Cat hair!

[Ricoh]

I have a Quattro FX FFM, and four cats. Need I say more? Perhaps not, but here goes anyway:

The mask fits snugly, no leaks to speak of. I wipe it with vinegar/water every time I get up, give it + the hose a full clean once a week or so, and store it in a covered box when I'm not wearing it (still attached to hose + machine of course). Before I put it on, I thoroughly clean and dry my face, wipe the mask with a clean tissue, and turn the machine on before it's on my face to purge any hair that may have found its way into the hose/mask connector. That seems to work well at first, but later on in the night, I'll wake up with multiple cat hairs tickling my nose (either at the nostril opening or just below the bridge of my nose where the mask makes contact. Then I have to shut the machine off, pull the mask, pick cat hairs out of the rubber (in the dark), and hope I got them all, all the while trying not to wake up my wife, or get so frustrated after the 2nd or 3rd interruption that I have trouble getting back to sleep.

I'm not sure how they're getting in there. The machine filter seems OK, I cleaned the humidifier tank recently (didn't help, no hair there).

Any ideas? I've had this setup for about half a year now, and this has been an issue more or less the whole time. To some small extent, I've gotten used to it, but it's still quite disruptive. It seems a bit worse now, but maybe shedding season is starting already.

Before you say "duh, keep the cats out of the bedroom!", trust me on this: any attempt to lock our cats out of the bedroom will be met with far more sleep disruption than any face full of fur. That, and my empirical observations suggest cat hair could probably penetrate solid concrete as well as the most energetic forms of ionizing radiation.

[Madalot]

I read your post twice to make sure I understood all of it.

I have SIX indoor cats. I wipe the masks (me & my hubby are both on the hose) in the MORNING. I lay my husband's mask/hose on his pillow (so he knows I wiped it) and mine gets laid in my cart.

We never have any problem with cat hair in the mask. Do your cats actually sleep on the bed with you? The ONLY thing I can think of is that. Mine are in the bed before we got to sleep but once the machines are turned on (especially mine) none of them stay ON the bed....

[Jimster]

I'm not sure that a cat hair, or any hair could get through a good filter? With that being said, you might want to let everyone know if you do find out how all of this is coming about. Getting a cat hair in a closed system with a good filter attached seems impossible.

Ricoh I would think that an additional inline hose filter might be a good thought. In-line filters stop even micro dust particles from reaching one's mask. Just attach it between your mask and hose and sleep hair free with your furry friends.

Here's the only thing that I can think of and that is if you would have a mask leak on both sides of your face at the same time, when you exhale you might be pulling hair into your mask from one side or the other depending on which side has the lowest pressure. Also, when you inhale during a mask leak your air flow just may be pulling outside room air along with cat hairs into your mask. Either way take a look at your leak graph. I don't know what your pressure is, but if it is low then this might be where the hair is getting attached to the rim of your mask.

Cats do get my Vote, along with Dogs, etc.

Although some might think that 4 cats are 4 cats too many, one of my best friends sleeps not only with his wife, but also with 16 of their 21 furry friends.

Try an additional filter, and if you do find out where the cat hair is coming from let us all know.

Have a Good Easter,

Jim

[zoocrewphoto]

I have 2 cats who sleep on my bed with me. I usually have a couple hairs in my mask when I get it ready. Even if I just cleaned it. I swear, the static electricity sucks them into the mask. But I always check it and clear any hairs before I put it on. And usually if I miss a hair, I know within a couple minutes.

I can't imagine how they are getting in later on in your sleep. Is it possible that they were already in the mask and somehow got loose at a later point? What mask are you using? What pressure? If you are using a range of pressures, it may be starting at a lower pressure that doesn't quite expel all the hair. Then it revs up later and gives them to you.

[Julie]

Vacuum your pillows before bed!

[Ricoh]

Ha! Lots of pets in the profile pictures. Clearly you have all walked the walk. Thanks for the replies.

I'll look into the inline filter, maybe even replace the outside filter for good measure. I'm just heading to sleep now, but I'll post a graph after I come to.

I can't imagine how they are getting in later on in your sleep. Is it possible that they were already in the mask and somehow got loose at a later point? What mask are you using?

Yes, it's possible I miss a couple, but usually I know within a minute or two. When I wake up later in the night, I have multiple hairs floating around the mask (or trapped between my nose and the seal, just flapping there in the breeze... I'm not sure which I hate worse, but they're both pretty annoying). I wipe the mask with water/vinegar solution when I wake up to remove the sticky oils and whatnot, and then wipe it with a dry tissue right before I put it on to get rid of any hair that stuck to it in the meantime. If I can get away with turning the bedroom light on, I inspect it carefully, and pick out any hairs still clinging to the seal (including ones that get trapped in between the two layers; those are the ones to watch out for).

What pressure? If you are using a range of pressures, it may be starting at a lower pressure that doesn't quite expel all the hair. Then it revs up later and gives them to you.

10.0, CPAP. Quattro FX FFM.

We never have any problem with cat hair in the mask. Do your cats actually sleep on the bed with you? The ONLY thing I can think of is that. Mine are in the bed before we got to sleep but once the machines are turned on (especially mine) none of them stay ON the bed....

Yep, they do. Two of them sleep on (or in!) the bed regularly. One more comes to see us around (his) breakfast time. The other usually sleeps out in the living room, but sometimes curls up in a chair by the bed. They wait until we're comfortable in bed before joining us.

