Conference misery::feline

    Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment.
    
    Lori B.

    I use the "old fashioned" type of lint brush - they are usually red,
    with an arrow showing the direction you brush. Brush one way, it picks
    up the lint, Brush the other way, it cleans the brush.  The new sticky
    type don't seem to be able to pull straight coarse hair out of fabric.
    I keep one with my vacuum cleaner tools, and in my car, and in my desk,
    and in my purse, and in my briefcase, and in my gym bag, etc, etc, etc.
    
    Sarah (2 dogs, both with long coarse fur, 1 cat with very soft
    angora-like fur, one cat with straight, short, coarse fur - very
    experienced at this!!!)                    

    I got so tired of expending the energy in doing this I went out and
    bought a sheet to put over the couch; I tuck it in under the cushions
    and change it once a week. Much easier, and it looks OK, too (of
    course, my furniture is from this end up; this probably wouldn't look
    good with an overstuffed type of couch. Also, if your cats will sleep
    in a catbed, putting on on the couch will help the fur to accumulate in
    the bed rather than the couch.
    
    I also got tired of killing myself cleaning the perches on the cat
    trees , so I bought a bunch of matching hand towels and put one on each
    perch; once a week, they get washed, too. (I might add, the FIRM seems
    attracted to the towels).
    
    Deb (very lazy housekeeper)

	I have also bought a throwover for one of the couches, the one the cats
	seem to like!

	That way, it can be easily removed for visitors - without me having
	to rush around cleaning it - and it is easily cleaned once a week.


	I also have the "one way" arrow-type brush, and find they work well.

	Ginger hair on black skirts mean I have to be a bit careful! especially 
	in winter when I tend to wear darker clothing.

	Heather

    I too use a throwover and I also use a sticky roller. I have to vacuum
    throughly very often as my boyfriend is allergic to the cat-hairs and
    Rosie is very furry!
    
    I can't win with my two, whatever I wear: Rosie is black and Jimmy is
    ginger. 

You may also try a sticky roller brush, the kind that has sticky tape, 
it works great for picking up hair and lint off furniture and 
clothes.  Another thing I use is just a damp/wet face cloth that I 
just wipe down the couch fabric it gathers all the cat hair up quickly.


Hope this helps

Valerie 

    I have the luck of the Irish when it comes to buying a new couch.
    My new couch is a soft valour and the cat hair does not stick...and
    NONE of my cats use it as a scratching post.  The last couch I had
    was Herculon...and the cats loved to put their claws in it!!!
    
    I will probably buy this same type of couch for the rest of my life!!
    
    Sandy

    Take a damp terry towel or facecloth, rub couch or chair fabric 
    in a circular motion.  The cat hair will pill up into small balls 
    and it makes it easier for the vacumn to pick up.  Then, purchase a
    sheet in a color that blends with the room and put over the piece(s) of
    furniture and forget what it looks like, or what visitors may think.
    
    House and Beautiful and living with cats rarely go to gether.
    
    

    For Christmas, I actually ASKED for this boring, but very
    practical gift - a Dirt Devil handvac!  Works great for small
    jobs, and wonderfully on my velour couch.
    
    Pam

    I have a velour couch that attracts cat hair like a magnet.
    I either comb it with the flea comb to get the hair off
    (when I'm too lazy to haul out the vacuum) or I use this
    squeegee thing to collect it into large clumps I can 
    pick up and toss out.  They make these squeegee things
    specifically for removing cat hair from furniture, however,
    I couldn't find one of those at the pet store when I decided
    I wanted one (there were tons of them before I wanted one)
    so I had to emprovise with a small windshield squeegee.
    I'm still trying to find a pet supply person/shop that
    carries the proper one.  Next cat show for sure.
    
    Jan

    Sandy -- I find it hard to believe that cat hair doesn't stick to
    velour!  :^)  Next time I am at your house I will have to make it a
    point to view this magical couch!!
    
    Deb - I love the idea of a cat bed or two on the couch.  Now why didn't
    I think of that?!  The cat tree is so full of fur that the hand towels
    also sound like a good plan!
    
    -Roberta
    
    
    

    I got a "corded" dust buster for Christmas, for precisely this reason. 
    You just had to be there the other night, it was after 9p.m. and I'm
    upstairs in the bedroom on all fours doing the bedroom floor with the
    dustbuster.  Let's face it, this gadget wasn't desinged for a 12 x 20'
    room, with thick "shows every footprint" carpeting.  But I just
    couldn't stand seeing a little mauve, under a grey, white, and catnip
    covered fuzz!  I really had only started out to do a small 4x4 foot
    area where the "kids" had left crumbs of catnip!
    
    I keep a two inch roll of the nylon hospital type adhesive tape in the
    hall closet for quick *small area* pickups.
    
    So how come the cats only love me when I've got DARK colors on!!??
    I know must be "animal magnetism!"
    
    Lyn

    Lyn and others...
    
    My two gang up on me!  Stella, who is a smoky blue-grey in color,
    attaches herself to me when I'm wearing light colors.  Stanley, a
    lynx-point Siamese who is mostly cream-colored, insists on being close
    when I'm in dark colors.
    
    Coincidence or conspiracy???
    
    Diane (glad to be back 'mongst the feliners again!)
    

    Hey, try having a solid white cat!  No matter WHAT I wear, unless it's
    pure white, you can see every little cat hair!!
    
    And of course, for when I wear white, I've got Tabitha who's solid
    black and Pita and Silver who are both solid gray!
    
    And now, "Mondo", who is Kyra's Black and white kitten.  His hair will
    be getting all over the place soon too!
    
    ugh!!  Help!  I can't win!
    
    Holly
    

    Holly,
    
     You need to wear all 'cowprint' stuff aropund your house! I can't win
    at my house either. I have a black, a calico that's mostly white, and an
    orange. I just throw a towel or sheet over things if I dress up, or if
    company comes over! ;-) Just in case you know. 8-)
    
     In the interim, I vaccuum, and have both sticky lint brush and the one
    that picks up lint in one direction, and puts it all back on you if you
    mess up and go the wrong way! 8-{ ;-)
    
     Yonee

The cat colors in my house include:
white, gray-and-white, black, black-and-white, orange, cream,
dilute calico, brown-and-black, gray, and brown tabby.

The only clothing I've ever had that "went" with all the cat
hair was a black/gray tweed wool coat -- the tweed effect 
really hid the fact that fur of many colors was all over it!


JanB

    
    	I second #.8 - I just grab a dampened sponge of wet face
    	cloth, dish rag, etc. The hair clumps up and is real
    	easy to pick up and throw away! 

    I second #17.  That's my way of doing it too.  I made some beautiful
    comforters to cover the seats of the couches and wash them every two
    weeks.  I flip them off the couches when company comes to visit and
    use the trusty old wash cloth for the backs and arms....
    
    As far as my clothes,  I always bring one of my kittys to work with 
    me (in fur anyway)...
    
    Sandi
    

    RE: .18
    
    My inital fast read of your was that you made some beautiful
    comforters out of the cat hair! :-)
    
    Deb (who is seeing the eye doctor on Wednesday)