Some cats purr at the sight of the brush and others vanish the moment it appears. If yours is in the second group, the problem is almost never the brush: it is the how. Learning how to brush a cat with a bit of technique prevents mats, cuts down on hairballs and leaves far less loose hair on the sofa. Here is how often to brush a cat depending on its coat, the order that works and what to do when it will not let you.
Why brushing a cat is not optional
A cat grooms itself for several hours a day, and all that dead hair it pulls off with its tongue ends up in its stomach. That is where hairballs come from, along with the vomiting and, in the worst cases, intestinal blockages. Every stroke of the brush is hair you remove and it no longer swallows.
Brushing also prevents the mats that felt up against the skin, spreads the coat's natural oils and gives you the perfect excuse to check for lumps, fleas or sore spots. And, as a bonus, less hair in the air and on the upholstery.
How often to brush a cat, by coat type
- Short hair (domestic shorthair, Siamese, Bengal): two or three times a week is enough.
- Semi-long hair (Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest, Ragdoll): four or five times a week.
- Long hair (Persian, Angora): every day, no exceptions. One day skipped already means mats.
- Older or overweight cats: every day, even with short hair, because they can no longer reach to groom themselves properly.
In autumn and spring, when they change coat, increase the frequency. In those weeks you can brush daily without overdoing it.
How to brush a cat step by step
- Wait until it is calm. After a meal or a nap, never when it is in hunting mode.
- Brush it where it already is, do not carry it somewhere else. If it is on the sofa, brush it there.
- Start at the head and neck. That is the area they like most and the one that builds the most trust.
- Move on to the back, always in the direction the hair grows, with gentle strokes and without pressing the brush into the skin.
- Leave the sides and the base of the tail for last. The belly only if it lets you, and with two fingers' width of brush.
- Stop before it gets tired. Two or three minutes is plenty; better to repeat tomorrow than to push it today.
- Finish with a stroke or a treat so it associates brushing with something good.
How to brush a long-haired cat
With a long coat the order changes: first a metal comb with widely spaced teeth to work out the tangles, then a soft brush to smooth everything down. If you find a matted knot stuck against the skin, do not pull. Hold the base of the hair with your hand and tease it apart bit by bit from the tip; if it will not give, cut it out with round-tipped scissors or ask the vet to shave it off.
The areas that tangle most are the armpits, behind the ears, the "trousers" on the hind legs and the collar area.
How to brush a short-haired cat
An aggressive brush is unnecessary here. A rubber grooming glove or a soft slicker brush, three or four strokes per area and you are done. With short hair the risk is not matting, it is irritating the skin by overdoing it.
What to do if your cat will not let you brush it
- Start by touching it with the back of the brush, without brushing. Just that, three days in a row.
- Brush it while it eats or while it grooms itself; it is distracted and its guard is down.
- Never hold it by the scruff and never chase it. If it walks off, the session is over.
- Try a glove instead of a brush: for many cats that reads as a stroke, not a tool.
- If the tail flicks quickly, the ears turn back or the pupils dilate, stop. Those are the three warnings that come before the swipe.
- If it only protests in one particular spot, check it: there may be a mat pulling or something sore.
The hair that ends up on the sofa and on your clothes
However well you brush, some always escapes, and cat hair is short and works its way into fabric. A reusable lint remover lifts it off the sofa, the bed, your clothes and the car upholstery in two passes, and empties into its own base, so you are not dependent on sticky rollers or refills.
Combined with brushing, you see the result within a week: less loose hair around the house and fewer hairballs. If you want more ideas for living with a cat without living in a cloud of hair, take a look at the full catalogue.
Common mistakes
- Bathing the cat to get rid of hair. It is almost never necessary and it stresses them enormously. Brushing yes; bathing only on veterinary advice.
- Using hard-pinned brushes on short-haired cats. They scrape the skin and put the cat off for good.
- Long sessions. Ten minutes in one go is an eternity for a cat.
- Brushing against the grain. Some cats really dislike it; always go in the direction the hair grows unless your vet says otherwise.
In short
Brushing a cat is a matter of consistency and of reading its face. Two-minute sessions, several times a week, starting at the head and stopping before it has had enough. Do that and you will cut down on hairballs, avoid mats and have considerably less hair around the house. Start tomorrow with the head and neck, and stop before your cat does.