You can shred the batting with metal pet combs, but honestly a waste of time. Use your valuable time for something more productive. I will sew together strips that are at least 2-3 inches or wider for small projects. But otherwise, I cut them into smallish pieces to make a stuffed draft dodger or a funny pillow with a hollow for cats. If you have a lot of leftovers, make a bolster or a larger hollowed pillow for a dog. My brother uses them to protect the couch from his minipins. They LOVE the hollow!