What Kinds Of Brushes Should I Use On My Cats? Answers By Dr. Alisa Alden

How to choose a brush for your cat?

Choosing the perfect brush for your cat will depend on some important factors.

• Type of coat
• Different brushes and tools are required depending on the coat type your cat has. 
• Living arrangements
• Cats living outside will need help to rid their coat of dirt, debris, and prickles. 
• Grooming tolerance
• Cat-friendly brushes should make grooming pleasurable. Not all brushes are created equal and cats can be quite sensitive. 
• Age
• Older cats and those with arthritis or injury may need softer brushes and more frequent grooming. 
• Health 
• Cats with existing dermatological conditions may have different requirements

How do I rate? 

• Brush Size
• The size of the brush head should beappropriate for the size of your cat. A very large wide brush head will be hard to use on a small, or elderly cat. The brush head needs tomaneuver across the back, belly, legs, chest, and underarms. 
• A brush with agentle curve can be pleasant
• Bristle quality
• The quality of the bristles will enable the brush to perform the task it is required to. 
• Are the bristles straight or angled? Hard or soft? Are they robust or do you lose a bristle or two with every use?
• Ease of use
• Look for brushes with great ergonomics. They should be easy to hold and use, with a comfortable grip.
• Make sure the brush is easy to maintain and clean
• Dual-function brushes can save time and money. 
• Cat satisfaction
• Does the cat like being brushed? A cat that enjoys being groomed will start to purr, knead, or rollover. 
• Price point
• Is the brush affordable? Fancy brushes with many functions may sound great but if they have a high price point and require more maintenance, or break often, then it may not be suitable. 

Essential for long hair cats

Histotree Cat Steel Comb For Daily Use

Histotree Cat Pin Brush For Daily Use

HisToTree Cat Self Cleaning Slicker Brush Gently Removes Loose Undercoat

HisToTree Cat Brush with Soft Rubber Pins Gently Removes Loose, Shed Fur

HOP Cat Brush With Boar Bristl Gentle Easy Grooming Massage

HOP Cat Dual-Headed Bristle And Rubber Brush Removing Dirt & Loose Hair

Long hair cats have special grooming needs compared to short-haired cats. To help control their thick undercoat, and keep their coat detangled, a unique set of grooming tools is required. 

Long hair cats also need to be brushed more frequently, sometimes daily, to reduce the occurrence of mats and hairballs. 

Long hair cats are prone to tangles or knots under the arms and between the legs. You will need a metal comb or pin brush for daily use, a curved slicker brush to remove the undercoat, and a soft rubber or bristle brush to leave a smooth finish. 

For efficiency, look for a dual-headed brush that has pins on one side and bristles on the other. 

Essential for medium hair cats

Histotree Cat Wide Tooth Pin Comb For Daily Use

HisToTree Cat Self Cleaning Slicker Brush Gently Removes Loose Hair

As with long hair cats, those with medium hair will need extra attention and regular brushing. 

Look for an easy-to-use, wide tooth comb for everyday maintenance and a slicker brush to remove dirt and loose hair. 

A self-cleaning slicker brush will make clean-up a breeze as they have retractable bristles allowing the fur to be easily removed. 

Essential for short hair cats

Histotree Cat Silicone Curry Brushes For Daily Use

HisToTree Cat Brush with Soft Rubber Pins Gently Removes Loose, Shed Fur

Short hair cats are sleek and smooth and as a result, will need different brushes. 

Rubberorsilicone curry brusheshelp remove loose hairs and stimulate natural oil production, leaving the coat shiny. Mit brushes can be very easy to use on cats with short hair. 

Essential for matted fur

Histotree Double Sided Shedding, Dematting Undercoat Rake

Matted fur can be painful and needs a special tool to help detangle and remove it. 

Dematting brushes are made with rows of steel teeth designed to cut through the mat, but not your cat. The teeth should be contoured with blunted ends to be gentle on the skin. 

Essential for deshedding

Histotree Cat Deshedding Tool For Large And Small Cats

Deshedding tools reach below the top coat into the deep, thick undercoat and help remove buildup of dead and loose hair. 

This can be very helpful for reducing hairballs in long hair cats. The bristles are usually made of steel and can cut through mats and tangles with ease. 

Essential cat brush for dandruff

Histotree Cat Pin Brush For Daily Use

HisToTree Cat Brush with Soft Rubber Pins Gently Removes Loose, Shed Fur

Dandruff is caused by dry skin and daily brushing can help stimulate the skin's natural oil production and create a smooth, glossy coat. 

Use a combination of a pin brush along with abristle brush to work the oils through the coat.Silicone and rubber curry brushes are also great at this. 

Best gentle, comfortable comb, suitable for daily grooming

Histotree Cat Wide Tooth Pin Comb For Daily Use

HOP Cat Brush With Boar Bristl Gentle Easy Grooming Massage

HappyCatGloves Cat Rubber Mit Gloves For Daily Grooming

SlopPup Cat Rubber Brush Gently Removes Loose, Shed Fur

Daily grooming brushes should be quick and easy to use, and also pleasurable for your cat. Look for small,wide-toothed combsorsoft bristle brushes to leave the coat smooth and shiny.Rubber mit gloves orcurry brushes are also great for daily use. 

Essential brush for cats that hate to be brushed

HisToTree Cat Brush with Soft Rubber Pins Gently Removes Loose, Shed Fur

HappyCatGloves Cat Rubber Mit Gloves For Daily Grooming

HOP Cat Brush With Boar Bristl Gentle Easy Grooming Massage

For kitties that hate to be groomed try using asoft rubberorsilicone brush. 

Alternatively, agrooming glove or mit brushcan be more tolerable for sensitive cats as they mimic petting. 

Look for soft brushes with thicker, shorterbristles, and choose plastic over metal. Consider a long-handled brush to help you stay safe in case Fluffy uses her fangs. 

Essential cat undercoat brush

HisToTree Cat Self Cleaning Slicker Brush Gently Removes Loose Hair

Histotree Double Sided Shedding, Dematting Undercoat Rake

To remove your cat's undercoat you need a brush that will reach deep past the topcoat. 

Undercoat rakes are made from sharp metal teeth that can cut through mats and tangles in the undercoat. 

Look for one with curved teeth that will be gentle on your cat's skin and are easy to clean.Slicker brushesandde-matting brushescan be used for this purpose.

Author - Dr. Alisa Alden BSc BVMS MRCVS Alisa
https://au.linkedin.com/in/alisa-alden