FURMINATOR!
3 times a week.

and a microfiber cloth for dusting

Furminator. Look at Dooce's twitter today where she says, "I know there's a cat in there somewhere."

Definitely FURminator. We get enough fur off our adopted Maine Coon mix that he thinks the resulting fur mound is an animal to smack at!

I once lived with a woman who allowed her cats to sleep inside the pots and pans (and didn't clean them out before cooking) and her salt cellar was filled with more hair than salt. Blechh! Thank goodness I now live in my own home, where the cats are regularly brushed, the floors are frequently vacuumed, and an air purifier makes a big difference. Still, the occasional hair in food is inevitable and, like you, I believe it's an acceptable trade-off.

"Doggies not in kitchen" is our common refrain and Sparky seems okay with that. I make certain to wear a clean shirt and not play with dog before cooking. And as Entropysbitch (how funny a name!) a daily brushing goes a long way!

we adopted a munchkin cat for this very reason- i did not want him jumping all over the counters and table. i know when i go to friend's houses with cats, they don't care about the cat fur in the food and drink. but when they aren't your pet, that's just gross. no guest, no matter how much they love animals, is going to be 100% ok with eating animal fur.

prevention seems to be the best way- regular grooming, keep them out of the kitchen, prewash pots, not letting him join us while we eat

The only way we can truly get our longhaired calico's tumbleweeds under control is the dreaded lion cut. Furminator hasn't worked as well for us as for others but we do have a couple of shedding combs and brushes that get the job done.

Of course, vacuuming and dusting frequently are required.

i FURminate as well, but have also found that a quick sweep around the apartment with a swiffer sweepervac (especially with all hardwood floors like mine) quickly gets up most of the hair from my two white cats. i know this sounds like a commercial, but thats how much i LOVE it - it vacuums most everything, but then has a dry swiffer cloth behind it to pick up the stragglers. i use it at least once a day, no lie!

I'm perfectly fine with the occasional cat hair in a wine glass or in the hummus when I visit friends, fyi. And I know I'm not the only one. I have a group of friends who all love animals and live with them, I can't believe we're the only ones who think it's not a big deal.

Anyway, no kitties on counter tops. I also keep their food in another room, so they have less incentive to hang out in there.

When I cook for others, it's immaculate. I change clothes, new dish towels, wipe all counters and rinse everything I use. But when It's just for myself, though I don't want to go eat a whole furball, one hair from my own kitties doesn't bother me. Anyone else's cats, I'd be grossed out.

No cats on countertops--use a spraybottle with water to discourage counter hopping.

Never feed cats animal food--they'll be less likely to hop on tables and counters for a taste.

Hardwood (or tile) floors, frequent sweeping and mopping.

Frequent brushing of cats.

No one should expect cat hair in their food--even cat owners like myself!

I own a Furminator, but it doesn't work on all types of coats. I have a cat with medium-length hair and one with short hair, and find that it works best on the short-haired cat. YMMV.

FURminator! It is worth every blessed penny.

I have two dogs - one of which is half border collie and half husky - and the shedding is unbearable this time of year. The Furminate the little buggers once every few days. Now I vacuum every couple of days, sweep/vacuum the kitchen floor and wipe down the kitchen surfaces with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water with a microfiber cloth before cooking.

Thanks for the advice on the furminator! I think I'll pick one up and give it a try.

I'm going to throw my support behind the Furminator, as well. I lock myself and my cat in the bathroom and go to it. Afterwards I vacuum everything up. One good brush usually lasts a few weeks.

I have a big long-haired black cat who isn't allowed on the counter.

I frequently give pots and bowls a quick rinse before starting.

Cover anything that needs to sit out--dishtowel, lid, Glad press & seal.

I'm especially careful about those two steps if cooking for others. I rarely have cat fur in food even though I don't brush (unless I want to get bit).

I have three dogs who are all blowing out their coats at this time of year. I hit them up with the Furminator for as long as they will let me, but it still doesn't get everything. I can sweep quite thoroughly and the floor will be furry 2 hours later. I just don't cook for others. :(

Our cat has kind of an aversion to the kitchen floor (he's a weirdo), which is nice because that minimizes the hair in there in the first place.

Brushings, vacuuming, sweeping and a watchful eye keeps the air out of the food. And what I don't see? I don't worry about!

Isn't cat hair/dog hair a condiment?

We use the furminator too but yet dog hair from our 10 yr old Lab is unrelenting. Insofar as the stray hair or two in our food...we just deal.

At my father's house, with at least two cats of some sort during my whole lifetime of living there, we never seemed to have a cat hair in the food or even anywhere on the kitchen counters problem, even with the central air heating system blowing things around in the winter.

I vacuumed and dusted frequently, and never let the cats sleep on my bed or anywhere near clean clothes or towels, and they were never interested in jumping up on the counters.

Having never experienced a huge cat hair problem, I am always grossed out when visiting friends with pets, to emerge from their furniture covered in hair. Ick.

I realise immediately after posting, that my lack of cat hair may have had a lot to do with the cats always being indoor-outdoor. Maybe they were shedding all that excess outside.

the furminator is okay, but our dog has long fur and has free reign of the house. i've lived several states away before and still managed to find her hair on my things. we brush when we can, but otherwise we swiffer a few times a week and try to vacuum at least twice a week. a hair here or there (even at friends' homes) doesn't bother me--i pick it out and move on with my meal. as a pet owner you just kind of get used to it. however, regardless of who is coming over, i try to be extra vigilant for guests.

