The most troublesome thing in the life of raising cats is probably the fact that these furry creatures shed fur.
So every time I see someone's neat bedding and clean clothes, I envy them.
Although shedding fur is inevitable, you can make yourself feel better by choosing the right clothing and bedding.
Here, I also advise you that if you can't accept cat fur, don't raise cats, especially long-haired cats.
Say goodbye to pure cotton and various types of fluff#
At first, I didn't pay attention to this issue, so I wore the same clothes before and after raising cats.
So, the following choices are all wrong answers.
To the point where people can tell at a glance that I have cats.
It is well known in China that Shenzhen is mostly summer all year round,
So the clothing mentioned below mainly refers to T-shirts and pants.
Whether it's black or white clothes, there is always high contrast cat fur.
Just like bird droppings on a car, black car with white droppings, white car with black droppings, such adaptability.
I have also tried some high-thread-count pure cotton T-shirts, but there was no change.
So in terms of clothing choices, my suggestion is to say goodbye to pure cotton materials.
Also saying goodbye to a brand I used to love, Uniqlo.
As for bedding, I have tried coral fleece and milk fleece before,
These materials are comfortable, both me and the cat like them, and the cat fur is no exception.
After a month, the entire quilt or bed sheet can be described as a disaster in terms of sticking fur.
Of course, pure cotton bedding performs slightly better, but not significantly.
So besides pure cotton, what else is there to choose from?
I tested the following materials: nylon, spandex, polyester, and linen.
Nylon and Spandex, my superheroes#
Nylon#
Nylon, also known as polyamide, English name Nylon
Features: wrinkle-resistant, elastic, quick-drying, durable
Generally, nylon materials are known for being quick-drying, cool, and suitable for sports.
I suggest not memorizing the Chinese names, as it's easy to get confused, and it may also be because of my poor memory.
When I first tried to memorize these two materials, I had to look up the information every time.
Another reason for memorizing the English names is that even if the clothes are "Made in China," sometimes the washing labels and product details are in English.
Yes, nylon is excellent at resisting cat fur. If it gets on, it can be easily shaken off.
I have replaced almost all of my T-shirts with 100% nylon or 85% nylon.
Currently, I am quite satisfied with the JD Jingzao UPF100+ Cooling Sunscreen Sports T-shirt for Men
(This is just a plain link, no referral, not an advertisement.)
This shirt is made of 86% nylon and 14% spandex.
Spandex#
Spandex, also known as elastane, English name Spandex/Elastane
Features: excellent elasticity, lightweight, no pilling, no static
Spandex materials are commonly used in women's clothing because they need to fit closely to the body.
They are often used in yoga pants, such as the well-known brand Lululemon.
Of course, Lululemon's clothes often use a combination of nylon and spandex, which is nylon + spandex.
I'm not particularly clear about the anti-cat fur performance of spandex because it rarely appears alone.
I have never bought clothes made of 100% spandex.
But based on its combination with other materials, it seems to be okay.
Polyester and Linen#
Polyester#
Polyester, also known as polyester fiber, English name Polyester
Features: inexpensive, wrinkle-resistant, durable, moisture-resistant, non-deformable
In my understanding, polyester is like a low-end version of nylon, and it may be more environmentally friendly.
Its anti-cat fur performance is comparable to nylon, and it is a material friendly to those on a budget.
However, whether it's due to the manufacturing process or bias, I haven't found polyester clothes that satisfy me. They are relatively thin.
Of course, I don't buy many clothes in a year, so I will continue to test.
Polyester is also great for yoga pants.
When I searched for yoga pants on JD, I found that the more expensive ones are made of nylon + spandex,
While the cheaper ones are made of polyester + spandex.
As for whether there is a difference when wearing them, and how big the difference is, I'm not sure.
Linen#
Linen, with no other name, the most accurate translation, English name Linen
Features: low allergenicity, quick-drying, sturdy, good water absorption, prone to wrinkles
As a natural fiber, linen is more expensive than cotton and tends to wrinkle.
But it performs well in resisting cat fur. I have a linen shirt,
It is made of 56% linen and 44% cotton, and it hardly catches any cat fur.
However, it has another problem, which is that it wrinkles after washing.
Generally, I wear wrinkled shirts. I don't particularly care about appearance.
If you care, you will need an iron or dry cleaning.
Regarding manufacturing costs#
In terms of manufacturing costs,
Spandex > Nylon > Linen > Polyester > Cotton
Cost doesn't mean something is not good. In fact, cotton is very good, and it is a natural fiber.
Therefore, the demand in the market is huge and stable, so the price is the lowest.
As for why pure cotton products are so expensive in the era of "all-cotton," well, you can look at their financial reports. Gross profit margin of 58.2%.
Even I, a poor guy, can afford T-shirts made of Xinjiang long-staple cotton.
In comparison, synthetic fibers like spandex and nylon, which have less demand, are more expensive.
Regarding anti-cat fur performance#
In terms of anti-cat fur performance, I believe the situation for these materials is roughly as follows:
Nylon > Nylon+Spandex ≥ Linen > Polyester > Cotton
The above is just my personal experience. If you have different opinions, please discuss them in the comments.
A special bedding option#
For those who are troubled by cat fur, the best bedding option might be...
Cooling mats, made of bamboo, which are very suitable for use in southern regions, as it's summer-like all year round.
If you don't like cooling mats, you can try the option I chose.
I am currently using the 8H Cooling Latex Cooling Mat, which can be fully washed.
(This is just a plain link, no referral, not an advertisement.)
The front material is 100% nylon, and the back is 100% polyester.
It satisfies me at the moment.
Thank you for reading, and I hope it helps with your life of raising cats.
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