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The 5 Best Cat Brushes, According To A Groomer
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Most cats don’t love sitting through a proper grooming session to deal with tangled fur and mats, so it’s important to choose a grooming brush that’ll work quickly and effectively. Even though there’s a wide variety of grooming brushes on the market, according to Jacque Opp, certified feline master groomer, the best cat brushes include grooming tools with soft silicone bristles and durable combs with steel tines that remove hair easily while being gentle on your cat’s skin. “Cats don’t have a lot of patience so I recommend being thoughtful with your brushing methods. Being effective in a short time frame makes a difference,” Opp tells Bustle.
The length of your cat’s coat will be a deciding factor when choosing a brush. For short-haired cats, Opp recommends a two-step approach. “My clients have great success with a silicone curry followed up with a metal comb,” says Opp. “The metal comb will need to have teeth very close together to be effective.” Besides being gentle on kitty’s sensitive skin, Opp says silicone brushes are long-lasting and can easily be cleaned and sanitized.
“A metal comb will be the most effective [tool] for long-haired cats,” says Opp, so you can skip the silicone brush if your pet has long fur. “I would avoid any type of rectangular slicker brush,” cautions Opp, since that type of brush can easily miss tangles.
What’s more, Opp would “completely avoid a brush with hooked teeth” and ones that are labeled for shedding, which can be damaging to your pet’s delicate hair and skin. And even armed with the best cat brushes, you may run into some resistance from your cat. “I am a big fan of positive reinforcement,” says Opp. She recommends trying treats, like Churu lickable purées, to get your kitty on your side.
With that in mind, scroll on for the best grooming tools that might actually make your cat enjoy being brushed.
1Groomer’s Pick: An Easy-To-Clean Silicone Brush
Opp recommends this silicone brush, which has soft, flexible bristles that are gentle on cats’ sensitive skin. The brush also has a removable screen that traps the brushed-out hair and makes cleanup super easy. Side grips make the brush comfortable to hold, and the back side has short bristles that are perfect for getting cat hair off furniture.
One cat parent’s take: “I auditioned about 10 different brushes for my finicky Siamese cats who didn't like to be brushed. This was the clear winner. My cats love to be brushed now and it takes a good amount of hair off in one session. Ridiculously easy to clean [...].”
2Groomer’s Pick: The Best Cat Brushes On A Budget
Another recommendation from Opp, this affordable cat grooming set features two stainless steel combs with smooth, rounded tines that will be gentle on kitty’s skin. The set includes one large and one small comb so you can efficiently groom different areas of your cat’s fur, and each comb has both dense and wide teeth that’ll help remove loose hair and tangles. This popular comb set has earned a 4.7-star rating after more than 2,800 Amazon customers weighed in.
One cat parent’s take: “Best comb for long-haired pets! This is the only comb that our cat has tolerated and he's sooo relaxed. He was a nibbler and a swiper when I used to brush him. We went through five different brushes before finding this product. So easy to clean and less hairballs and no mats for our baby. Easily detangles with soft, short strokes.”
3A Fan-Favorite Metal Comb
With more than 4,100 perfect five-star ratings from pet parents, this is a wildly popular cat comb that can be used to groom both short- and long-haired kitties. The comb has alternating long and short teeth made from stainless steel that will brush your kitty’s undercoat and loosen tangles. The comb also has a long, nonslip handle that’s easy to manage and comfortable to hold.
One cat parent’s take: “I have a 15 year old long hair cat, she is in good health, but having a harder time grooming herself. I have tried other dematting brushes and they were a battle. My cat didn't mind this one and she is completely silky smooth and tangle free after one session.”
4A Small Silicone Brush That’s Easy To Hold
This compact cat brush has a round design and a nonslip hand grip, so you may find it easier to maneuver than other brushes. Plus, the smaller size is great for grooming cats’ faces and paws. The brush has flexible silicone bristles that quickly and gently remove loose fur, and reviewers recommend wetting the bristles slightly to catch even more hair. It’s a popular pick with pet owners and has earned more than 3,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
One cat parent’s take: “[...] There are 3 things I really love about this brush compared to every other type we have tried. First, it gets a ton of hair off our cats. This brush has gotten piles of fur off cats who don't seem to shed all that much and on whom brushing has never seemed all that beneficial. Second, the soft bristles don't irritate the cats' skin at all, making this a great brush to use frequently. Third, our cats LOVE this brush! If I grab it, they run to me to be brushed, which has never happened with previous grooming tools. It's also easy to clean, pretty easy to contain the fur from the cats, and very easy and ergonomic to hold. I definitely recommend this little brush to anyone with cats!”
5The Best Silicone Mitts
If your short-haired cat doesn’t like traditional brushes, these grooming gloves with silicone tips might be a good alternative. Reviewers especially love the gloves for grooming tails and bellies easily. In addition to the short silicone bristles, the gloves have breathable, fast-drying mesh panels, stretchy elastic-spandex fabric around the fingers, and adjustable wrist straps for a better fit. They’re also easy to clean by hand or machine washing. Another Amazon favorite, these gloves have more than 26,000 five-star ratings.
One cat parent’s take: “My cat and I love these grooming gloves!! They work so well on our domestic short-hair kitty! She’s in pure heaven when we use them and the amount of fur that comes off every time is astounding. I love that I can easily get around her neck and head-easier than a brush [...].”
Expert:
Jacque Opp, Certified Feline Master Groomer & Certifier
