Can you brush the spots off an Ocicat? (...I'm serious!)

Goofy I know, but our two Ocis came from a breeder who advised against excessive brushing on the grounds that it could eliminate their spots! We only brush our Ocis once every couple of weeks, and it is necessary as, even though they are short-haired cats, they are chocolate/silver and, if left unbrushed, they deposit a lot of silver fur on all fabrics.

So, silly as it sounds, can you brush the spots off an Ocicat?

The silvers do tend to shed a bit more, I comb mine with a flea comb every few weeks.

You are not going to brush their spots off I wouldn't use anything like a slicker on them, as it can damage the coat but unless you pulled out every ticked hair that forms the spotting you couldn't just brush them out.

Originally Posted by missymotus

The silvers do tend to shed a bit more, I comb mine with a flea comb every few weeks.

You are not going to brush their spots off

I wouldn't use anything like a slicker on them, as it can damage the coat but unless you pulled out every ticked hair that forms the spotting you couldn't just brush them out.

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Thank you! What's a slicker?

This is a slicker


I wouldn't use that, or any other fur stipping tools on an Oci.

Got it!

Is there a particular kind of brush that you would recommend? Wait a minute...a flea comb, right? How fine?

I've only seen one kind of flea comb, no difference in tooth width.

The other comb I use sometimes is JW Gripsoft fine tooth comb, it's not as fine as the flea comb but it's larger so harder to misplace
http://www.petco.com/product/4382/JW...Cat-Comb-.aspx
That comb is okay for the silvers, but the other colours are better with the finer flea comb.

I've only used a small flea comb on my Oci's. They really don't shed much. But I have heard the silvers do tend to shed a bit more due to their slightly longer coats.

BTW we need to see some pics of your Oci. We had to get a new camera so I'll be taking more pics soon (and especially next week at the show).

It's nice to see you here again, Missy & GK45; you were both very helpful and encouraging when we first got the Oci kittens and had a couple of small health issues.

They just turned two years old and are wonderful cats, marvellous with the children, sociable, sweet-natured, athletic, affectionate. What a fantastic breed this is, we lucked out. Pherber, the young lady, is a little overweight, not much, but I might just seek the vet's advice about this at some point. She's very active and tears about the place like a loon so I'm not too concerned. I will post pics soon. Meanwhile, thanks, as always, for the expert guidance.

Wow they are 2 yrs old already???? Charlie will be 3 yrs end of summer and Jack is just a baby at 6 1/2 months. But Jack is the least behaved cat we've owned (to put it mildly) - thinking about writing a book (hubby's suggestion). Instead of a Marley and Me, it will be a Jack and Me. He's the equivalent of a Marley!

The best way of dealing with seasonal shedding/moulting of shorthairs (normal grooming, not for show preparation) is to use a rubber zoom groom. It gently removes the loose hairs from the coat and they form a wad on the rubber brush which can be easily removed and put in the bin. This won't remove tangles so use a flea comb on the hairiest parts (usually the lower abdomen and 'bloomers' area) first. But it is fantastic for getting those hairs that are just about ready to deposit themselves onto your upholstery!

You will not groom out the spots, you'd have to remove patches of the fur for that to happen! If you're not preparing for a show, there is usually no need to groom a shorthair very much unless there is seasonal moulting going on (contrary to popular opinion, seasonal moults, like many things in nature, are brought about by length of daylight hours, and heating/air conditioning has little impact). During moults the zoom groom is superb. Unless you're showing you don't need to worry about slickers and all that. Shorthair coats are low maintenance.

Ep, I would not use anything other then a flea comb on the Ocicats. That is the only thing an Ocicat breeder will use. Most other combs/brushes would ruin the coat and pattern.

The spots are formed from the tipping and if too much is broken off by brushing, you can mess up the look. The Zoom is fine for cat's like Siamese/Oriental where the coat is a little different.

Most breeders will tell you either use a flea comb or just dampen the hands and pet them to get the loose coat.

The only way you would be able to brush the spots off is to brush the guard hairs off completely and I doubt you're able to do that.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Ep, I would not use anything other then a flea comb on the Ocicats. That is the only thing an Ocicat breeder will use. Most other combs/brushes would ruin the coat and pattern.

The spots are formed from the tipping and if too much is broken off by brushing, you can mess up the look. The Zoom is fine for cat's like Siamese/Oriental where the coat is a little different.

Most breeders will tell you either use a flea comb or just dampen the hands and pet them to get the loose coat.

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All a zoom groom does is attract (by static) hairs to the brush that are already loose - those that were already coming out. It doesn't pull any hair out from the root. It will not hurt an Ocicat's markings in any way, it just collects the hair that is already shed or about to be shed and is lying loose in the coat.

OK - thanks for the clarification. I've really only used the little flea comb on almost all my cats and it works well for me.