(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

[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.