(no subject)

[subluxate]

Does anyone have any experience with either the Furminator or the Groominator brush?

Hawkeye is a longhair, quite possibly half Maine Coon, and she has a dense undercoat. A wire brush doesn't cut it, nor does a Zoom Groom. Ava is a medium-hair with a fine undercoat, and she's too sensitive-skinned for a wire brush.

We definitely need a brush that's going to be good for them, since it's going to start heating up here soon and I don't want either of them to mat up. (Hawkeye is more prone to it.) A lion cut is out of the question for various reasons, partly having to do with the fact that Hawkeye will plot our deaths and partly because Ava will throw a temper tantrum the likes of which the world has never seen. (Another part is rough play; none of the cats set out to injure, but they play hard.)

Any suggestions are welcome, preferably under about $25.

Edit: Thanks, everyone! I went with the Furminator.

Comments

[healingmirth]

When you say a wire brush won't work, do you just mean the slicker brushes with the little tiny bristles? I've got a brush that my cat (part Maine coon, but not a particularly dense coat, just long) loves. It might be properly called a pin brush? It has a wooden handle and thicker metal bristles with rounded tips, set in a flexible bed. The one I have doesn't have the little beads on the end of the pins like brushes for humans typically do, so I don't have to worry if he chews on it.

I don't have the faintest idea of the brand, but hopefully this comment notification will remind me to come back to this when I get home, if it sounds like it might work.

[subluxate]

Yeah, that's the one I mean--flat wire bristles in a broad bed. It doesn't catch the loose fur for Hawkeye because her coat is so think, and Princess Fluffypants (Ava) cries if that one is used on her because her skin is sensitive.

[healingmirth]

Found it -

http://www.chrissystems.com/grooming-tools/brushes-/pet-grooming-show-dog-and-cat-pin-brushes.aspx

Like I said, my cat doesn't have a dense coat that needs a ton of grooming to thin out, so this may not be what you're hoping for, but a pin brush should definitely both get through her coat like a comb would, but with a bit of give, and one of these isn't nearly so irritating as the tips of slicker brush bristles are. I'm sure you can find similar, cheaper pin brush options to try out at your local pet supply store, though.

[subluxate]

Ah, thank you. I'm going to look on Amazon and have my wife look at WalMart. (We don't have a pet store--small town.)

[rosefox]

Furminators are BOSS. You will brush off an entire extra cat the first time you use it. It's really very impressive.

[subluxate]

I keep hearing that! Furminator it is.

[codyne]

I have a long-haired cat with a very thick undercoat, she sounds like your Hawkeye. I tried a Furminator with her and it didn't work, it just slid over the top of her very thick fur. I use a combination of brushes and combs on her: a pin-brush (not a slicker) to get out the loose hair, a shedding comb to work into the undercoat and get out even more loose hair, and a mat breaker to get into the really packed undercoat. She still gets mats occasionally, but if I catch them early I can generally get them out with the pin brush and shedding comb. I have to brush her every day, and it's fortunate that she's not sensitive and seems to enjoy it, because her coat takes a lot of work.

For your sensitive girl, I think you can get pin brushes with plastic bristles instead of wire, those would be gentler if she can't take a normal pin brush. You could even try a human hair-brush.

Good luck!

[subluxate]

Ooh, human hairbrush. Hadn't thought of that. I'll definitely give it a shot; she might like it more. She definitely needs something.

If the Furminator doesn't work for Hawkeye, I'll try your suggestions. I'm having my wife look for a shedding comb, definitely, since I've heard very good things about them for such thick-furred cats. My mom also recommended a mat breaker, and I have one marked on an Amazon wishlist for later, just in case.

[wyldbutterflies]

We use the furminator on two of our five cats - not all the cats love it (and one just won't sit still enough for brushing yet), but it has been very useful for removing the thick undercoats and decreasing shedding. The one that really needs the furminator tho - the one who has Maine Coon in his blood - hates the damn thing.

I have heard that people have mixed results from this, so I would suggest that if you do decide to go with the furminator, you check out the return policy of the store you purchase from. Some pet stores will take an item back if you have tried it and can't use it.

[subluxate]

I bid for one off eBay, since it's cheaper than even Amazon. I'll just resell it if it doesn't work out for us.

[iosonochesono]

I love the Ferminator, but my cat doesn't like it so much. Still, it definitely helps reduce her hair and furballs.

You really will brush out an entire extra cat, particularly during shedding season.

Though, I should probably also point out she hates all forms of being brushed and if she had her way she would just shed and cough hairballs etc. her whole life. Not that she likes coughing hairballs up either.

[subluxate]

I apparently won an auction for a Furminator while I was asleep, so Furminator it is! Thank you.

[musyc]

I have a thingummie called ShedMonster for my longhaired boy. He doesn't enjoy being combed but it does get a good handful of loose fur out every time.

[subluxate]

I was wondering about those, too. I wound up going with the Furminator, though, since I heard such great things about it.

[white_rabbit]

I loooove my furminator. They are pricey, but worth it. Though for your cat if it is larger and does have a very thick coat, they make bigger ones for dogs as well. But I use mine on my very large, very fluffy prussian blue mix and it really does cut down on the shedding. I could make a sweater or two out of the undercoat it pulls out. :3

[subluxate]

My big girl should weigh fourteen or fifteen pounds ("should" because she's that build, but she's always been very skinny), but the smallest cat is about seven pounds.

I went with a cat/small dog-sized Furminator. Thanks.