Cats Dont Like to Be Brushed?

I always thought that cats enjoyed when their owners brush them. My babies for the most part do not like it, they will let me do it for about a minute and then they take off running. Anyone else have cats that dont take well to being brushed? Barkley is starting to come around more to the idea that mommy is helping him to look good and feel good, Petunia is going to be a little tougher it seems

I think it takes awhile. When I moved in with my husband, he had been brushing his cat and she just loved it. My Petunia hated it. But he persisted by just doing it for short periods (3-4 strokes at a time). By the time she was older, she was a brush hog. Now we are doing the same with Carly and Lucy. Carly is coming around but Lucy looks at us like we're being silly.

My Delilah has always hated being brushed. She'll tolerate a plain rubber brush for awhile (probably feels just like petting), but if I take out anything made of metal, FORGET IT! I can get maybe 2 strokes in before she starts attacking the brush/comb. This is problematic being that she's a mediumhair and does need to be combed out in some places to avoid matting. I've taken to just doing the best I can and then clipping out any little mats as soon as I find them.

Try brushing their cheeks. My cats love to have their cheeks brushed and end up drooling in happiness, LOL Move to other areas like the sides and front of their neck, top of their head etc. Both of my cats love to be brushed, but I usually start with their cheeks and after that they're right into almost anything I want to do to them, LOL

Two suggestions. 1) Try combing with a fine-toothed comb, instead of brushing. A lot of cats prefer combing to brushing. 2) Get a Zoom Groom brush. Even cats who don't like to be brushed seem to enjoy it, and it removes a lot of hair.

Originally Posted by jcat

Two suggestions. 1) Try combing with a fine-toothed comb, instead of brushing. A lot of cats prefer combing to brushing. 2) Get a Zoom Groom brush. Even cats who don't like to be brushed seem to enjoy it, and it removes a lot of hair.

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I just got a Zoom Groom, and while it does remove a lot of hair, the hair tends to stick to the kitty rather than the brush. Then I have to chase the kitty to get the loose hair off. Is that typical?

ETA: She doesn't like getting brushed, that's why I have to follow her around afterward to collect the hair.

All of mine love to be brushed but the younger ones like it even more, they all hover around when they see that brush, I think it helps when you start when there babies Cammie loves it but she wants to roll all over and walk around when I am trying to brush her, she's got lots of hair to.

I think it depends on what kind of brush you use. My cat Blue has very thick fluffy fur, while my cat Misty who recently passed away had very fine silky hair. For blue I use an undercoat brush and one with the fine metal bristles. For misty I used the type of brush you would use on human hair. If your cat has very fine fur then the metal bristled brush might be painful. I just ordered a Pet Groom Pro brush, the one on TV. I'll let you know how they like that one once I get it.

It just takes some getting used to, when we got Scully he wasn't used to being brushed (and a 30lb cat hitting you for touching him hurts!) but now he lobes it and will turn over so you can brush his other side without prompting.

Just be gentle at first and do a few strokes at a time so they know that it is grooming and not playing or scary.

With the zoom groom, it helps if you run a damp wash cloth over their fur first and then it sticks to the brush better

We started grooming our guys when they were kittens, so they just got used to it. (We also started playing with their feet and trimming their claws then, and now they just sleep through the claw-trimming sessions. ) Oz loves being groomed and will get up and shift sides to give you access to his ungroomed side; Spike is less thrilled with grooming but puts up with it -- he just has to attack the brush from time to time. We have a double-sided brush: one side has round-tipped metal bristles that really get into the fur, and the other side has a multitude of soft plastic bristles that mostly just brush off the fur the other side picks up. I keep meaning to pick up a Zoom Groom; our roommates had one at our last house and the cats just loved it, but when we moved it stayed with them.

My big fat Jasper loves being brushed. But Kitty will only endure it for a few minutes. I think it is because she is so tiny (6 pounds) that it makes her feel uncomfortable.

I know this is going to sound wierd, but then again...cats are just plain wierd!

