It’s that time of year again. Hairball Awareness Day is Friday, April 26th. (This Friday!).

• Check out: The facts about hairballs.

Once again, Barnie and Quincy participated in the FURminator awareness campaign, along with my daughter, who designed last year’s Ellen FurGeneres piece. This year, it was all about “mustaches on cats,” which sounds easier than it was, as Quincy kept trying to capture and eat his mustache. My daughter did a great job making the mustaches and helping herd the kitties for their photos.

Here is our entry:

Check out the other fun fabulous mustache entries for 2013 on the FURminator Facebook page!

More from FURminator:

(Press Release)

Mustached “Copycats” Promote Good Health for Cats in Conjunction with National Hairball Awareness Day

St. Louis, Mo., April 15, 2013 – In keeping with its annual tradition of taking a humorous approach to a serious subject, FURminator®, the company known for its innovative pet deShedding solutions, is using fashion and social media to celebrate National Hairball Awareness Day (NHAD). The last Friday in April (which is April 26 in 2013) is designated as a time to recognize the hazards of hairballs and take steps to eliminate them.

FURminator is inviting bloggers everywhere to groom their cats with FURminator deShedding Tools, mount the removed fur onto paper mustaches, take photos of their feline fashionistas and post the photos on social media sites (including FURminator’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FURminator). The idea is to spread the word that hairballs are more than unpleasant messes, they are signs of potential health problems.

Nasty and dangerous hairballs don’t have to be a part of a cat’s lifetime routine.

FURminator deShedding Tools, which are used and recommended by professional groomers and veterinarians, reduce shedding and hairballs by up to 90%. Using a FURminator at home to remove the cat’s undercoat for a few minutes twice a week can relieve pet owners of the mess of loose fur and hairball worries.

Veterinarian Shelby Neely explains that because cats groom themselves with their tongues, they naturally ingest hair in the process. Up to two-thirds of shed hair can be ingested as cats self-groom. These loose hairs can pack together in a cat’s stomach and form a hairball. In most cases, the cat will need to vomit to force out the hairball, which is not good for the cat or household. If hairballs are not spit out, they may block the passage of food in the stomach or become impacted, requiring surgery to remove the blockage.

“Traditional hairball treatments (lubricants, diets, etc.) address the problem after the hair has already entered the cat’s body. A FURminator deShedding Tool PREVENTS the problem by preventing the hair from getting into the cat’s body in the first place,” says Dr. Neely. “FURminator stresses preventative care and that is the true definition of good health!”

With options for both small and large breeds, the FURminator line enables cat owners to easily find the right size product for their pet. In addition, each size tool offers both long and short hair varieties for optimal results.

FURminator Cat deShedding Tools (small breed MSRP: $42.99 and large breed MSRP: $49.99) are available in long and short hair varieties. FURminator Hairball Prevention Waterless Spray for Cats (MSRP: $8.99) and Hairball Prevention Shampoo for Cats (MSRP: $8.99) are available in 8.5 oz. bottles.

Don’t let your cat suffer from hairballs. FURminator deShedding Tools, shampoos and hair care products are sold at pet specialty stores, and are also available online at www.FURminator.com.

About FURminator: FURminator enhances relationships between pet parents and their pets with effective and easy-to-use pet grooming products. Based in metropolitan St. Louis, FURminator was founded in 2002 by husband and wife team David and Angela Porter. Sold at pet retailers nationwide, the company’s products are available exclusively through select authorized pet industry distributors, through professional pet groomers, veterinary practices and rescue organizations and are also available for purchase online or through professional and consumer catalogs. For more information visit FURminator.com.

©2013, United Pet Group, Inc. – All Rights Reserved. U.S. Patents 6,782,846, 7,077,076, 7,222,588, 7,334,540, 7,509,926, D565,258, D626,295, D626,296, D626,297 and 7,581,514. Additional Patents Pending. FURminator® is a registered trademark of United Pet Group, Inc. Distributed by United Pet Group, Inc., 7794 Five Mile Road, Suite 190, Cincinnati OH 45230, (800) 645-5154.