Some Useful Things

author Terri Myers                              Country Muffins

For years I could not get ahead of my RagaMuffin male’s stud tail until I tried Diatomaceous Earth. I purchase the food grade package from my local health food store. I message a small pinch of D.E. into the part of his tail that is prone to be oily and then comb it out.  I do this several times a week and it has completely fixed his stud tail.

Probably everyone knows that baby nail clippers are the way to go when trimming kitten’s nails. I was a little late in discovering the style with the extended easy to grip handle.  The handle gives me more control and precision. I now include them with each kitten’s “go bag”.

When I purchased the Vesper wooded cat trees, I loved the idea of removable and washable cushions, but most of my cats didn’t take to the trees. So now I mostly use the standard carpeted cat trees.  I watch for the small round chair cushions and bar stool covers to go on sale. They work well for covering the sleeping areas on many of the carpet style cat trees. They are easy to wash and I feel like it greatly extends the life of each cat tree. I also like to drape fleece blankets over the cushions.  I stop laundering these blankets the week before the kittens go to their forever homes because I include the “scented” blanket in the kitten’s “go bag” for comfort as they transition to their new home.

Several months ago, a customer sent me a rabbit comb (The Hair Buster).  It is metal with a good size handle and a piece of rubber woven through the tines. I am still experimenting with it, but so far, I love it for its ability to capture fur without allowing it to swirl through the air like my greyhound comb does. I have been using this comb once a week and it does an amazing job at decreasing the “dust bunnies”. I am still watching to see if it is stripping the undercoat, but after 2 months of use I have not noticed any thinning of the Ragamuffin coat. I don’t think I will ever retire my regular comb for daily grooming, but the Hair Buster is a great addition for weekly use.