Cat Fur Envy

[Daryl and Daryl]

My cat sometimes comes in from a rainy walk and she is very wet.

The cat hair on her back will go from wet to dry with a half dozen wipes of my hand.  I can’t replicate this with any garment or fabric that I have.

Would a coat made of some animal fur do the same for me?  I’m guessing it wouldn’t because my body wouldn’t routinely re-oil the fur like animal bodies do.

Anyone have more info on this subject?

 

[Jerry Adams]

You could make a hat out of your cat fur?

Just kidding…

All of our cats that go outside have been eaten by Coyotes or run over by cars.  Inside cats don’t get wet fur.

[R]

Maybe we should leave all our heavy rubber laminates behind in favor of a light spritz of WD40 before hitting the trail.

[Todd T]

I don’t remember anything about this in the 101 Uses book.

[Stumphges]

Daryl, I also have fur envy.

The closest I’ve found is the fabric Paramo use in the “Paramo Fleece” pieces meant to be combined with their “windproof” outer layers. When so combined, one has a waterproof system. A former Paramo employee later founded (now defunct) FurTech and explained best that Paramo works on a fur and feathers concept. The outer woven windproof layer functions like feathers, blocking wind and most rain and greatly slowing down any water that manages to press it’s way through the gaps in the weave. The inner layer, a light fur treated with Nikwax to be hydrophobic, is analogous to animal fur, and repels water in the same way – by reverse capillary action made possible by the combination of greater fiber density close to skin and less fiber density toward the surface, with all of the fibers being hydrophobic.

Paramo always combined these two layers in single garments, but a few years ago introduced these combo pieces. The fleeces in the Ostro, Enduro and Bentu lines are all made with a type of synthetic fur and are designed to be worn as standalone pieces. Unlike the very fragile “fur” inner layers of traditional Paramo gear, this fabric, which Roger Caffin described as “chamois-like,” is very tightly woven on its inner surface and furry on the outer surface, like the hair of a short-haired cat. The tightly woven face gives it pretty good wind-resistance, and also, combined with the fiber density gradient + hydrophobic Nikwax impregnation, very impressive water-resitance. My home testing shows that it is one of the very few garments available that have a combination of ~30 CFM air permeability and >300mm hydrostatic head.

Basically, it will block wind and breath like the vaunted “pre-2013 Houdini” and repel rain far better than most windshirts on the market. (That vaunted Houdini could only repel 70mm of water column, while this stuff can hold off over 300mm.)

I haven’t used mine that much yet, but really like the fabric. In Roger’s review on these forums of the Bentu, he mentions that the fleece is quite tough as well. I see these fleeces as a combination windshirt and heavy base layer and wear mine with a very light merino T, or next to skin. Unlike windhirts, this type of synthetic fur is soft and doesn’t make a whisper in the woods.

The worst thing about this fabric is that the density makes it quite heavy. A men’s M Ostro hooded fleece is about 13 ounces. So as well as providing as much weather resistance and insulation as the combination of a windshirt + heavy base layer, it weighs about that much too. Not to be left in the pack.

You can put it under the tap and water will run right off, like a good DWR windhishirt, but like those too it will also wet out if the water pressure is high enough. I haven’t tried petting it dry like you do with your cat, but will when I get a chance. I think shaking would be better, which we can’t do. Taking it off and whirling it round works with conventional fleeces, and I’ll give that a try with my Ostro too.

The Ostro runs slim, almost base layer slim. The Bentu (non hooded) fits more like fitted mid-layer. In addition to Roger’s of the Bentu, there are a number of Bentu, Enduro fleece reviews online that give good info.

[Franco Darioli]

I have noticed this on my present cat.
He is a black Turkish Angora so his fur is very much like very fine wool . He comes in wet , I give him a wipe down and he is almost instantly dry.

[Paul McLaughlin]

I think these cats have you guys very well trained.

[Franco Darioli]

My cat does not tell me what to do.

He just looks at me and I do it.

[Jerry Adams]

my cat bites me if I don’t do what he wants

[Daryl and Daryl]

Stumphges,

Thanks for the reply.   If I was evaluating you I’d give your response an “exceeds standards”.

 

[Jim C]

I’ve been jealous of cats’ fur because they don’t need haircuts. And they have cool patterns that would make Dennis Rodman jealous. Now I’ve got another reason to be jealous.

[Paul McLaughlin]

As you have probably heard:

Dogs have owners.

Cats have staff.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Paul.

Hadn’t heard it before.  Both true and funny. Made me laugh.  Squiggles enjoyed it too.

[Franco Darioli]

On another forum I had this woman going on and on about how dirty cats are and how  stupid cat owners are.

I reminded her that a few seconds before her dog licked her face he was probably licking his bum.

BTW, i like dogs and get on very well with them, it’s just people that need to feel superior for having made a choice between the two that make me laugh.

[Author]

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