Own a long-haired cat? Grooming and coat maintenance is essential to ensuring your cat stays happy and healthy. But with so many brushes on sale, it is hard to know which to buy. Here is our tried and tested comparison of the best cat brushes for Long-haired cats.
The Best Brushes For Long Haired Cats
One of the main reasons for the large variety of brushes available is their different features. If you have a long-haired coat it is likely you will need a selection of different brushes.
However, this does not mean you will need to spend a lot of money (a good quality cat brush will last a long time). By selecting the correct cat groom brushes from the start you will not only save money but will also ensure your cat’s fur stays healthy.
Types of brushes needed for a cat with long fur:
Personally, I believe you will need is two different types of brushes. A brush to manage your cat’s thick undercoat and a brush to remove dead hair and smooth their topcoat.
Undercoat vs topcoat in cats
Most cats have a top coat (that’s the fur you see on the animal) and an undercoat. If you push back the top coat of your cat, it’s likely that you’ll see a different type of fur, sometimes of a different colour, underneath.
This is the pet’s undercoat. It has a soft and downy texture and it provides insulation and protection, while the topcoat is made up of ‘guard hairs’ whose primary function is to keep the pet’s skin dry.
Features to look for in a cat grooming brush
- Objective – for example removing the undercoat vs smoothing the top coat
- Easily washable
- Comfort for the cat
Quick Cat Brush Overview and Comparision:
| Brush | Features | Best For | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
The FURminator: Deshedding brush for cats  | Removes loose hair. Helps reduce hairball formation. | Dematting and maintenance of cats with thick undercoats. Cats prone to matting. | Purchase from Amazon USA /UK |
Zoom Groom | Massaging as well as deshedding. Washable and Eco-Friendly. Easy to hold. | Comfort and Cleanliness | Purchase from Amazon USA / UK |
Liaka Slicker Brush  | Professional Grooming Brush. Massages and promotes a shiny coat. Gently removes undercoat. | Persian cats or long-haired cats with a thinner coat. Older or more frail cats with long fur. | Purchase from Amazon USA / UK |
Pet Glove: Gentle cat deshedding brush. | Gentle brush technique. Durable and Washable. Stroking sensation. | Cat owners with gripping issues / constraints. Comfort. | Purchase from Amazon USA / UK |
The FURminator: Deshedding brush for cats
The FURminator is without a doubt my favourite cat brush for my long-haired cat and a great investment. I purchased my FURminator over 7 years ago, use it weekly and have not had to replace it.
The Furminator for cats is a de-shedding tool which is designed to be used weekly on dry fur. The innovative brush is designed to reach your cat’s thick undercoat, and easily and gently remove it without damaging the topcoat.
This is a fantastic cat brush for Maine Coons and Norweigan Forests especially.
This brush does wonder for ensuring my cat with a very thick coat stays free from mats and knots. However, I would not recommend this brush for a cat lacking muscle mass or who is slightly bony, as I feel it could be slightly uncomfortable (for them I would suggest the Laika Slicker Brush listed below)
Purchase a FURminator from Amazon now for the best price: USA / UK
Zoom Groom
Zoom Grooms are silicone daily brushes designed for removing loose hair and promoting a shiny, healthy topcoat (it will not help with the undercoat).
Zoom Groom for cats is designed for everyday grooming.
All three of my cats LOVE the Zoom Groom and find being groomed by it an enjoyable experience. The silicone material of the brush means it is not only soft but also massaging, meaning the majority of cats enjoy the grooming experience with this brush.
Being silicone it is also extremely easy to wash and ensures good hygiene.
The Zoom Groom is a great all-rounder brush for daily maintenance. It is also a great starter brush for cats who may not be used to or perhaps do not enjoy being groomed.
Purchase a Zoom Groom now from Amazon: USA / UK
Liaka Slicker Brush
The Liaka Slicker brush is a bit of a combination of both of the above brushes, in that it removes both undercoats and smoothes the top coats. This particular cat slicker brush is professional quality meaning it is one of the best brushes for cat groomers as well as owner use.
The bristles of the Slicker brush are much softer than the FURminator, due to this I believe it is a better-suited brush for elderly cats with less muscle mass for comfort reasons. This is a great grooming brush for Persian cats who have long coats but are not particularly thick.
The Liaka comb further provides a gentle massage for your cat which is good for preventing skin disease. The massaging bristles take with white caps that won’t scratch your cat, furthermore increasing their blood circulation.
