There’s no denying that cats try very hard to keep themselves clean. They spend at least half of their waking hours in grooming themselves every day, which says a lot about these creatures as they sleep for 18 hours a day. The 2 hours they spend on grooming means they dedicate a large chunk of their days in keeping their coats spick and span. This is why a lot of cat parents do not know that they still need to get the best cat brush for their kitties.
With independent companions who tend to freak out when touched, brushing your cat’s coat may not exactly seem like a good idea. In reality, however, this is an essential grooming activity that your kitty will appreciate.
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Cats & their Brushes: Everything You Need to Know
If you had no idea that your cat needs to be brushed regularly, read on to learn more about this cat grooming task.
Cats and Grooming
Cats are pretty much obsessed with grooming, and it’s not just because they’re high-strung creatures. The constant grooming is a necessity for these animals as this is how they survive in the wild.
It might seem gross and weird for us to see cats lick themselves clean, but in reality, it helps them in so many ways. For one, this clears the food debris that could cling to their coats. By eliminating the remnants of food on their body, they get to minimize the attraction of other predators that could be sniffing them out. This helps them stay under the radar and avoid becoming preys.
Cats also like to lick themselves to keep them warm. By licking themselves, they get to spread out the body oils they have which help seal in heat and prevent the cold from getting under their coat. It also helps them cool down as the evaporation of saliva refreshes them for a bit.
Brushing Your Cat’s Coat: The Basics and Its Benefits
While your cat will most likely do a great job in keeping her skin clean, a little help is always welcome. This is why experts recommend that your cat gets some regular brushing so you can be sure that they’re thoroughly clean and their fur is in excellent condition all the time.
If you’re still not sure whether brushing your cat’s coat is a good idea, here are a few good reasons for you to try it out:
1. It helps prevent fur from matting.
Matted hair tends to form in cats because they naturally shed their coat every once in a while. If the discarded hair gets stuck on dirt and debris that have clung on your pet’s fur, matting will take place.
This will be impossible for your cat to remove and can be a significant cause of infections, stress, and anxiety. Brushing serves as a preventive measure as it will take care of the shed fur right away.
2. It can help you control the mess shedding can make.
By brushing your cat’s fur, you can quickly and efficiently remove and pick up the hair they shed. It won’t have to cling to your clothes and furniture, letting you live a tidier life with your fur baby.
3. It can help keep your cat clean.
While cats do a great job keeping themselves clean, brushing can give a boost to their grooming measures.
4. It can help reduce hairballs.
Because your cat uses her tongue to clean herself, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of these hair enters their system. While most of the strands pass through without a hitch, some tend to get stuck in their stomach and form a hairball. Cats will often release these things through hacking.
While some experts say that hairballs are normal among adult cats, especially those with long fur, it can still pose a risk to a lot of kitties as they can cause a blockage that might just be life-threatening. By brushing them, however, you get to remove as much hair as you can, so there will be less of it for your cat to ingest.
5. It might just be an excellent way for you and your cat to bond.
If your cat allows you to brush her hair, it can be a nice quiet time that the both of you can spend together. It will strengthen your bond and help both of you relax.
How to Choose the Best Brush for Your Cat
Want to start brushing your cat’s fur to help her enjoy its many benefits? Here are a few things that will help you choose the best cat brush.
Different Kinds of Brushes for Your Cat
The first thing you need to know about cat brushes is the fact that they come in different types and styles which are the following:
Shedding Comb/Brush
Designed to remove tangles and dead hair, these cat grooming tools look like regular combs and are available for cats with long and short fur.
Matbreaker
Made for cats with long coats, mat breakers look more like fruit peelers than grooming tools. They have blades instead of teeth or bristles so they can remove knots and tangles without breaking your pet’s hair strands.
Slicker Brush
As the name suggests, these tools are designed to keep your pet’s hair slick and beautiful. They have thin bristles with curved or slanted bases for better reach. They can remove dirt, dander, dead hair, and debris from your pet’s fur, as well as prevent and remove mats.
Mitt Brush
If your pet freaks out when you touch them with something on your hand, the mitt brush, a.k.a. Love glove will be a great alternative to cat brushes. These are gloves with a toothed side so you can quickly and more efficiently detangle your cat’s fur while you pet them.