"No one should expect cat hair in their food--even cat owners like myself!"
Thank you dcirene

I have grown up with dogs and I have never been okay with animal hair, or even human hair, in my food. We have a small dog that is rarely allowed into the kitchen and every surface and tool is cleaned before and after cooking.

My husband and I don't eat at certain people's homes because of their apparent lack of awareness regarding animal hair in the food and drink. We even saw a cat lay down on a pie only to have it shooed away and the pie was still served and eaten (not by us)!

I have two cats in my tiny NYC apartment, the fur is kept under control with two awesome air filters and a Dyson!

I haven't read all the comments, but wanted to say that I once saw a serving platter in a cute little gift shop that said..."no meal is complete without cat hairs." I wished I'd bought it!

Ugh, I have to say that I really dislike it when I go to someone's house and they have pets yet seem to be oblivious to the fact that not everyone appreciates pets in the kitchen, on the dining room table, and so on. Thanks for this post. I once had a roommate who would let her cat jump up on the kitchen table. It drove me nuts and has forever prejudiced me to animals in the kitchen...

I have loved cats since I was little tyke, but my love faded significantly when I lived with a Maine Coon. I had more issues about the Cat hair in my contact case than in my glasses... drinking glasses that is... but it was everywhere. It seemed impossible to keep the cat out of stuff you wanted to keep clean. I still like playing with my friends' cats, but I dont miss living with one at all.

My doggie is a hairball creator too, but He is comparatively easy to keep out of the kitchen.

I'm with Emma on this one...

I do a few things:
- I always wipe down my counter with a clean, wet rag.
- These rags are kept in a closed closet so that no kitties can sleep on them.
- I always wear a clean apron (mine's made out of canvas...it's pretty much shed-resistant)
- Before putting any pot or pan on the oven to heat, I do a cursory wipe of the inside with a new clean rag. Same with baking dishes, etc.
- I ALWAYS use a VERY clean spoon rest... this is important! Have ONE place to put your spoon and make sure it's clean!
- I sweep my kitchen at least once a week, away from the prep areas so that any flying or airborne fuzz does not alight on my clean counters.

I brush my cat 2x a day and even though a lot of fur comes off with brushing, he still loses fur during the day. It is amazing he has any left. I try to keep the cat fur out of the food but once in a while, especially with the windows open...

I would love to keep the cat out of the kitchen but in a one bedroom apartment open apartment, that is a little difficult.

I don't find pet hair offensive anymore.

@celloluv: Yup, it is in our house :)

I once saw a wooden wall sign at a craft hair saying something like that. I think about it sometimes. Dog hair is a garnish!

Our lovely aussie cattle dog/border collie mix sheds like no dog I've ever met. I had no idea HOW much hair one animal could let go...

That new-ish Pledge pet hair pick up thingie is DA BOMB for getting cat hair off upholstery and the bed. Works better than anything else, ever.

We have a Westie, whose reputation as a low-shedding breed played in big role in our choosing her! Even so, I do use a Furminator with her at least once a week, with amazing results.

@Sara in America, not everyone can successfully train their cat to stay off the table. My youngest won on that front. I'd spritz her with a water bottle and she'd hunker down and look sad. I once emptied the entire thing at her and STILL she just hunkered down and looked sad. Tried rattling cans at her. She freezes when she's spooked so she stayed up. I gave up and now she only gets on the table when I'm playing on the computer, never during dinner, go figure.

I'm with Celloluv. I adore my cats and other people's pets and it's part and parcel to having them so I just laugh it off if I find pet hair.

Furminator for sure!! But no matter now many times I get Abbey Cat in a sleepy mood so she doesn't protest my aggression with the furminator, there is still fur EVERYWHERE. I guess that's what happens when you go to the shelter and get a cat that says 'short haired' and it ends up growing into a maine coon with LOOOONG hair.

It's a running joke when I cook or bake anything, I should add onto every recipe I make 'cat hair' because it truly is just inevitable. It's hilarious, and there's no point trying to fight it.

I have a cocker spaniel and we are just extra vigilant about wiping down counters, dishes, cookware, etc. before using. Also vacuuming really good once a week (into the cracks, on any surface, baseboards with the crevice attachment, anything upholstered, etc.) and a quick swipe over a room a day. I sweep and mop whenever I can see gross doggy hairs near the baseboards or if someone's coming over.

I also try not to keep appliances out unless they absolutely cannot be moved. Especially not to be kept out are things with exposed bowls like stand mixers etc. In addition, I don't like to air dry dishes or anything like that since the more time they sit out exposed the more likely a breeze could bring some puppy fur. I always use a clean dishtowel to dry any dishes. I *hate* doing this but it's a necessary evil: I put everything in the dryer with lots of dryer balls on air dry before I put it away to knock the hairs off because just washing clothes I've found doesn't always get the fur off.

Oh! And I have the most amazing vacuum *ever* (I think anyway) it's the Dyson Animal.

Meh, the occasional cat hair in my food doesn't bother me, nor has it ever bothered my friends. I don't use my kitchen table for eating, and one of my cats loves being sprayed with the water bottle. I actually don't find cat hair in my food that often.

Ooh, do air filters work on pet fur? I never knew. Oh, the things we learn!