Long haired Cats , What to do ??

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I have a Maine Coon Cross with a very long coat & I'm just wondering if I should attempt to trim it at all with it getting to summer , he let's me brush him occasionally once a year and isn't luggy iyswim

Or should I just leave him

If he won't let you groom him regularly, what makes you think that trimming him is a safe option? ;-)

I'd try to groom at least once a week with maximum bribery. He'll be shedding soon, and it is likely that without your help he will get knotty and suffer.

He sleeps like a log so I could of done it then as he wouldn't feel it as much as brushing

Does he like being hoovered - most of my long haired cats liked a light vacuuming with the hose end, and those that were grouchy about being groomed got a quick brush at the same time as they didn't seem to notice it so much

When Seniorboy came to me, he'd never been groomed but I soon turned him round. I made it part of his nightly thing when he was relaxed and he actually loves it now - comes running when I yell 'Grrooooommm'. If your boy's not a lap cat, probably best to introduce it gradually every other night at first, keeping to his back and flanks. (Not the tummy at this stage because they can become over-stimulated and sensitive with that.)

Not sure I'd risk the hoover as he is a bit too big to fight off

He isn't a lap cat as he tends to spend most days sunning himself in the garden or at the top of the cat tree

I'll have to see if I can bribe him to let me do it

Bribery is good but I'd be prepared for a slightly long haul on this one if he isn't a lap cat. He won't succumb to the pleasure of it for a good few weeks I'd have thought.

He will pretty much do anything for a Mini Cheddar or two

I think Maine Coons' coats are supposed to be not too bad for getting tangles.
My old longhaired cat absolutely hated being brushed, I occasionally had to tackle big tangles with a pair of scissors (helped by DH and a large towel) but usually she kept herself pretty well groomed even when very old. She was a very big cat and looked quite Maine Coon-like although came to me as a plain old rescue moggy

I have three maine coons. The girl has beautiful silky fur and barely needs a brush, but the two boys aren't so good. One of them especially has the sort of fur that knots easily and is very lazy with his grooming.

I'd go with the mini cheddar bribery route. Have a playtime in the early evening, then when he is knackered give him a treat followed by gentle brushing/treat, he'll soon associate the routine with pleasure.

But seriously, get the grooming habit started sooner rather than later, much easier :-) Trying to cut out knots with sharp scissors and an uncooperative cat is high blood-pressure territory...

My long haired maine coon cross Douglas almost never needs help with grooming. If something gets stuck in his fur he might need help but even when he comes home with half a tree bits of twig in his britches he seems to sort himself out. The places I keep an eye on are his armpits, they seem to be the most likely to matt and I have a pair of mini clippers and trim his armpits while DH pins him down holds him and DS bribes him with kitty crack dreamies.

Please, please don't use scissors I stitch back together several cats a year where owners have taken scissors to the matts and cut wacking holes in their cat. You cut what appears to be a 4cm wide matt and get skin you get a 10 com hole. Get a proper pair of animal clippers much, much safer.

Lone Don't worry id not attempt any kind of trimming

I managed to shower him & give him a good brush so he is now all fluffy & keeps giving me evil looks .

Maybe now is the time to start his routine - when his coat is all tangle free and a brush will move easily through it. Remember what it was like to have someone else yank through your hair for school and meet all the tangles? (If you were like me.) Much easier if there's no resistance.

I'd try every other night at first when he's relaxed, concentrating on the back and flanks at first. If he's anything like Seniorboy, half of the fun for him will end up being the concentrated attention you pay him - lots of love words and praise while you're doing it. It doesn't need to be a long session - about 5-10 minutes will keep it sleek.

(I'm amazed you managed to shower him. Are you injured at all? )

I just kinda put him in the shower while covered in soap and left him too it for ten minutes until he gave in and let me scrub him

It was certainly entertaining