Bathing

I've definitely heard conflicting advice when it comes to dealing with cat allergies. While some recommend washing a pet to reduce the amount of allergens released into the air, others say that bathing will cause her to lick herself more . . . thus increasing the amount of allergy-causing saliva on her coat. Since coaxing a cat into a tub doesn't sound like fun no matter what, here are two other ways to combat this problem.
While having someone comb your pet frequently and properly dispose of the hair is a good way to limit the flying fur on your furniture, taking a damp micro fiber cloth and rubbing down the cat's coat can help get rid of visible dander and pick up stray hairs, too.

To hear of the product to apply straight to the coat, read more

You're a good dog, Charlie Brown . . . but, unfortunately, you're also a stinky one! TeamSugar user Megbucks3 needs some help with this pooch. She writes:

This weekend we are driving from Atlanta to Columbus with our 10-month-old Cocker Spaniel. It's about a 10-hour drive – we're not leaving until after work, so during the day I am taking Charlie to Doggie Day Camp to hopefully exhaust him. The Doggie Day Camp offers grooming and I really wanted to have him get a bath so he smells good in the car, but then he would lose three hours of playtime.

I am picking up Charlie on my way out of town and won't have time to take him home to bathe him and I'm worried he'll be stinky after camp even if I bathe him the night before. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions of products that give instant baths, or if any instant-spray cologne works? I think on this trip an exhausted dog is better than a fruity smelling dog!

Now North has these cleansing cloths for his muddy paws but he doesn't tend to get that stinky – can any of you recommend products or tips for this situation?

One of the least expensive—and yet, most relaxing—luxuries is a long soak in the tub. It's such a simple thing, but I always emerge feeling refreshed and pampered. So I was happy to find this Women's Health article about creating the perfect bath. The writer consulted beauty experts and scientists to figure out what to do. Here are some of her findings:

• Tweak the temp: You want to soak in water that's 97 to 99 degrees—just like you are. Any hotter and your nervous system goes into overdrive, as it struggles to adjust your internal thermostat.
• Sink deeper: Dunk underwater until just your face peeks out. "The more of you that touches that water, the more you benefit," says Reinhard Bergel, Ph.D., coauthor of The Spa Encyclopedia. Warmth dilates capillaries, increasing the stream of nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body.

The story has more tips which are worth reading if you're a bath junkie. Got any bright ideas of your own? Share them here!

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This little chihuahua has a pet peeve and it's not the household cat. It's even worse. It's getting towel dried. If being cleaned isn't rude enough, then being tortured with a towel is-- and this pup ain't gonna stand for it anymore! (Well, actually, he will stand and be a good dog while his owner rubs him dry, but he'll ferociously growl the entire time. As a warning.)

Have these people lost their minds? If stewing in broth and soaking in soy sauce counts as crazy, then yes. But the Ramen Noodle bath is actually a spa treatment offered in Japan (surprise, surprise). Some people believe it cleanses skin and improves metabolism. The noodles aren't edible, but the pork-based broth is the real deal. Sharing brown-colored hot water with a group of strangers? Count me out!

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Forget the plants, have you watered your baby today?

Everyone's favorite "happy" homemaker recently gave Sam the dog a bath on her show. No big deal. That is, until the animal intelligence experts over at Best Week Ever got their hands on the footage and gave a little insight into Sam's scathing subconscious thoughts. He may be cute on the outside, but Sam's got sass.