Mark, When my little Hobbes started to shed his winter coat, I found it highly annoying. So, I took him into the bathroom and put him in the sink. I then proceeded to "pluck" him like a chicken. He didn't seem to mind it, in fact I think it felt kind of good to get rid of all that itchy hair. Anyway, I pulled out almost all of his guard hairs on his back and sides. He was really cute afterwards. He was all creamy colored (he's a sable) because the only hair left was his soft underfur. It looked like I had dipped him in flour. His guard hairs grew back in about a week or so. Hope this helps. Shelly, Hobbes, Calvin, and Susie [Posted in FML issue 1576]