Cats totally HATE The Furminator. Need technique help!!!

[ann phoenix]

Both my Maine Coon hairy mixes absolutely HATE the Furminator.  The boy (almost 20 lbs. at 8 months!) hates it so much he even has hissed and acted like he was going to bite me.  He's normally a very sweet boy, but he just absolutely hates the Furminator with a passion.  The girl is a little better but still doesn't like it.  They both whine/cry the entire time I am brushing them and fight to get away all the time which makes it really hard to do the brushing with the Furminator.

Does anyone know of a technique to use to get the cats to tolerate the Furminator?  I have talked to them, hugged them tight and done everything I can think of and am at my wit's end.

I read about how other cats love being brushed with the Furminator, so what is wrong with my kitties?  What can I do to get them just to tolerate it some?

Help!!!

 

[GemsGem]

I'm a dog groomer and I also own maine coons. I would just like to point out that the ferminator does not work on all types of coat. I cannot use it on my maine coons either. It seems to rip the top coat out (which hurts ) rather than take the undercoat out. It works fine on my moggies and they love it. But NOT my maine coons
It does work on most types of coat ( dog or cat ) but there are just a few coat types it does not work for and hurts them instead.

 

[ann phoenix]

OOOOOOH!  How horrible that I was hurting my kitties and not realizing it.  I get it.  Well, guess that Furminator goes to someone else.

May I ask you as a Professional Cat Groomer what you use then for the Maine Coons to groom them?

 

[GemsGem]

The best thing to use on any longhaired cat is a moulting comb. The kind with long and short pins. These get right down to the skin to remove all the lose under coat.

Brushes are of little use on long haired breeds. All they do is fluff the top of the coat up, they don't get right down to the skin and the under coat, which is where the lose fur is and the knots form

Always a comb never a brush is the rule to remember

 

[pinkman]

The furminator isn't my DLH's favorite either.

What works is loosening up the hair with the Zoom Groom, and then using a metal COMB. The moulting comb works great on him, but I also use a standard comb with the wider spaced teeth and narrow spaced teeth. 

Greyhound combs also seem to be a pretty popular tool. 

 

[ann phoenix]

I own a comb already, so The Furminator will be given to someone else...thanks all for the help.  I feel so badly that I hurt my babies--with all good intentions--but I did...sigh.  

Now the next job is to start brushing their teeth.  Yeah, I know....good luck on that one, too...LOL!

Clipping the boy's nails is a chore he fights me so much.  The girl is much mellower and easy to do.  Wonder why such a difference in cats?