seat. How? Why?
DeleteHow hilarious! I have a friend with a love of cats and craft and I now know what to get her for her birthday. I've got two Golden Retrievers and dark floorboards. Every time the dogs shake the house turns into a snow-globe and the floorboards turn into a carpet.
ReplyDeleteKim: Love your description of the fur snow globe. I am quite confident that the craft could also be used with dog hair... I hope your friend enjoys her gift - and makes wonderful things.
DeleteOh, how I can relate! This may have been the funniest thing to do that I have heard in a long time. Nope - not doing it either!!
ReplyDeleteI just read that you can collect dryer lint to use as a fire starter ... ?! Where do people get these ideas!
Susan F.: I am constantly awed by other people's imagination, creativity and lateral thinking.
DeleteI wonder if I can do that with dog hair in our house. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's creative.
SuperLux: I don't see why not. Give it a try - and let us know how it goes...
DeleteOur little short haired Jack Russell sheds everywhere, I don't know where it comes from but I do know where it ends up... Wouldn't part with her and her fur for quids.
ReplyDeleteCarol: Yup. I know I was taught in school that matter is neither created nor destroyed, but cat/dog hair and (excuse my grossness) snot don't follow the rule. There is more of all of them than is reasonable or seems possible.
DeleteNo. Go for the real thing.
ReplyDeleteJ Cosmo Newbery: I do.
DeleteWill wonders never cease! Instructions on things to make with cat hair. There is noting that can escape the creative mind.
ReplyDeleteGrannie Annie: The creative mind amazes and awes me. Often.
DeleteI've heard of people using goat hair...but never this! I wonder if anyone else does it apart from the author? It's cute though.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have many cats. And a couple of dogs. A turtle. But they were outdoor animals, they lived under the house, that is, the house was 15 or 20 feet above ground, so they were shaded from rain, sun. So no cat hair anywhere.
Guyana-Gyal: I suspect they do. Vicki (above) gave some links to other cat crafts, and to people using dog hair as well. We always had a range of animals when I was growing up and most of them came inside. In fact only the chickens and the cockatoo didn't. The dogs, the cats, the guinea pigs, the rosellas (which I now regret having in cages)...
DeleteWhen I meet someone and detect a pet hair or two on their clothes, I make a snap judgement that I will most likely enjoy getting to know them :)
ReplyDeleteBlack Jack's Carol: Welcome - and thank you. Fur on clothing is a positive in my eyes too - which is just as well.
DeleteThis is a very funny gift! I had never thought about crafting with cat hair - it would probably kill my husband and me (literally). So perhaps I should try knitting a cat...
ReplyDeleteCarola Bartz: It is a very clever idea. I am in favour of recycling, and of craft. This one doesn't tempt me though. Yet...
DeleteHow lovely and clever! I remember when I had long-haired cats I collected the hairballs from them in a bag to try and incorporate them in my knitting, warmer socks etc. Never got around to it and threw the back away. Needlefelting must be pretty awesome with really fluffy cat hair though.
ReplyDeletePia K: I don't have the patience (or my hands the skill) but I would love to see what you could create from the leavings of your furry overlords...
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