AHH! I can't take this shedding anymore!

[NinaBaby]

I've had Snow for at least a year and a half now and although I could never get rid of her I sometimes (more often lately) regret my decision to get a long-haired WHITE cat. She has a lot of fur and it's so fine that it blows around like dust throughout the house. My friends laugh because they say they see a trail of the her hair flying behind me as I walk because it's always all over me no matter what. I feel like I would have to vacumn everyday do keep fur froming being on everything, but I'm in medical school and I really don't have time to vacumn the house everyday. I brush her as often as I can (several times a week) and bathe her roughy once a month. I would bathe her often, but the process of bathing and blowing drying her takes a good amount of time. (*I wish I could just bathe her and dry her off w/ a towel, but I feel like if I don't blow dry her she'll get sick). I hate that her fur is white b/c I have have found myself avoiding wearing/buying and slightly dark colored clothing because it's so obvious on them. Right now especially when I pet her or she runs around like crazy hair flys off of her and through the air.. AND GETS EVERYWHERE!! I'm fairly scared that I might start getting allergies from this because this cannot be healthy for me. A couple week ago my eyes got really irriated and stayed red and I'm pretty sure it's because I let her sleep with me and many nights she sleeps on my pillow and I wake up with fur all over my face, in my eyes, and mouth... it's disguisting!!

I really would like good advice on what to to minimize shedding and clean up fur that isn't so expensive or time consuming because with school those are the two luxeries I don't have. Is it okay to just bath her really fast and let her air dry (although I'm afraid she'll get sick since it takes her a long time to dry... and get everything in my house wet). Should I shave her? although I feel like she would still shed, except it would be smaller hair pieces. Also, do you guys have recommendations on how to get fur of clothes in the washer? When I wash my clothes (which always have her fur on it).. and then dry it.. the fur gets even more statically attached to the clothes and I find clumps of it on my washed clothes.. are good detergents, softners etc...?

I'm at the point where I'm getting really frustrated, so I appreciate ANY help!!

[LotsO'Cats]

I'd say shave her. Since I shaved Titus I've not seen as much hair floating around (I also have 6 other cats so it told me where the majority of the cat hair came from.) He was also getting tangles and it was hurting him to brush them out so that was another plus. Big Lots had a pet shaver kit for $15 and I did the job by myself but you can tell it's not a professional job...yet (I'm hoping I'll get better with time .)

Here's a link to the photo's in case you are curious to how a self cut job looks...
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=196860

[missymotus]

When I had 3 white DLH's an air purifier help a lot in getting fur out of the air.

You can let her air dry from a bath, microfibre towels are good for getting out excess moisture.

[Trillcat]

I am not really a big advocate of shaving, though it is needed in some circumstances I don't think it is called for in this case. Having had a Samoyed (big white fluffy dog) I can so sympathise with fine white fur being everywhere! I don't think that dog had a proper shedding season, it was all the time! Masking tape can be your friend with dealing with hair on clothes, not expensive and works well, roll it sticky side out around your hand and have at the clothes. Bed covers can be vaccumed with the help of a friend, lay the blankets out on the floor and have your helper stand on one end of then while you vaccum (otherwise they will get stuck in the vaccum) this unfortunatly does not work well with sheets, got to go to the masking tape and just be patient, lol.
Good for you being in medical school! But, we make the decisions to get our pets, though while coverd in a constant layer of shed fur we may wonder what in the world we were thinking, we must make the time to do what we have to do.

[fifi1puss]

Microfiber cloths! They make it easy to get hair off of furniture and clothes. I also use them in my washer and dryer as they collect hair as they dry. They are statiky (not the correct spelling) Also, swifffer sweeper cloths for the floor. I have wood floor and I take a quick sweep every other day and it really cuts down on tumble weeds.

I have notice if I feed my cats a food that says it helps with shedding it really does cut down. I know they have products you can get to cut down on shedding too. That you can add to water or food. Look at dr's foster and smith online. People swear by the furminator thing. They say it gets alot of the under hair out.

I have taken to wearing more patterns as the cat hair is less discernable. We to what we can, right?

[kscatlady]

We got a furminator for Cammy, who is also long haired and has a lot of white. If you keep up with it, it works great. She obviously wasn't as fluffy though.