Grooming a Bombay cat in a dark-furniture flat

A Bombay in a city apartment with dark furniture — that's a sneaky problem, because the hair blends in until suddenly it's everywhere and someone in a light-coloured coat notices before you do. Cats are particular about being groomed, and the right tool makes the difference between a cat that tolerates a session and one that bolts at the sight of a brush. Coat type plays a big role in what's actually useful too. Can you tell me: is your Bombay generally okay with being touched and handled, and is your main goal reducing shedding at the source, or more about getting the loose hair off surfaces after the fact?

That's exactly the right instinct — catch it at the cat, not the cushion. Bombays have that sleek, dense short coat that looks like it shouldn't shed much, but they actually shed fairly consistently year-round. A tolerant cat makes this straightforward. One question: have you tried any grooming tools on her before, or are you starting from scratch?

The rubber glove is good for surface hair and she probably enjoys the massage element, but it doesn't reach the undercoat where the shed hair is actually building up before it falls loose. For a Bombay — short, dense coat, tolerant cat, shedding as the main problem — I'd get the FURminator deShedding Tool for short-haired cats, the small size. It has fine stainless steel teeth that get below the top coat and pulls out the loose undercoat before it ever hits your sofa. Used once or twice a week for about five minutes, most owners see a significant drop in ambient hair within a couple of weeks. Because your cat is already comfortable with grooming, she should adjust to it quickly — it doesn't scratch if you use light strokes and avoid going over the same patch repeatedly. It's on Amazon UK and it's genuinely the tool I'd suggest for this exact situation.

Keep the glove — it's useful for a quick once-over when you don't have time for a proper session, and she clearly enjoys it, which helps keep grooming a positive experience. Think of the FURminator as the weekly maintenance tool that actually reduces shedding, and the glove as the daily bonding touch that picks up whatever's sitting on the surface. They do different jobs and work well together.

Good call. Go for the small size — it suits a Bombay's compact build. Stick to light, short strokes and don't overdo any one area, and she should take to it without fuss. You'll probably notice less hair on the sofa within a week or two of regular use.