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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

How often do you brush your domestic short hair?

21 replies

WixingMords · 15/08/2015 08:50

Bear with me, I'm only just about to have lived with cat for a year so still learning!!

He's just 1 and I've been away for a while, DH has been looking after WixingKitty for the last 10 days. DH is very much NOT a cat person so I can assume there's been no stroking happening.

Anyway finally saw WixingKitty thus morning and there's a cloud of fur coming off him when he moves.

Took him outside and brushed him, was quite impressive how much came off, the air was thick with fur, and I'm sure there'd have been more but he got fed up and strutted off.

Anyway would lack if stoking have made it worse, is it just a coincidence?

Please educate me on the needs of the cat coat!!

OP posts:
fuzzywuzzy · 15/08/2015 08:54

ours shed like mad during summer, I onley ever brush them if theres aa knot in the fur, otherwise they both keep hemselves well groomed and dont like me brushing them. hoover once a day to get all the hairs tho.

nooka · 15/08/2015 08:56

I really don't think you need to worry! It's summer and your cat is moulting, all very normal. Yes stroking him will loosen some of the fur, and he will enjoy the attention but not brushing him won't cause him any harm.

I've never brushed any of my short haired moggies. Some of them would have objected very strenuously if I'd tried!

pinkyredrose · 15/08/2015 08:58

Mine gets brushed everyday. It's very good for their skin health plus she loves it!

CMOTDibbler · 15/08/2015 08:58

My three never get brushed in the case of two, very rarely in the third. Really not their scene at all. But they do shed enthusiastically at this time of year, especially evilgingercat who has a weird double coat and yesterday was existing in his own cloud of hair. I'd brush it, but I like my skin on my body too much.

Hoplikeabunny · 15/08/2015 08:59

Mine is 6 and I've never even owned a cat brush! Blush He sorts himself out and always looks beautiful!

nooka · 15/08/2015 09:10

We've always had cats in pairs so they tend to groom each other. Ddog also likes to lick them!

Most of our cats have paid little attention to people's preferences toward them. Our first pair particularly liked to sit on my mother's lap (a dog person) and my FIL too (an active disliker of that same cat when he lived in his house). When they want attention they are pretty good at demanding it!

Original poster
WixingMords · 15/08/2015 15:09

Well I knew cats moult but never knew it could be to this impressive volume!!!

DH told me he was also following Cat about with the vacuum as he was leaving a trail of fur everywhere.

Cat also did a disappearing act on him while we (that is the DC and I) were away. For three days, DH reckons he's never been so happy to see a cat as he was when he woke up the morning we were to return and found Cat curled up next to him on the bed (surrounded by shed hair Grin )

OP posts:
BertPuttocks · 15/08/2015 15:20

Mine gets brushed everyday, but only because the cat stands by the cupboard where the brush is kept and shouts at dh until he does it.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 15/08/2015 15:20

I do ours several times a week, partly because it cuts down on furballs, partly to keep the house less furry. I do them outside and fill the air with flying fur.

gamerchick · 15/08/2015 15:23

Everyday here. Keeps her coat lovely, cuts down on hair balls which are rare now and she likes it. Turns over to get the other side done type of thing.

SuperFlyHigh · 19/08/2015 16:22

rarely.

half Siamese/half moggy boy cat - 1 year old - lovely glossy thick coat - however doesn't like being brushed or on his terms. so I leave it. he doesn't seem to shed much or get hair balls. he washes himself a lot. almost OCD like.

SquirrelledAway · 20/08/2015 16:10

I use a Furminator brush on ours, it gets an impressive amount of that fluffy undercoat out - white fluff for the Siamese and ginger fluff for the tortoiseshell, which is exactly the stuff the shows up on all the soft furnishings around the house if they don't get brushed 2 or 3 times a week.

Moln · 20/08/2015 19:30

Furminator?

I'm going to have to look this up. Pretty sure I could stuff a mattress at this point. HOW is there this much hair everywhere and yet he's still furry!!

MrsBertMacklin · 20/08/2015 22:11

Twice a day for a couple of minutes at the moment.

Partly due to summer, partly due to BertCat going nuts for the brush, she's in love with the bristly side, so she is getting extra brushing to make up for being force fed medicine and only scratching me once so far.

If your cat lets you brush against the grain, it's more effective + bonus of punky looking cat.

Original poster
WixingMords · 21/08/2015 08:35

Just tried brushing against the grain. Tolerated on his lower back and flanks but not upper back.

I'm going to look into this furinator. May save me on vacuum bags!!

OP posts:
SquirrelledAway · 21/08/2015 13:16

The Furminator is great - not cheap though at about £18, but you just need to use it a couple of times a week, it gets out an amazing amount of fluff, and their coats look great.

RatOnnaStick · 21/08/2015 13:27

I don't do it at all because the 11yr old Snowshoe gets all swipey at the slightest hint of anything going below his neck Grin. He's never ever been keen and his coat is well kept so I assume he's doing fine all by himself.

Original poster
WixingMords · 21/08/2015 13:28

I'm in Ireland and it seems to be around €28 (zooplus) to €35 (Pet Stop) here.

Seem to be pricier - darn it!!

OP posts:
GreyAndGoldInTheMeadow · 21/08/2015 13:48

Every time I want to brush the walking dish mop dog, as the dog wanders off and rolls around in his crate trying to avoid me and the cat comes over for me to brush him instead Hmm quite the system they've got worked out! Grin

FannyFifer · 21/08/2015 13:55

Furninator here, couple of times a week, cat loves it, his coat looks so much better after & it cuts down substantially on the amount of hair around the house.
Try & do it outside though as the amount of hair that comes of is mad.
The furminator is on eBay for about £10.

Original poster
WixingMords · 28/08/2015 20:35

Furminator has arrived!!

He seems to be fine with it and I have now got a rather impressive pile of at hair from a short brush with it. Shall report back as to reduction is house coverage - but bit of a stoke on his back just now did now result in the furry hand as previously experienced

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