From cute cuddly kittens to full-grown, fluffed-up Felis Catus, cat owners have found cat hair to be as much of a constant companion as the cats who shed it. How much cat hair is TOO much? If you find yourself coughing up hairballs in the company of Little Miss Frisky, that's one clue... but what to do? Shave it, save it, belt it & felt it!
1) Chemo Cat Fur Hair Bow
When Jeanne Semon was undergoing chemotherapy a couple of years ago there were a number of side-effects she had to deal with – and dealing with them required a little self-prescribed humor therapy. The Hello Kitty style hair bow made from the fur of her cat Miss Melly (Mis Smelly?) helped put a smile on her face and ours as well. (Cat Hair Craft image via Hello Kitty Hell)
2) Cat Hair Brass Knuckles
Once upon a time, Martin Löfqvist had too much time on his hands and his cat had too much fur on its back... can you see where this is leading? I knew you could! These days, Martin's cat is less hairy and Martin has a handy new weapon he can take on airplanes without arousing suspicion. (Cat Hair Craft image via Martinlofqvist)
3) Lady Gaga Hairballed
Singer and celebrity Lady Gaga is hard to pigeonhole but evidently she's easy to hairball. Kudos to the creative crafts-women at Embrace Pet Insurance for capturing the dynamic diva in a way both simple and shocking – which is probably the way she'd like it anyway. (Cat Hair Craft image via Embrace Pet Insurance)
4) Cat Hairball Font
If you thought Leg Hair Font was hard to read, check out Cat Hairball Font. Conceived and created in early 2012 by Upenn graphic design student Tricia Treacey, Cat Hairball Font requires the user to arrange the hairballs into the shapes of letters and subsequently crank out words, sentences, chaptera and entire novels. Uh Tricia, we're gonna need a LOT more hairballs. (Cat Hair Craft image via Catalyst)
5) Cat Hair Yarn Handbag
Looking for the perfect gift for the crazy cat lady on your Xmas list? Look no further than this charming cat hair yarn handbag! It's the perfect way to keep your kitty-cat close during those trying times when you simply must leave her (and 27 others) on their own while making a cat food & kitty litter run to the Piggly Wiggly. (Cat Hair Craft image via National Cat Groomers)
6) Cat Hair Finger Puppets
There's virtually no limit to the things one can create from cat hair, provided one has a sufficient stock of cat hair with which to create. Once you've got the supply, then create some demand with the help of Kaori Tsutaya, author of Crafting With Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat... or make OUT of your cat, to be more exact. Tsutaya – assisted by translator Amy Hirschman – presents a variety of cute creations such as the Cat Hair Finger Puppets shown above. A little weird maybe, but better than “Cute Handicrafts to Make with Nail Clippings”. (Cat Hair Craft image via Neatorama)
7) Cat Hair Ball Jewelry
That's Cat Hair Ball, not Cat Hairball just in case you got an unpleasant mental image of what the latter might be like... yuck! Oh contraire, mon frere, these warm & fuzzy pieces were created by Phoenix-based blogger Kate Benjamin in association with jewelry designer Heidi Abrahamson. The jewelry's nice but the bi-colored-eyed cat in the image above is totally creeping me out. (Cat Hair Craft image via Viacom International Inc.)
8) Cat Fur Gene Simmons
Hairballs, in my cat? It's more likely than you think, and as a way of raising awareness of this not-so-silent killer the nice folks at FURminator have once again sponsored National Hairball Awareness Day. No, it's not a statutory holiday – yet – but at least we can enjoy some awesome, handmade “furlebrities” like KISS's Gene Simmons. With a tongue like that, you just know he's coughed up a hairball or two in his day. (Cat Hair Craft image via Cory Cat Blog)
9) Cat Hair Glazed Pottery
“I believe the true beauty of my vessels is that it is your pet's hair that's 'painting' the vessel.” So says Deborah Saho, a Union City, CA-based artist whose unique pottery incorporates carbonized animal hair. When applied to ceramic bisque fired at lower than normal temperatures, the animal hair burns and a portion of its carbon is absorbed into the porous clay. It's not a process anyone can do at home but if you provide the pet hair, Saho will do the rest. (Cat Hair Craft image via ClayPony)
10) Cat Hair Mini-Me
Combine cat hair, wool and a maxi pad and what do you get? A severe beat-down from your S.O, for one, and a cute miniature mannequin of your own handsome self (or in the example above, “My Cat From Hell” star Jackson Galaxy) for another! Is it worth the first to get the second? Depends on your S.O. and/or if you like beat-downs... not that there's anything wrong with that. (Cat Hair Craft image via Robin A.F. Olson)
So what if you don't own The Cat That Laid the Golden Hairball, cat hair can still make you rich in spirit. Besides, it's a natural product with rock-solid green sustainable credentials – the only limits are the crafts-person's time and the cat's ability to provide the fur. Don't overdo either one and we'll all live happily after! (Cat Hair Craft top image via Neatorama, above image via Trakt, concept courtesy of Myra Per-Lee)