Shedding Blade
This might just be the scariest brush type as it’s a flat metal loop with serrated edges. You have to run this brush over your pet’s fur, and you can quickly remove their dead hair.
Dual-Sided Cat Brush
Featuring two different sizes of bristles, this brush will help you groom your pet with ease and effectiveness no matter what their coat length is.
Tips on Shopping for a Cat Brush
- All cat brushes can help remove discarded hair, but there are some that have additional benefits. So if you want to get more from these grooming tools, you might want to opt for a more versatile unit.
- It wouldn’t hurt to get a few different types of cat brushes. Your pet might have her own preference when it comes to brushes, so it’s best to be ready to try a few out.
- If you have multiple cats, it’s best to get them their own brushes. As these creatures may have their own preferences, it’s best to come prepared and have a few options ready.
- Make sure to get a brush that’s compatible with the length of your pet’s fur. This way, you’ll have an easier time grooming them.
How to brush a cat video
Top Tips and Tricks on Brushing Your Cat’s Coat
1. Brush a short haired cat once a week and a long haired cat daily.
2. Start brushing your cat’s fur while they’re still kittens. This will help them feel more open to the idea of brushing.
3. Make brushing a part of your routine. Cats are creatures of habit, so they need to feel like brushing is a regular thing. By doing it regularly, they’ll be more used to the idea of being groomed by someone else.
4. Make sure your cat is calm before you try brushing her hair. A cuddle and petting session prior the brushing will help them feel safe and relaxed, so make sure to avoid rushing things.
5. Don’t run the brush along the full length of your cat’s body in a single stroke. Fur can get caught in between the teeth and bristles, and it will hurt your cat. You should try to do short, even strokes instead. Follow the direction of the hair growth and apply a bit of pressure to reach the hair near the skin and to massage them as well.
6. Give your fur baby a treat after brushing her coat. This will help your cat associate brushing with a reward, so they’ll be more willing to get groomed.
Best Cat Brush Review: 7 of the Best Products Today
Ready to shop for your pet’s cat brush? Here are seven of our top picks.
1. The Pet Portal Pro Quality Self Cleaning Slicker Brush for Dogs and Cats
Just like your hair brush, it’s necessary to clean cat brushes after you use them. As it will most likely be filled with cat hair after use, clearing it will be essential so the hair won’t fly away and scatter around the house and so it can effectively do its job on your next brushing.
However, brush cleaning can be a tedious task, so the Pet Portal made sure to keep things simple. Their Pro Quality slicker brush is self-cleaning, meaning it has retractable pins that will let you easily wipe away the hair off. This makes it convenient and very handy to have around, especially if your kitty sheds a lot.
PROS
- One-touch self-cleaning feature
- Available in two sizes
- Large surface area for efficient brushing
- Affordable price
- Works effectively in removing shed hair
- Helps clean and beautify a cat’s coat
CONS
- Can be quite bulky
In need of a deshedding brush at a friendly price? DakPets’ brush for shedding may just do the trick for you. This product features a fine-tooth stainless steel comb that guarantees to remove discarded hair effectively. It also promises to be very durable as the steel won’t break easily.
Also known as a groomer’s rake, this brush will easily help you get rid of shed hair without having to be very skilled in the task. It is made specifically for pets with multiple coats, so if you were having trouble finding the best cat brush for shedding, this might just end your search.
PROS
- Affordable price
- Effective hair removal
- Available in three colors
- Removable comb for easy cleaning
CONS
- Quite wide so it might be hard to use on small cats
Cats can be very picky when it comes to everything so it shouldn’t surprise you that they might hate all the other grooming tools that you got for her. If she likes getting petted, however, this Furminator product might just do the trick. As it doesn’t necessarily use bristles but soft rubber teeth to do the brushing, it might not feel too weird or harsh on your cat’s skin.
Made for cats with short to medium coats, the Curry is designed to be worn on the palm of your hand, so you’re still technically petting your fur baby while using it. It’s ergonomically shaped, so it’s easy for you to hold and so it won’t hit the bony protrusions on your pet. It can also help remove discarded hair from shedding as well as redistribute your cat’s natural oils all over her coat for a more shiny and beautiful look.
