Cat Brushes. There are tons of sizes and styles. Grooming is an essential part of maintaining your cat's health. Like any task, having the right tool for the job at hand is crucial. While a variety of cat brushes, combs and rakes may be combined during a grooming session, cat brushes are especially helpful for removing dry, dead skin from your cat's coat along with excess hair while distributing the natural oils in the coat. With a few tips before shopping you can buy the right cat brushes to make your cat's coat shiny and smooth!
Features to Consider in a Cat Brush Bristle type (hard, soft, pin or wire, slicker, palm)
Materials
Design
Comfort of use
Durability
Ability to clean
Safety
Performance
Type and length of coat intended for
Problem area brush will address
Desirable Features in a Cat Brush
Appropriate bristle type
Appropriate size
Performance
Easy to use
Cat enjoys or tolerates
Features to Avoid in a Cat Brush
Avoid having only one type of brush! Sometimes you will need a variety of grooming brushes to effectively groom your cat.
Hard plastic bristles that can scratch your cat
Ideal Cat Brush Choice
An ideal choice for a cat brush for your cat depends on the type of coat your cat has. In general, the ideal choice is a brush that will remove dry, dead skin from your cat's coat along with the excess hair while distributing the natural oils in the coat. Hard brushes are an ideal choice to keep the dense coats of shorthair cats from knotting and soft brushes can be used effectively on cats with short, sleek coats. Pin or wire brushes are the ideal choice (along with combs) to keep longhair cats' coats from knotting.
Shopping & Safety Tips for Buying a Cat Brush
Always brush gently from front-to-back and reassure your cat with a soothing voice.
The bristles of a brush may be soft or hard. Hard bristles keep the dense coats of shorthair cats from knotting. Soft bristled brushes can be used effectively on cats with short, sleek coats.
Pin or wire brushes have metal bristles that are farther apart than regular brushes. They keep longhair cats' coats from knotting as do metal combs. Brush first with a pin brush, then with a hard or soft brush to distribute the cats' oils through his coat.
A slicker brush is a flat, metal brush with small, fine wire bristles about one half inch long all over its surface. The bristles are bent at a right angle and help trap loose hair. Grooming first with a slicker then following it with a soft-bristled brush makes your cat's coat shiny and smooth. Slicker brushes can be used on shorthair or on a longhair cat, even one that has an undercoat such as the Himalayan or Persian.
Palm-held rubber brushes are another alternative if your cat has an aversion to regular brushes. These small brushes are easily concealed in your hand and enable you to groom your cat while petting him.
If you have a senior cat that is sensitive to the wire brushes, look for a brush that has plastic tipped teeth. This may be more comfortable next to the skin for your older cat.