17.05.12
Pet hair — it's enough to make you want to sneeze. Or choke. Or vacuum. But what can you do? It's family.
Spurred perhaps by impending holiday company, we remember that the gray sofa in the den actually is black. We move the furniture and discover rolling hairballs.
The problem isn't just about the mess but the misery. Guests may suffer pet-related allergies from the dander that accompanies hair.
What's a pet lover to do?
Judging by the diversity of new products, we've developed a national obsession not only for getting rid of pet hair, but for making it look great before the pet sheds it.
"The whole grooming industry for pets totally mirrors the beauty and grooming industry for people," said author and pet lifestyle expert Sandy Robins. "Several major people-product companies are now crossing over into pet-care products."
It's a huge market. An estimated 118.2 million American households have at least one pet. The American Pet Products Association estimates we'll spend $50.84 billion on our pets this year, up 23 percent from 2007.
Source: The Seattle Times