Thread: Maine Coon Grooming Basics

I'm a cat groomer and I never use the furminator.

The best way to groom these cats is with a comb and everyday.

The comb will reach the underlay fur which is the fur which matts under the top coat.

These cats are beautiful and their coats amazing so please don't ruin with the furminator.

If anyone hear would like to ask me any questions please feel free. I am 2 years late in joining this conversation LOL

http://www.catnips.co.uk

Originally Posted by Ggonkin

Thank you for all your answers, I am quite surprised that there are many supportive members here. Compared to other forums that I have visited asked questions, this is the best.

Glad you did though, as its revived a thread that interests me. We have a kitten, nearly 8ths old now and boy is she shedding atm. We have wooden floors throughout almost the entire house and it's like tumbleweed in a western desert daily here! [we were quite worried at first, but the more she loses, the fluffier and healthier her coat looks and feels so am I right to assume this is normal both at this time of year and possibly because she is losing left over kitten coat?] I groom her daily, mainly with the wide toothed side of one of these but rarely with fine side, which I think is similar to the furminator mentioned a lot in this thread. The finer side works very well on the other two short haired cats at shedding season, and has done their coats a world of good, but a bit worried about using it on Ella, and this thread has simply confirmed my thoughts. She also matts, so far only in the 'pits' of her front legs and she is quite comfortable with my snipping them away. We tried teasing them out but she really didn't like it. We occasionally have to trim away round her rear end too where those 'um bits' have, errr...hung around

I super happy this thread got bumped! I was just about to post about grooming questions. As Pina is getting older her fur has thickened and she's got her undercoat. Unfortunately she hates being brushed! I use a regular wire brush, about twice a week. It does the job for now but I need about 6 hands to hold her down and avoid being bitten! She is particularly sensitive about her bloomers being brushed and that's where she needs it!

Originally Posted by Becka

I super happy this thread got bumped! I was just about to post about grooming questions. As Pina is getting older her fur has thickened and she's got her undercoat. Unfortunately she hates being brushed! I use a regular wire brush, about twice a week. It does the job for now but I need about 6 hands to hold her down and avoid being bitten! She is particularly sensitive about her bloomers being brushed and that's where she needs it!

Try the "Untangler" this is a comb with wide spread rotating tines, it gets deep into the coat and is less likely to snag then a regular comb.
The secret it to get kitty used to being groomed.
Start with short sessions and just comb the same places where she likes to be petted, cheeks, top of the head, middle of the back.
Stop combing before she gets upset and be sure to give treat.s pets and praises.
Samantha grew to love out nightly sessions before bed, unfortunately she would still mat up on her britches and about 3 times a year I'd have to take her to a local groomer.
They were really close to my home and love Samantha and after a dematting, a coat thinning and a bath she just glowed and smelled wonderful.

On a slightly different note, I was wondering if anyone has the answer to this question: about 9 months ago we had Roxy spayed and the vet told me it would be a lot less painful for her (and would heal more easily) if she did the incision on the side flank. Naturally to make this operation and recovery as easy as possible for Roxy I agreed and I think it was the right decision as it took no time at all for Roxy to recover and she had very little pain or trauma. So...now she has had a bald 'patch' for the last year (where the vet shaved off her fur) which has been slowly filling in with new fur. Roxy is a silver tortie tabby, and the 'patch' is right on her swirly side pattern. The fur that has been growing back seems to be mostly her light undercoat - does anyone know how long it will take for her to re-grow her darker top coat which makes up the pattern? It will grow back, won't it...????

Originally Posted by RoxyKitten

On a slightly different note, I was wondering if anyone has the answer to this question: about 9 months ago we had Roxy spayed and the vet told me it would be a lot less painful for her (and would heal more easily) if she did the incision on the side flank. Naturally to make this operation and recovery as easy as possible for Roxy I agreed and I think it was the right decision as it took no time at all for Roxy to recover and she had very little pain or trauma. So...now she has had a bald 'patch' for the last year (where the vet shaved off her fur) which has been slowly filling in with new fur. Roxy is a silver tortie tabby, and the 'patch' is right on her swirly side pattern. The fur that has been growing back seems to be mostly her light undercoat - does anyone know how long it will take for her to re-grow her darker top coat which makes up the pattern? It will grow back, won't it...????

I haven't known one not to grow back & normally you find that if there is a lighter patch now by the time she has had the next coat change it should all be back to normal....x

It probably took Lily about 8 weeks to regrow the fur on her flank after she had her bits removed at 6 months.

''We occasionally have to trim away round her rear end too where those 'um bits' have, errr...hung around ''
Yvonne - i thought i was doing a preety good job of keeping the rear end clear of ...those bits ...but after a bath and when they were being blow dried ( for a show) there was still one of ''those bits'' lurking ....luckily my tabby doesnt mind being groomed round there so now i am a whole lot more careful!