Impossible Maine Coon coat, help needed!

Hiya,

I could really use some help with one of the coat's of my maine coons. He is a really sensitive cat & has ALWAYS hated being brushed, even when he wants cuddles he can only handle 5 mins of being stroked then he is off. His coat is like candy floss & just mats instantly, it's really curly on his underneath so it's just knot city & he won't let me go anywhere near him to get them out. I have two others & they adore being brushed & have completely different textures of fur.

So I've been having this on going battle for nearly three years now, I've tried brushing him in short bursts through the day, I've tried brushing him when he comes for cuddles, I've tried when he's asleep, I've tried training him so he gets a treat for being brushed, I feel like I have tried EVERYTHING. I've got furminator brushes, every different type of brush you can get, i've tried leave in conditioner, i've tried it all :(. It's gotten to the point where I now take him to the vets once a year and get all the knots shaved off but he has to be put under to get this done, as previously said he won't let anyone brush him & it seems so cruel! I feel like such a bad cat mum :(

Can anyone give me any help or advice on this?

Thanks x