Doesn't like being brushed

So, I'm not sure if this is the right forum but anyways...My cat Luna doesn't seem to like being brushed. She'll sit for it for a minute or two and then tries to get away. Is this normal? Any advice or suggestions would be great.
Thanks.

most cats don't like being brushed at all, so it's not unusual that Luna runs away. i do have one male cat that loves to be brushed, but he's a nut. :-) for the most part, cats are really sensitive at the base of their tail. you can try brushing, but stay about an inch or two away from the base of their tail if you do. otherwise, they will love their head and shoulders brushed.

My kitten hates being brushed, she attacks the brush... I use the zoom groom because it is gentle (so I do not irritate her baby skin) and she just bats and bites at it. My older cat loves being brushed but only on his face... He also insists on making an obstacle course of the process by getting one stroke then walking away, rubbing on a wall and coming back (he likes to be brushed on his terms, and never wants to be brushed near his lower belly... aka his fat pouch). I usually just push him gently on his side and gently hold him there to get the job done. What type of brush are you using? I think these things take time, just do little by little if you can, even if you means you have to try it every day.

Originally Posted by trixie23

My kitten hates being brushed, she attacks the brush... I use the zoom groom because it is gentle (so I do not irritate her baby skin) and she just bats and bites at it. My older cat loves being brushed but only on his face... He also insists on making an obstacle course of the process by getting one stroke then walking away, rubbing on a wall and coming back (he likes to be brushed on his terms, and never wants to be brushed near his lower belly... aka his fat pouch). I usually just push him gently on his side and gently hold him there to get the job done. What type of brush are you using? I think these things take time, just do little by little if you can, even if you means you have to try it every day.

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i have two kinds of brushes. One has little plastic balls on the tip of each bristle (like a human hair brush) and one just has the wire bristles. They are both flat. The second one gets the most hair but she like that one less.

Tomas isn't too fond of being brushed, but for the most part that's because he's still a kitten and doesn't like staying still for it. He'd also rather chew on the zoom groom.

Originally Posted by feral65

most cats don't like being brushed at all, so it's not unusual that Luna runs away. i do have one male cat that loves to be brushed, but he's a nut. :-) for the most part, cats are really sensitive at the base of their tail. you can try brushing, but stay about an inch or two away from the base of their tail if you do. otherwise, they will love their head and shoulders brushed.

Click to expand...

Sho loves for the base of his tail to be brushed and scratched, almost to the point that he's obsessive of it. If you try to scratch his head he'll turn around to try to make you scratch his tail, he'll even back up onto my lap to try to force me to scratch there.

Hoping to forestall that problem, I started brushing my two youngest when they were still babies, with the result that they absolutely adore being brushed and combed. I just have to hold the comb or brush up and they come running, begging for their turns.

Something to start turning your brush haters into brush likers is to start slow and start with a petting session. Using your hand pet then and scratch them where they like to be petted and scratched and then slip in a brush 'pet' along with your hand. Work up to the number of brush strokes you can get in until you are almost alternating between pet and brush or use the brush while scratching the chin or whatever. When you start your objective isn't to brush the cat but to allow the cat to learn to enjoy being brushed. Don't worry so much if you succeed in getting a lot of hair at first, and don't try to confine the cat. Let the cat walk around rubbing up against you enjoying the petting, and eventually letting the brush do more and more of the contact. Let the cat walk away when he has had enough. Eventually, you will find that he will begin to enjoy the brushing and you can then start being more serious in your brushing. Remember, though, if he shows signs of aggression towards the brush - or play - that is the time to stop trying to brush him. You want him to see it as something pleasurable. Four of my 5 love being brushed - the 5 one tolerates it in small doses although she loves a gentle combing along her back and face.

Fred doesn't mind being brushed on most days but Ginger wants to be brushed/petted on her terms . I use a small furminator on Fred and a flat wire brush on Ginger. She hates the furminator to the point that if she sees me walking toward her with it in my hand, she'd take off.

I've heard the Zoom Groom is good but haven't tried it. Bijou loves to be brushed around the head (ears, under the chin, cheeks, etc.) but not so much on his body. But then Bijou also loves to be vacuumed so he's not your average kitty.

My kitten and cat just want to bite their zoom groom, I also noticed their hair likes to stick to the brush... I find it easier to pull the hair out of the wire brushes. Im still attempting to use it tho with my kitten!

Neko tolerates being brushed, but will occasionally bite it. Diego on the other hand hates it. I did manage to brush him a little then held the brush up when he started to attack. The result of this was, he started sniffing the bristles then started to rub his face against it

Cats are fun