My oldest cat CC sheds quite a bit (she always has) and i found her a great brush. the bristles are hard and close together, it really gets out a lot of hair and dead skin. her old brush was soft but it was hard to clean and didn't remove as much hair. the problem is, after a few minutes, my cat gets really mad and starts to bite the brush. maybe it makes her itchy or something, i'm not sure. my question is, are there any brushes out there that are soft AND remove hair?
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Brush Question
- Thread starter ccdogmuffin
- Start Date
I use a zoom groom on Max who is medium haired. It gets a TON of hair off him and he loves it!
yup zoom groom is just marvelous!!!! you can get it at any petstore for around $6-7 and my Loki comes running if I flick the rubber bristles. It's a massage and brushing in one!
Zoom groom is a soft one-piece rubber brush which acts like a magnet for cat or dog hairs. It's great for short-haired cats or dogs, but I don't know about Persians. The zoom groom seems to "massage" the cats more than actually separate hairs. Here's a picture:
http://www.your-petmart.net/catalog/0210-001.shtml
http://www.your-petmart.net/catalog/0210-001.shtml
My two kittens (10 months) are both shorter hair but the calico/white female sheds more than the black and white male. I have a maid clean my apartment, but the hair still builds up fast. I'm going to do the daily brushing thing. How much does one need to brush them? (for how long? Is one pass over the surface enough?) And should I get that zoom groom? And do you brush them all over? Stomache too?
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I definitely vote for the zoom groom. My cats come running when they see it - they LOVE being brushed with it, and it's great for reducing shed hairs in your home.
You can brush your cats all over, including the tummy (if they'll let you). Frequency depends on how much they're shedding - I brush them daily in the spring & fall during shedding season, and about 2-3 times a week the rest of the year.
I usually brush until the amount of hair showing up on the brush is reduced - with the first few passes there'll be a lot of hair coming off, then after a couple of minutes you'll see less hair on the brush. A few minutes (up to five) is usually sufficient for the short-haired cats. If you keep brushing for a very long time or very hard, you may irritate the skin - especially with the hard brush you mentioned in your first post. That's probably why she was biting.
You can brush your cats all over, including the tummy (if they'll let you). Frequency depends on how much they're shedding - I brush them daily in the spring & fall during shedding season, and about 2-3 times a week the rest of the year.
I usually brush until the amount of hair showing up on the brush is reduced - with the first few passes there'll be a lot of hair coming off, then after a couple of minutes you'll see less hair on the brush. A few minutes (up to five) is usually sufficient for the short-haired cats. If you keep brushing for a very long time or very hard, you may irritate the skin - especially with the hard brush you mentioned in your first post. That's probably why she was biting.
Thanks everyone for the tips.. I am going to get one of these brushes.
Pet Guys is by far the cheapest..
http://www.petguys.com/-035585211170.html
Pet Guys is by far the cheapest..
http://www.petguys.com/-035585211170.html
I'm going to get one as well. Only one of mine likes to be brushed the others run a mile or when caught will take your face off if a brush/comb comes anywhere near them! This has got to be worth a try and they are not that expensive either (not ANOTHER waste of money brush hopefully!)
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If you get one, try bringing it out & just laying it down next to them when you pet them, to give them time to get used to it, especially if they have negative associations with being brushed. You can even put some catnip on it if you want.
Then try just petting them with it, in the areas they like to be petted, such as on the face, neck & back. If they're not used to being brushed, it's worthwhile to take it slow & make it a pleasant experience. Do this several times to get them used to brushing being fun, before you try to get to more sensitive areas. By then they should be enjoying the experience, as though it was first-class petting session
instead of a
brushing.
Then try just petting them with it, in the areas they like to be petted, such as on the face, neck & back. If they're not used to being brushed, it's worthwhile to take it slow & make it a pleasant experience. Do this several times to get them used to brushing being fun, before you try to get to more sensitive areas. By then they should be enjoying the experience, as though it was first-class petting session
As good as my word I bought a zoom groom last evening. It is a bit odd so I'm not sure if this is supposed to happen. On fat katy eveything was fine, she is a short hair but it is very thick. Okay on Mischa who is long haired. But on Tulip, who loves to be brushed it got all static and as I brushed along her back all the loose hair gathered round the base of her tail and i had to take it off with my hand. Not that i mind its just - is this normal. Her fur feels like satin and there is not THAT much of it as she is an old skinny little thing to start with. Will this fur gathering get better as the old fur comes out or is that what it is supposed to do. There is more 'fur gathering' on her than on the zoom groom.
(Havent tried with little Dirt, who has the same sort of fur as Tulip, as he just skedaddled when he saw the brush.)
(Havent tried with little Dirt, who has the same sort of fur as Tulip, as he just skedaddled when he saw the brush.)
Sam refuses to be brushed with anything but his flea comb. I tried the zoom groom and he bit me with that as well as several other brushes. I even tried tricking him by showing him the flea comb then brushing him with the other brush while he couldnt see, which worked fine for a few brushes. Soon as he turned and saw the other brush he bit me and took off. As long as I use the flea comb he lays flat on his back purring up a storm and lets me do whatever I want with him (this is when I clip and file his nails too)..Silly kitty
I can relate to the flea comb thing Abby as Tulip just loves that and will wriggle around and purr and get really 'into' the combing. when I stop she pats me with her paw, really hard as well when I dont continue. Maybe it sort of scratches their skin without hurting and just feels nice.
I don't have a biting issue. I just want to know what to use and how, to actually remove hair safely and efficiently.
Zoom grooms don't work very well on Persians. I tried. So if your cat has long, thick fur you might be dissapointed with it. I use a comb to get most of the loose hair out. And they I use a soft brush to kind of finish them. You just have to be gentle with the comb and start at the ends of the hair and work your way in.
Ok. I bought the zoom groom. I was expecting something much more impressive. It does seem to take hair off, but it doesn't stick on the brush. Instead it seems to get loose on the cat or float aroiund in the air. no instructions on the brush. how should one use it?
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Whether or not the hair clings to the brush or just ends up on the cat at the end of the brush stroke seems to depend on how "static"-y the air is.
If the hair doesn't cling to the brush, I'd suggest brushing the cat somewhere that it's easy to vacuum or pick up the hair, or even outside if your cat goes out.
Just stroke the cat with the brush, all over. If your cat is shorthaired and she will let you, you can gently brush against the direction the hair grows (to help loosen up the shedding hairs), then back in the natural direction of the hair growth. If you want, you can follow up with a comb to get the loose hair off, or just wipe it off the cat with your hands. You can rub a pile of loose hair together in your hands to make a knot of it, so it won't blow all over the house. Then just throw away the ball of knotted hair. The zoom groom may not look impressive, but it's the absolute best brush I've found for getting loose hair, and also having the cat enjoy it (a brush isn't much good if your cat won't let you use it)
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If the hair doesn't cling to the brush, I'd suggest brushing the cat somewhere that it's easy to vacuum or pick up the hair, or even outside if your cat goes out.
Just stroke the cat with the brush, all over. If your cat is shorthaired and she will let you, you can gently brush against the direction the hair grows (to help loosen up the shedding hairs), then back in the natural direction of the hair growth. If you want, you can follow up with a comb to get the loose hair off, or just wipe it off the cat with your hands. You can rub a pile of loose hair together in your hands to make a knot of it, so it won't blow all over the house. Then just throw away the ball of knotted hair. The zoom groom may not look impressive, but it's the absolute best brush I've found for getting loose hair, and also having the cat enjoy it (a brush isn't much good if your cat won't let you use it)
