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Hi
I was hoping I could get some help and advice on grooming. I have my first Maine Coon, she is just over a year old and although her coat is lovely and soft I am having problems trying to groom her to make sure that she doesn't get matted. She just doesn't like it. I have been looking at the grooming gloves in the UK and wondered if others use them and if so which are the best?
Hi there buzzcat!
Most cats don't like being groomed so the best thing is to get them used to it when they're young. I don't blame them actually - when I was a kid I hated having my hair brushed and if I were a cat, I wouldn't like having my fur coat pulled about all over. So I would suggest little and often to keep on top of matting fur, using a good wire brush with padding, or a wide-toothed metal comb. I expect you have found your cat trying to attack the brush, so give her a favourite toy and let her take it out on that, whilst you comb away! Ignore the first few grumblings and pretend you're having a fun game together. When she's really had enough, stop! And give her a treat right away. I can do most of the head, chest and sides in this way. The tummy though, is a different matter! That is a 2-man job: one to hold firmly, one to brush - and fast!
I have heard of a thing called The Furminator but I don't know how this works or if it is any good...
Good luck!
I find that if she is lying on her side I can generally get some of it done before she attacks the brush as you say. However I do find that the tummy is the worst too and she won't have it. I haven't tried the 2 man method, I don't know how she would take that. I thought that the glove may be a good idea as she would think it was more like petting than brushing.
I have seen a few comments on the Furminator but as I can't get her to lay still for a brush I wasn't sure how I would get on with that either.
I have managed to groom Simba in ways mentioned below and done it little and often and always given him treats while brushing and after and have also given him toys or one of the brushes to amuse him while I'm doing it.
The tummy is the hardest area but also the one that gets most matted, under legs etc. I found the best way to do this is: I lay him on his back on my knee with his head towards me and his tail hanging down between my legs. I don't use force to hold him there as I have found the more I hold him down the more he struggles. So it's just a case of gentle persuasion. If he moves I put him back and give him a treat. I tell him no when he moves and just use one hand to gently persuade him to stay there. I found he eventually gives up and will lie still occasionally wagging his tail. He is getting much better now and knows I won't give up so tends to give in quicker. I use a plastic comb and a brush I brought for cats. But I like the comb best and it's just a mans comb brought from Asda.
My favourite item in my grooming kit for doing tummies especially if it is a case of cuddling & having a quick go is the slicker brush,because of how it is hooked it seems to get nicely into the coat & straightens it out & also seems to prevent knots,I always have one on the table beside the chair because when I start trying to get them used to grooming as a kitten I find that just running it down their backs & sides a couple of times as they walk past gets them used to the feel,if you are lucky enough to have a MC with a bib it fluffs them up great by brushing the coat up the wrong way & then gently smoothing it down again,if I am getting one of the cats ready to show & do the bib in this way I normally have the others lining up waiting for their turn,also very good for the bloomers....
Never had a problem with either of ours.
As soon as we got them as kittens I have made sure I've smoothed them everywhere. ie: Legs, paws, under belly etc. Got them used to being touched so that if we ever got a problem of knotted fur or something then I would be able to sort it out without a 15lb cat descimating my arm.
Both ours get brushed once or twice a week. I use a normal 'cat brush' to go over them from head to tail and then follow it up with a furminator.
Afterwards they always always always get cat treats. If they start to play with the brush / furminator then thats cool, but I'll have another brush / comb in my other hand for them to attack as they get brushed with the main one.
I do time the grooming so that its not around their most active periods of the day and if they have been sat next to / on me for a while then I might ask one of the kids to get the box of brushes. If they are tearing around the house... nah. I'll pass on the idea of trying to get them to sit still :)
Its taken a little while (6 months or so) to get to this stage, but ours can be handled pretty easily and stay in place once the grooming starts. Takes about 10 minutes before they want to run off.
Furminator - really honestly... amazing. Will definately get 20 times more fur off the MC than another other brush Ive used.
Hi Tomiam
I've bought one for our Maine Coon Adina, it's great, she didn't like it at first but now she is getting use to it after moving about 6 time. It's amazing it gets all her loose fur out but do not use it in the same direction all the time.
Hi Howlinbob....
The Furminator is great, I bought one for Adina, she 4years old is getting use to it.
Bubba (RIP) was 25Lbs before his first go with the Furminator
http://www.sonic.net/~claudel/bubba-fuminator-01.jpg
and 11 afterwards... :rofl:
just kidding....
Two weeks later, more.
http://www.sonic.net/~claudel/bubba-fuminator-02.jpg
It works nicely for chopping out the undercoat, but I didn't really care for what it did to the coat's texture.
Tough to explain. A lot of the MC's softness might be in the undercoat that this thing strips out.
Have to agree Claudel I don't like the amount of undercoat it strips out,I used it fairly heavily on the eldest of my cats as she has a very dense coat that does knot quite easily & although she was left with a fine top silky coat it just didn't feel right,apart from thinning the drawers on one of the others I have confined it to the bottom of the grooming kit & gone back to the good old comb to dig in & get out dead fur,fluff up with the slicker brush & then I have a nice soft "duster"that I just stroke them down with & up comes the shine on their coats.
So sorry to see RIP aginst Bubba.
I too have a furminator which I love as they are shedding at the moment and I use it once a week or so, I keep a lice comb by my sofa so my two are used to being combed when they come close so they don't fight being groomed as I have done this since they have owened me!!! I find the fine lice comb is best for their coats as others dont seem to get any hair off them and for some reason they find the slicker as a target for play!