I've been sleeping on my back (and loving it!) since shortly after I got my machine, and that's really minimized the leaks as I'm not moving around much or mashing my face into a pillow, but I dunno. My working theory (not at all based in fact, but I'm working on that ) is that maybe the hairs stick to my face, then I roll around, ever-so-momentarily disturb the mask (not enough to register a leak), and one or two get sucked in while the air rushes past on its way to the exhaust port up above my nose.

Vacuum your pillows before bed!

Ha! I'm sure my wife would love me for firing up the vacuum inches from her head at 4am when I come to bed. I think I will consider taking a lint roller to the pillowcase and sheets around my head, though!

[Madalot]

and then wipe it with a dry tissue right before I put it on to get rid of any hair that stuck to it in the meantime.

I wonder if *this* might be the culprit. Could a dry tissue cause static, thus pulling in any stray cat hairs?

I wipe our masks with a baby wipe in the morning and nothing else before bed.

Honestly, I never have a problem like you describe. Perhaps try a baby wipe a few minutes before bed rather than the tissue?

[Ricoh]

I wonder if *this* might be the culprit. Could a dry tissue cause static, thus pulling in any stray cat hairs?

You might be right, although I started doing this wipe because of the cat hair. Good point about the static, though. I'll try the tissue a little damp. I just don't like to trap a lot of moisture with the mask. Tends to mess with my skin. So I'll have to be careful. Not that my face is all that stunning anyway.

[khauser]

I also share my bed with a cat. He's a very curious cat (I know, most are, but he makes most look bored). If he has interest in something he will find a way to satisfy that curiosity. I've seen him burrow through a pile of boxes. I've seen him plan out and execute a series of jumps to get to an endpoint, well you get the idea.

He is insanely curious about my CPAP treatment. He (unfortunately) knows how to turn the machine off! He's also learned (a little more recently) that doing that makes HIS pet (me) very upset, so that stopped happening.

Anyway, I can't count the times I've awakened to see his face mere inches, maybe a fraction of an inch, from the exhaust vent. He loves that air for some reason. He see me open my eyes, emits a "brrooop!" (it's definitely NOT a meow) and commences with the purring ... but he doesn't try to wake me up (anymore ... see prior paragraph).

So yes, I have experience with cat hairs. Fortunately for me, I use a nasal pillow, so there's much less room for hairs to be an issue, but OMG are they annoying when present! He's lucky I love him....

I hide my mask from him during the day. In my case, I have a magnetic locking glass door as part of my bed's headboard behind which I keep such things. He does know HOW to open it ... I've seen him try. He lacks the strength to do it though. At least, he won't do it with his head and hasn't yet figured out that a paw would work. Or he's way smarter than I give him credit for and he closes it afterwards! LOL

[Madalot]

I wonder if *this* might be the culprit. Could a dry tissue cause static, thus pulling in any stray cat hairs?

You might be right, although I started doing this wipe because of the cat hair. Good point about the static, though. I'll try the tissue a little damp. I just don't like to trap a lot of moisture with the mask. Tends to mess with my skin. So I'll have to be careful. Not that my face is all that stunning anyway.

I use a full face mask as well. I find that using a baby wipe - give it 5 minutes and it's dry.

The other thought I would have is to put the mask, after the morning wipe & dry, into a bag of some kind that would keep all the cat hairs out....

[Kitatonic]

My cat sleeps inches away from my nasal pillows for over a year now. Every morning I clean the pillows with free & clear dish soap, never a hair. Now this indoor kitty is brushed three times a day, so maybe he doesn't shed much. Still I suspect it's the dry tissue.

[chunkyfrog]

One suggestion I have not seen yet: a mask liner; fabric may trap the hairs and even make them lie down out of the way.
I like the idea of spending some quality time each week during molting season, brushing your darlings:
--in another room--or even on the porch. patio, what-have-you. Cats usually love this and it's very relaxing for us, too.
We had a cat that was insanely fond of being combed. Show him the comb, or just say,"comb", and he was all over you to get some.

[khauser]

One suggestion I have not seen yet: a mask liner; fabric may trap the hairs and even make them lie down out of the way.
I like the idea of spending some quality time each week during molting season, brushing your darlings:
--in another room--or even on the porch. patio, what-have-you. Cats usually love this and it's very relaxing for us, too.
We had a cat that was insanely fond of being combed. Show him the comb, or just say,"comb", and he was all over you to get some.

LOL ... I have three cats and two are the polar opposite about brushing. The other is right in the middle ... "I'll let you do it for awhile, if you must"

[John from Brookston]

Mine are in the bed before we got to sleep but once the machines are turned on (especially mine) none of them stay ON the bed....

First Night I allowed him into the bedroom, Bart was all ready to insist on sharing my pillow, then I masked-up and hit the button. I don't who went "WHOOSH!" louder, the 760 or Bart flying off the bed, out of the bedroom, and into the utility closet...
Some nights he will sleep on the opposite corner of the bed from the blower. Then when the alarm goes off and I shut the machine off and turn on our pitiful local "news", he comes up to snuggle...

Haven't had any trouble with hair, and he was shedding something fierce when I brought him in. Flea allergy caused most his underfur to fall out.

[Papit]

Vacuum your pillows before bed!

Julie is likely on the right track although just taking the bed pillow to another room for a moment and giving it a few swats to remove cat hair could be more practical.

Static electricity from dry wiping a mask's seal, whether with a tissue OR one's sheet, could easily be what attracts the hair from a pillow. Two of our three cats like to sleep with us. Last night, for the first time, I got tickled by a hair in the nasal mask I just began experimenting with. Before this I've been using a pillows mask for several months. The moist wipe idea sounds like a winner.