I guess I'd have to trade in my two black cats if I bought this bedding! It's seriously beautiful and serene looking but that would only last a few minutes before someone got the bright idea to christen the set with a hairball. I think this should be rated: NO PETS.

We have a white cat, and so it would be perfect...

I have white and blue quilts and shams (ALWAYS white sheets) and two cats. No problema.

Tobermory, I have a tri-color beagle who sleeps at the foot of the bed (whether I'm in it or not--I think he'd spend the whole day lounging in my bed if I didn't shut the bedroom door in the morning!) and only ever use white bed linens. I think it was another ATer who pointed out that the advantage of white bedding when you have pets is that you can bleach your linens often, which banishes the pet smell.

Side topic - anyone know how to wash a down filled duvet? I'm not a fan of dry cleaning...

You can machine wash and dry a down comforter or pillow, but the problem is fitting it into a standard size home washing machine. You can take it to a cleaner, who can machine wash and dry it for you, or check out a laundromat than might have larger machines.

add a total of four or five tennis balls at various places where you loosely fold the comforter as you place it in the dryer. it will dry faster and more uniformly, though you may still have to reach in periodically to refold so that the damp areas inside are turned outside.