Pet Product Review: The FURminator

We recently came across a glorious new product that I am absolutely and completely in love with. It’s called the FURminator and if you can’t figure out what it does from the name, I’m here to explain it to you.

The FURminator first came to my attention over a year ago, but being the pessimist I am, I figured it was “just another shedding comb.” This is just one of the many delusions that I have since been proven wrong on during the last year and a half of running PetsWeekly. But, wrong first impressions aside and after another year of dealing with shedding from no less than 21 pets, I opted to give the FURminator system a try.

Imagine my shock when it not only worked, it worked so well that I couldn’t keep up with it.

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The FURminator has literally changed our lives along with the status of our home. Now, with so many animals, I could literally spend every hour of every day on grooming alone.  But, then the animals would eventually starve to death, grow irritated at the constant brushing, and ultimately cause problems with my (very patient) husband who would soon grow tired of me spending all of my time with my pets.  So – we have to settle for a grooming session each week. No matter… This product holds up to even the toughest coats.

Let me start at the beginning.  We first requested the FURminator Dog Rake, just to see how it held up.  Every one of our pets has incredibly different coats, some that I didn’t even know shed hair!  For example, my stepson, Tanner.  Of course, we are equal opportunity product testers, and if it isn’t good enough for my family and I, it’s not good enough for my pets.  Tanner opted to take the initiative on product testing for this one.  One of the FURminator Dog, Comb claims is that it will remove the bottom coat without “cutting” the topcoat.  Tanner tested this out on his own hair and proved that the FURminator’s claims were correct.  Not only does it not cut hair from the topcoat, it removes the bottom layer of heavy undercoat and makes the coat, in Tanner’s words, “really smooth.”

After Tanner gave it his blessing, we went ahead and checked it out on the pets.  (In all fairness, Tanner doesn’t shed much.)  One swoop on Tristan, and the undercoat filled with dead hair came right out without any pulling.  Tristan, part wolf, ends up with a very thick shedding that I refer to as “wolf wool”.  If you have a large, longhaired dog, you know what I mean.  Chunks of hair just fall out all over the house and it’s very unpleasant to live in. But, the FURminator got them all.

Thje first thing I need to tell you is to use this product outdoors, not in the house.  It literally removes so much hair that I have yet to find a vacuum that can conquer it all. Birds, on the other hand, love hair for making cozy nests and it’s not long before whatever piles of hair I missed picking up in the yard can be found in a tightly woven nest in the trees.

After testing Tristan, Cheiss (who ends up with dreadlocks after many jumps in the pond) and Roscoe the beagle, who has no hair loss at all (at least I thought), we found it worked equally well on all of them. We finally moved into the cat section of our home, of which we have 18 residing with us.

Now, as far as cats go, we have nearly every type of coat represented throughout our home.  Longhaired, shorthaired, medium-haired, course, fine, thick and baby soft. We have used this comb on every one of them with equally successful results. In fact, more than successful results – they boarded on miraculous.

Baby, our little grey Manx who hates to be brushed because he has paper-thin skin and it hurts him to be brushed, now purrs contentedly as I comb through with the FURminator Long Hair deShedding Tool for Large Cats.  Blackie, the “man’s cat” who doesn’t like to be brushed because he is, well, a tough guy, also rolls around happily as I brush him.  Guinnevere, the princess of the family with her thick, long, black hair is a huge fan of the FURminator and is now able to rule the household in style.  This product literally works on everyone, and as I write this, I’m glancing at Tanner who is distractedly combing his short hair as he watches TV. He touches his hair after every brush through because it’s so “smooth”.  He glances at me and grins, “Do they make one of these for people?” Not yet, my friend… But I, for one, will wait.

This product is completely effective in and of itself, but if you want a little more style and ease of hair removal, order the entire deshedding system that includes a coconut-based shampoo, conditioner and dog treats that all facilitate easier removal of hair.  While we have not used the products to bathe our cats yet (we simply aren’t that willing to die a horrible death in the name of journalism), we have used it on the dogs. While I’m not a huge fan of bathing our pets due to stripping of natural oils, we have had no problems with this system.  Created from a coconut-oil base, the shampoos do not dry the hair out, are hypoallergenic and smell super good, and they do help remove the dead hair much easier.  Mostly, since it’s wet when you remove it, it helps the grooming process since there is less hair to remove during brushing.  If your dog hates water, use the waterless system of shampoo.  All of the products are packed with healthy Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that help promote a shiny, healthy coat.

If you can’t tell, I’m completely enamored with this product! 

Now there are certain breeds of dogs and cats that the FURminator does not recommend using their product on.  Those include the super-fine, easily matted hair of dogs such as the Glen of Imaal Terrior or the thick, curly hair of Poodles and Havanese.  And I can’t believe I have to actually write this, but you don’t want to use it on hairless animals either, such as the Chinese Crested or those “Dr. Evil” cats.  Just use your head when it comes to your pets.  If they shed regular clumps of fur or are shorthaired and just shed all the time, use it.  If they don’t have any hair, or have the kind that does not respond well to combs, such as coats that mat (all the time) or long, thick or curly hair, don’t use it.  If you need further clarification, check their website for the breeds that you probably shouldn’t use it on.

But for those of you who can use it, use it gently, use it often and use it well. You will love your pet even more (if that is even possible) and you’ll absolutely revel in the results.

From the humans:

Two opposable thumbs up!

Drawback? Be very careful using it on certain breeds – extra thick or curly hair is not good for this product. Be sure that you have de-matted your pet prior to use. 

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