Purchase the Liaka Slicker Brush from Amazon USA / UK
Pet Glove: Gentle cat de-shedding brush.
The pet glove is another all-around great tool for maintaining your cat’s topcoat and for everyday use. It is also one of the best brushes for short-haired cats who do not require too much grooming.
The brush is essentially a glove with massaging bristles which cat be used on both wet and dry fur. It is also easily washable to ensure good hygiene. Due to it being a glove, it feels a lot like stroking for your cat, meaning it is both a natural and enjoyable feeling for them
However, the main reason I have included this brush is for owners. If you are a cat owner with arthritic hands or gripping issues this brush will be exactly what you need to ensure you can still groom your cat without any discomfort.
Purchase the Pet Glove from Amazon USA / UK
The above 4 brushes are what I believe to be the best brushes for long-haired cats currently available.
My top recommendations for cat brushes
My top two are the FURminator and the Zoom Groom used in conjunction with each other. But I would happily use any of the 4 on my cats.
Other posts you may find useful:
What is the best brush for Persian cats?
As I mentioned above, the most suitable brush for a Persian cat would be the Liaka Slicker Brush.
I often find Perian cats to have long fur without a thick undercoat. This means heavier-duty brushes such as the Furminator can be unnecessary and at times too stripping for a Persian coat.
Due to Persian coats often being thin but long, these cats tangle and matt easily, in this case, I find the Zoom Groom style brushes not enough to prevent this.
The Liaka Slicker Brush would be my cat groom brush of choice for a Persian cat.
You may also want to look into how to clean a Persian cat’s eyes.
Why should I groom my cat’s fur?
Grooming your cat’s fur is part of being a good cat owner. Cats are extremely clean animals and maintaining their coats is something of importance for them. While cats do groom themselves if you are a long-haired cat or breed, in particular, you will need to assist them frequently.
There are multiple reasons this is important:
- Matts and tangles can be painful, especially when they are tight to the skin. Frequent grooming will prevent them from occurring.
- Bonding – Grooming is the perfect way to bond with your cat and build your relationship with them. A cat who lets you groom them is a cat who trusts you.
- Frequent grooming sessions also allow you to examine your cat and pick up on any changes they may have, such as lumps, bumps or cuts.
- The older arthritic or overweight cats find it difficult to groom themselves, as they are not as flexible. This means they are more prone to mats and tangles, especially around the bum and hindquarters. As an owner, you need to assist them to help them feel more comfortable.
- To prevent your cat from shedding fur around the house. One of the trials that come with owning a long-haired cat is they leave fur everywhere! Daily grooming sessions (they do not need to be long – 5 minutes is sufficient) will help reduce fur wastage around the home.
How often should I groom my long-haired cat?
In an ideal world, your long fur cat should be groomed daily. However, we have busy lives and this is not always realistic, therefore aim for 2-3 times per week.
Once a week use a brush designed for grooming and removing their undercoat and then on the other brushes throughout the week, just use a brush designed for smooth and shine of the topcoat.
Grooming sessions do not need to be long, in fact, most cats will only tolerate 5-10 minutes at a time anyway. If your cat is becoming upset or stressed stop and resume another day.
Grooming and brushing should always be a positive experience for your cat.
Cat grooming tips
- Short groom sessions are the most effective, do not push your cat if they do not want to be groomed, this will only create a negative association with the brush and eventually you.
- Ideally, get your cat used to being groomed from a young age/kitten. If you have taken on a rescue cat who is not used to brushing, take it slowly and get them used to groom. If they enjoying stroking, start with a pet glove and slowly work up to a full brush.
- Always end a brush on a positive experience either with their favourite toy or a special food treat.
- Remember older cats are generally arthritic, meaning they can often be sore in areas where there are tangles (due to lack of flexibility to groom themselves). Be gentle and if your cat becomes uncomfortable, stop.
- If your cat has mats which cannot be removed by a brush, you may need to take them to a specialist cat groomer or your veterinarian to have them removed. Be extremely careful trying to remove mats yourself with scissors – cat skin is easily cut.
- If your cat has diarrhoea frequently you may find you need to clip around their bum area to prevent mats and poor hygiene.
I hope you have found this round-up of the best cat brushes for long-haired cats useful. Remember, grooming your cat should be a positive and rewarding experience for both you and the cat.
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