brushing

my cat sheds a lot! i brush him, but within a few hours the fur goes everywhere if i pet him. i'm having a difficult time keeping my bed fur free. i switched to innova dry food b/c it's supposed to help with the coat. i had him on iams and have been putting less and less iams in the with the innova. now, he's mostly on innova. how often should i brush him and can i brush him too much? how many minutes should i brush him? i use a brush with curved metal bristles and i get a lot of the undercoat each time i brush. it's hard to get his stomach area b/c he rolls around too much. he loves getting brushed, and will roll onto his back, but he runs away when i start brushing his stomach. he's medium hair.

he is likely starting to shed out some of the Iams... In dogs which cats are a touch different ... the coat change over takes 6-10 weeks depending on the foods ....

Originally Posted by EkEkEkEk07

my cat sheds a lot! i brush him, but within a few hours the fur goes everywhere if i pet him. i'm having a difficult time keeping my bed fur free. i switched to innova dry food b/c it's supposed to help with the coat. i had him on iams and have been putting less and less iams in the with the innova. now, he's mostly on innova. how often should i brush him and can i brush him too much? how many minutes should i brush him? i use a brush with curved metal bristles and i get a lot of the undercoat each time i brush. it's hard to get his stomach area b/c he rolls around too much. he loves getting brushed, and will roll onto his back, but he runs away when i start brushing his stomach. he's medium hair.

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Click on the left picture above and you will see my long haired cat. I have to groom him every day and I do not use a brush, I use a comb. That tail alone produces almost a handful of fur every day. But I comb him for about five minutes every morning and I comb him until no more fur comes out with the comb.

You can also try a Furminator which gets out a lot of the fur a regular brush or comb won't get. Since George does not like being brushed/combed - some day's he'll tolerate it tho! - I've been trying a mitt that I found at Petsmart that has "nubs" that brush. George doesn't like that either but I have better luck with that than anything. With George being part Maine Coon - he has lots of hair to deal with!

my cat is medium haired, and i recently switched his food b/c he was shedding EVERYWHERE! it was becoming difficult to breathe in my apartment. i have gone through eight or nine pet hair / lint rollers in the month that i've had him. his coat is improving since he started on the innova diet. i think he needed a better food b/c he was in the shelter for so long. he was sick for two weeks after adoption. i brush him every few days, but am having difficulty brushing his stomach area. he gets excited when i start brushing and will roll onto his back, but he only lets me brush him there for a few seconds, and then he runs away. i tried holding him against me, but he squirms away. he's very docile and friendly...i medicate him, clip his nails, softpaw him, and hold him with no problems, but he does NOT want his stomach brushed. i can't blame him. do other people have trouble with brushing the stomach? any suggestions? i'm hoping the innova improves the full coat. i know he'll always shed, he's a cat, but i'd like to get it under control.

Teach him to stand on two back legs and you hold the front legs/shoulders and comb the belly.

George doesn't like me touching his tummy, not to mention trying to brush or comb it!! But we're working on it!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Teach him to stand on two back legs and you hold the front legs/shoulders and comb the belly.

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This is actually a very good way to do it.

Actually I do that for either long or shot hair - they don't struggle as much if they are only standing stretched out on 2 legs