Trent does NOT like being "brushed". He would try any means possible to walk/run away and hide until I gave up trying. But, he enjoys, or at least puts up with, being "groomed" because one day I sat down with him and the brush and explained that I needed to groom him so he wouldn't get as many hairballs. Ever since then, as long as I call it "grooming" he's OK with it.

With the Zoom, we make it as much about petting as about Zooming. For every stroke with the Zoom we follow with a full hand-pet on the same area to grab the loose fur as we go. Seems to work pretty well.

Originally Posted by jcat

Two suggestions. 1) Try combing with a fine-toothed comb, instead of brushing. A lot of cats prefer combing to brushing. 2) Get a Zoom Groom brush. Even cats who don't like to be brushed seem to enjoy it, and it removes a lot of hair.

Click to expand...

I agree with you jcat my cat love when i use the comb better than the brush actually she has drandruff does anyone know what can i do with that problem? I called my Vet and she said that my cat must take a vitamine for that but should i use a special shampoo or conditioner? My cat has a lot of white flakes all over her back...Thanks in advance.

Lola(my cats name)

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

With the zoom groom, it helps if you run a damp wash cloth over their fur first and then it sticks to the brush better

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Originally Posted by valanhb

With the Zoom, we make it as much about petting as about Zooming. For every stroke with the Zoom we follow with a full hand-pet on the same area to grab the loose fur as we go. Seems to work pretty well.

Click to expand...

Excellent ideas, thank you!!

Oh man, My Mainecoon (abby) she just hates being brushed!!! She used to be a feral cat. She was rescued by a non profit organization and domesticated. She get's matted hair on her lower back, and she will not let me get them out. I usually have to take her to my vet's office to get them out. It takes 2 people to hold her down (she is a very large cat) and then my vet goes at it.

Sometimes she will let me get a couple strokes from a soft brush, but that's it. A groomer would have to sedate her to really groom her well. She takes a bath pretty good though....go figure.

Two of my cats will tolerate being brushed, a little bit at a time, but they don't really like it. The other loves it and will come running at the sight of any brush, even my own hairbrush. Of course, she's the one who doesn't need brushing.

Originally Posted by Lola_R

I agree with you jcat my cat love when i use the comb better than the brush

actually she has drandruff does anyone know what can i do with that problem? I called my Vet and she said that my cat must take a vitamine for that but should i use a special shampoo or conditioner? My cat has a lot of white flakes all over her back...Thanks in advance.

Lola(my cats name)

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Shampooing (even with special conditioner) can dry out your cat's skin more making the flaking worse. Does it happen all the time - it may just be a case of loose skin from shedding for the season, if not, what are you feeding, a higher quality food may help, you you can add fish oils (and many other vitamins) to help keep the coat shiny and the skin from flaking

With the Zoom, we make it as much about petting as about Zooming. For every stroke with the Zoom we follow with a full hand-pet on the same area to grab the loose fur as we go. Seems to work pretty well.

Click to expand...

I also do this if I am combing matts/knots out to help them keep calmer

Hmmm...Marishka wasn't so keen on it when started, but she was littl(er) then and still a baby, so she got used to it quickly.

A little off topic, but my dad's dogs is a german shepher, a big boy at 130 pounds, who absolutely LOVES to be brushed, groomed, everything. He has super thick hair, and it seems to always be shedding. He even comes running when you take out the vacuum because he likes having the tube thing ran over his fur, or if it is one of the smaller dust buster types, he will get in your way until you 'vacuum' him. We vacuum about three times a day to keep up with the hair, so you would think we were getting before it fell off! heh

Gizmo LOVES the Zoom Groom. She purrs and lets me use it.
When I first got it, I'd been trying to brush her with various kitty brushes with indifferent results.
When I gave her three strokes with the Zoom Groom I was incredulous to find the entire thing filled up with hair in that time. It had gotten to fur that the other brushes did not do.

After two brushing sessions I had enough fur to make a six inch felt coaster. Gizmo has a LOT of winter underwear!

If your cat is getting the fur on her, and not in the Zoom Groom, I recommend brushing the cat a little more often. It's a given that when I brush Gizmo most of it winds up on ME.