I'm not sure if this is really feline health or not, but it seems the closest thing to me.
I have a fluffy cat. A very fluffy cat.
And he sheds a lot. He's in perfect health (the vet has never found ANYTHING wrong with him in his lifetime), and he isn't actually losing patches of fur or anything... He's just a fur factory. Definitely, I think, a cat who needs to be brushed.
He's my first longhaired cat, so, while I've had dozens of shorthaired cats... I'm slightly lost.
I need advice on a brush that will actually work. I have a brush right now, and he doesn't mind me using it on him... It seems to amuse him, actually... But it really doesn't seem to help at all. It doesn't get much fur in it, and he sheds on unaffected.
It's a brush with short, firm plastic bristles with those weird little balls on the end of each one. I just grabbed it randomly in the cat aisle of a grocery store one day.
Does anyone with a very fluffy cat with very soft, fine fur have a recommendation on a brush type? Do I need something more like a wire brush or something?
Thanks if you can help. :P
Brushes...
Re: Brushes...
I have a soft wire cat brush that I picked up at walMart....I also have a soft one, almost like a baby brush, that I use on the shorthaired cats...
IF you can....a couple of mine do not mind being vacuumed....you can get pet brush attachments for most vacuums....or a couple of my cats actually prefer the edge cleaner....I do not use powders or chemicals on my floors, so all that would be on the end of the cleaner is dust, dirt, dander...
If you get any matted fur...a seam ripper for sewing is the best thing to use...leave the protective rubber cap on the sharp pointed end, grasp the matted fur firmly in your hand, then slide the seam ripper between the clump of fur and the cat...it neatly slices the matted clump right off of the cat...no cutting skin!!
IF you can....a couple of mine do not mind being vacuumed....you can get pet brush attachments for most vacuums....or a couple of my cats actually prefer the edge cleaner....I do not use powders or chemicals on my floors, so all that would be on the end of the cleaner is dust, dirt, dander...
If you get any matted fur...a seam ripper for sewing is the best thing to use...leave the protective rubber cap on the sharp pointed end, grasp the matted fur firmly in your hand, then slide the seam ripper between the clump of fur and the cat...it neatly slices the matted clump right off of the cat...no cutting skin!!
Re: Brushes...
Soft wire, hmm? It's too bad you can't show me exactly what you have, it would make it easier to get the same thing. Well, that give me an idea though, so thanks. :D
Alas, my cats HAAAAAAAATE the vacuum. They seem to think that I'm Evil Mommy and I vacuum just to terrify them. I keep trying to convince them that if I were going to attack them with it, I already would have... But they don't believe me.
I don't have the slightest idea what a seam ripper is... Hahaha I'm sewing illiterate. That does sound a bit easier than scissors though... My cat HATES when I cut off a clump of fur.
He pretty much hates anything suspicious. I'm lucky he thinks brushing is fun. :P
Alas, my cats HAAAAAAAATE the vacuum. They seem to think that I'm Evil Mommy and I vacuum just to terrify them. I keep trying to convince them that if I were going to attack them with it, I already would have... But they don't believe me.
I don't have the slightest idea what a seam ripper is... Hahaha I'm sewing illiterate. That does sound a bit easier than scissors though... My cat HATES when I cut off a clump of fur.
He pretty much hates anything suspicious. I'm lucky he thinks brushing is fun. :P
Re: Brushes...
I will try to remember to get a digital picture of ours when I get home tonight!
You can get a seam ripper in the sewing department at WalMart....just ask someone who works there....IF you can FIND someone in that department!!!...I don't sew either, but these things are great for matted fur....a friend of mine gave me that hint...her mother shows Persians...
You can get a seam ripper in the sewing department at WalMart....just ask someone who works there....IF you can FIND someone in that department!!!...I don't sew either, but these things are great for matted fur....a friend of mine gave me that hint...her mother shows Persians...
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slvrwhispr
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Re: Brushes...
About the vacuum, just because this is really funny to me...
My cat, Izzy, is normally very cool and collected. Hyperactive, but she rarely startles or gets upset. Now, I've never chased her with the vacuum or anything, and I usually make sure to soothe her before bringing it out. I really try to make it a non-threatening experience for her, but she's not having ANY of it.
Usually she'll just dive under the couch, but this last time I vacuumed, I pulled the couches out to get behind them, so she didn't have her usual hiding place...
She ATTACKED the vacuum! Hissing, spitting, tail puffed up, she just DOVE at it, clawed at it furiously, and then ran for the bathroom... before I even turned the vacuum on! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. She just does NOT like that thing.
My cat, Izzy, is normally very cool and collected. Hyperactive, but she rarely startles or gets upset. Now, I've never chased her with the vacuum or anything, and I usually make sure to soothe her before bringing it out. I really try to make it a non-threatening experience for her, but she's not having ANY of it.
Usually she'll just dive under the couch, but this last time I vacuumed, I pulled the couches out to get behind them, so she didn't have her usual hiding place...
She ATTACKED the vacuum! Hissing, spitting, tail puffed up, she just DOVE at it, clawed at it furiously, and then ran for the bathroom... before I even turned the vacuum on! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. She just does NOT like that thing.
Re: Brushes...
okay...I read the reviews and if it works THAT well....I gotta try it....as one or two of the reviews said....we thought we would be buried in cat hair forever....that is our home....I sweep/vacuum EVERY day and it builds up faster than I can clean...especially on shelves and in corners, etc....
maybe next payday....
maybe next payday....
Re: Brushes...
here is what a seam ripper looks like
I move the rubber protective cap to the longer side of the metal, the side that will be against the skin...
I move the rubber protective cap to the longer side of the metal, the side that will be against the skin...
Re: Brushes...
Ah, I see. Thanks, Tambrey. :)
That Furminator does sound interesting... But definitely a little pricey... And maybe slightly dangerous in the hands of someone as clumsy as me? Hahaha.
Well, I know about it now at least.
And LOL at the cat attacking the vacuum so violently. Mean, mean vacuum. XD
That Furminator does sound interesting... But definitely a little pricey... And maybe slightly dangerous in the hands of someone as clumsy as me? Hahaha.
Well, I know about it now at least.
And LOL at the cat attacking the vacuum so violently. Mean, mean vacuum. XD
Re: Brushes...
Any slicker brush for cats will do, like this one.
Do NOT buy any soft or wire bristle brushes like this one ...notice how the tips of the black bristles on this brush are varying lengths, you want to avoid these since those tips really hurt sensitive skin.
With regular brushing, like once a week, you should be able to get your kitty's coat back into good shape. Since he has very fine and silky fur, you want to avoid over-brushing and avoid any brush that breaks the fur before it gets to the undercoat. Also, pay attention to what you're feeding, is it properly formulated with EFA's, etc?
Do NOT buy any soft or wire bristle brushes like this one ...notice how the tips of the black bristles on this brush are varying lengths, you want to avoid these since those tips really hurt sensitive skin.
With regular brushing, like once a week, you should be able to get your kitty's coat back into good shape. Since he has very fine and silky fur, you want to avoid over-brushing and avoid any brush that breaks the fur before it gets to the undercoat. Also, pay attention to what you're feeding, is it properly formulated with EFA's, etc?
..........Traci