Hair today, gone tomorrow

T he return to standard time, the nip in the air and swirling leaves encourages us to scurry to the hearth and changes our focus to all things warm and cozy. Out comes the down comforter, down come the storm windows and up goes the heat. If you live with pets, your shared living quarters, no longer refreshed and purified by open windows and cross ventilation, will be assaulted by several months of coexisting indoors, along with the attendant shedding hair, smells and pet effluent.

The key to a clean and fresh home during colder weather is to pet-proof your rooms, deal with pet messes promptly and minimize odor causing sources. Unless you are moving into a new home or redoing an existing one, you probably have to live with the floor coverings already there. However, if you have a choice, floor coverings such as tile or laminate flooring look great, are easy to keep clean and stand up well to hard use. For carpet or upholstery, pick tightly woven fabrics that resist pulls and tears from sharp claws. Synthetic fiber carpets with a stain shield are more durable than wool or cotton.

What you can't readily clean or change, cover with something washable. Inexpensively-priced slipcovers come in many styles and colors and will prolong the life of upholstered furniture. Small area rugs protect carpeting or floors in hightraffic spots. Door mats outside at all points of entry minimize tracking in dirt. Mats placed near cat litter boxes keeps litter tracking under control, or select a low track formula. Put placemats under pet food and water dishes.

Hair is probably the pet owner's biggest cleaning challenge and regular vacuuming becomes essential. When our family dog went from a Keeshond, a double-coated breed which shed massive amounts of undercoat two times a year, to the short-haired Chesapeake Bay retriever, I expected a drastic change in the amount of pet hair generated. Wrong. There are slight seasonal variations, but what we deal with now is constantly shedding short hair, and unless you have one of the breeds that shed little, like Poodle, Bichon Frises or Wheaten Terrier, you too can count on hair everywhere.

Proper grooming practices help minimize the amount of cleaning needed to control loose hair and dander. Brush your dog or cat regularly to decrease the amount of hair floating around in the air and collecting on the floor. Weather permitting, have your grooming session outside. The curry-comb style shedding blade is very helpful and effective in removing loose undercoat, but the hair flies everywhere. Better indoor grooming tool choices are the Furminator and the universal or slicker brush. Washing pet beds, human bed coverings and draperies on a regular schedule eliminates the loose hair that clings to these indoor surfaces.

Cats will self-groom unless sick or elderly, but to help minimize excess pet hair, regularly bathe your dog or cat. A bath once a month should be sufficient, since more frequent baths can dry out the natural oils in the skin. Most dogs and even some cats enjoy being vacuumed with the hand tool if you ease into it and approach the activity positively.

During the winter months, indoor humidity is usually low. A dry environment may lead to dry coats, itchy skin, dandruff or changes in hair texture. Brushing helps to stimulate the natural oils in the skin and improve circulation. Supplements containing natural oils or linolenic acid are available in both liquid and solid form, and can help with dull coats, hair loss and dry or itchy skin.

Check the furnace filters. How often you need to change the filters depends on the number of pets you have and how much they shed. Changing your filters timely purifies the indoor air and puts less stress on your heating and cooling systems.

Cat litter boxes cannot be too clean. Scoop at least once a day and replace the litter as needed. It is also advisable to change your litter box at least once a year. Cat's claws can gouge into the plastic surfaces, leaving a porous scratch to absorb odors we might not notice, but that can become distressing to the cat or contribute to an unpleasant environment.

Do not delay in cleaning up messes. They are easier to clean and less likely to leave a permanent stain and lingering odor if dealt with promptly. Use specially formulated enzyme-based cleaners which will neutralize the organic matter. If your dog is not dependable with housebreaking, there is time now before the snow flies to instill good habits or, if you need it, get professional help.

Keeping your home clean when you have pets isn't that difficult, but it does require vigilance, some planning and the right tools and products. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Miz Edna. At the shop are cats Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower Bunny and three budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.