PROS
- Does a great job removing discarded hair on short and medium coats
- Easy to hold and use
- Can be a little less intimidating than brushes
- Good for distributing natural oils for a shinier coat
- Very affordable
- Antimicrobial materials used
CONS
- Plastic material can be too hard on some pets
If you have a long-haired cat, it won’t be unusual to find yourself having to clean her brush in the middle of her grooming session. Interruptions might cause impatience on your furball, so it’s best if you can do away with the discarded fur quickly so you can resume brushing in second. This makes self-cleaning brushes like this product from Hertzko handier for most cat parents.
Designed to help you remove discarded hair, untangle mats, and clean your cat’s coat, this slicker brush can be a convenient tool for most cat parents who need to do regular brushing on their kitties.
PROS
- Cleans up in seconds
- Large surface area for efficiency
- Affordable price
- Attractive design
- Very easy to use
CONS
- Tips can be quite sharp so make sure not to apply too much pressure while brushing
Not a fan of the medical-looking cat brushes? Then check out Kong’s Cat Zoom Groom Brush. This product is fashioned like a cat, so it’s also very cute and adorable. It has huge, wide-gap bristles, so it won’t tug and get trapped in your pet’s hair. As it is made of soft rubber, it doesn’t feel too scratchy and won’t hurt your pet when used.
What makes it great is its ability to get rid of shed hair. While its bristles are not close together, it can still help in deshedding your kitty with ease. It also massages them, making every grooming session a great bonding moment as well.
PROS
- Extremely affordable
- Soft material won’t hurt your pet
- Good for massages, removing shed fur, and redistributing natural oils for a sleeker look
- Very easy to use
- Good for both long and short haired cats
CONS
- Can be a bit weird to handle at first
For cats who hate cat brushes with rubber or metal bristles, this Safari product might just do the trick. It makes use of soft but sturdy nylon bristles to help distribute oils for a shinier coat and remove some discarded hair. Users find it very effective in calming down aging cats when stressed as it has a certain soothing effect on them.
However, due to its small size and soft bristles, it might not be an efficient tool if you want to deshed your furball. It’s a great introductory brush for a cat who has never been brushed before, though, as it won’t overwhelm or hurt them with proper use.
PROS
- Gentle on your cat
- Very affordable
- Easy to use
- Great for improving the shine of your pet’s coat
- Good for introducing brushing to cats
CONS
- Can be a pain to clean but you can always find tricks and tips online to make the chore easier
- Might not do a stellar job in deshedding and getting rid of matted hair
Want a self-cleaning brush but not too keen on their high price? Safari’s Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush is an affordable option that you should check out, then.
This product has retracting stainless steel pins that easily folds away in a press of a button. This makes it very easy to clean, allowing you to resume in grooming your hairy cat right away quickly.
The best part? It’s very affordable. The price is hard to beat for its primary feature so it might just be the very grooming tool you’re looking for.
PROS
- Super easy to clean
- Gets rid of shed hair easily
- Very easy to use
- Extremely affordable
CONS
- Tiny stainless steel bristles might poke your cat so use it with great care
Our Recommended Product
When choosing a product that you will use directly on your pet, great care is necessary. Doing so will ensure your cat’s safety and wellbeing, as they won’t be put in any kind risk, guaranteeing that your cat will be healthy and happy with the additional grooming.
If we’re going to pick out the best cat brush from this list, we’ll have to go for the Kong Cat Zoom Groom Brush. This product has almost everything that a cat parent will want in a brush. It’s very cute with its cartoon cat design.
It’s very sturdy and durable, thanks to its soft plastic material. It can also help in deshedding and comfort your kitty. With its very affordable price, it’s just one of the most unbeatable options for the best cat brushes in our book.
If you’re not particularly fond of this product, the other six might just tickle your fancy. We hope our cat brush reviews help you find the right match for your needs, especially since brushing your furball is a necessity your pet shouldn’t go without.
Additional Resources:
http://www.thedailycat.com/health/illness/cat_grooming_health/index.html
https://www.the-cat-guide.com/cat-health-care/matted-fur/
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/what-to-do-about-hairballs-in-cats#1