Cat grooming and fur loss.

[Hippykitty]

For your fluffy-type cat (who looks like a turkish van) I'd use a double sided brush. One side wire, the other a softer bristle; and comb every day. If your cat is losing an excessive amount of fur, have you checked for tiny welt in the skin which may indicate flea allergy or other problems?

Ensure that your cat doesn't go out in the mid-day sun. Put suncream on her nose and ears. White cats are susceptible to sun-induced cancer at these points.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I use conbes like the one Tiggy has shown and they are great,

My cats dont like the rubber pad things and like Witty said a soft brush istnt any use to get the loose fur out.

On CC you can buy a frurminator which Teresa and CC swear buy. I think its OK for short hair cats but it was usualess on my longhaired Misa.

I Have four longhaired cats and the place looke like a cats coat at the moment cos they are dumping fur even worse then normal.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh well I choose 4 longhaired cats so furry carpets rule 

[Tiggy's Mum]

Tiggy wasn't long haired but used to leave her gorgeous ginger hairs on everything that she laid on, I discovered an almsot magical comb called a shedding comb made by Safari.  It has two different rows of teeth one short and one longer.  I think it works by one layer taking out the undercoat and the other layer taking out the loose dead hairs.

What came off Tiggy when I used this comb had to be seen to be believed, each sitting I would get a ball of fluff the size of her head.  Not just fluff and air though it was completely squished down and it was still that big!  I could have made a beautiful ginger coat with the amount of fur that came off her using this comb over the years - highly recommended!

It's the 10th item down on this link, they also do one for longer coats too... http://www.petcompany.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Combs__Rakes___Shedding_Blades_80.html

[Reynard]

A fine-pitch wire comb will remove loads of loose hair. I use a standard flea comb on my two, who are both shorthairs, but who have very thick and fluffy coats. A soft brush won't do much to remove loose hair - it's more of a finishing tool.

I show my girl and as a result, need to be able to groom her thoroughly. Here's my basic grooming routine:

I start by going over her with a rubber dog grooming pad - it has small pimples on it rather than the big ones of the zoom groom and this will pick up a fair amount of loose hair from the surface of her coat. Once I've done that, I switch to the wire comb. This gets the loose hair from deep in her coat (you need to get a comb or rake that will reach down to the skin) and has the additional benefit of checking for any unwanted passengers. Then I'll finish off with a pure bristle brush and lastly a chamois leather just to bring that additional shine.

For most cats, a thorough groom once a week is plenty, but if you find that isn't enough, then do it more often to keep on top of the shedding and to prevent matting. On a run up to a show, I will do it every day - mind, I only need to show Pearl a brush and she goes all gooey... 

There is another grooming device called a Furminator that may be of use to you. I don't have one, but there are several people on here who do and who might be able to give you some guidance.

[Gillian Harvey]

Slicker brushes are good for both long and shorthaired cats, and most cats like the feel of them, most pet shops have them, you can see a pic of one on my website here http://scruffyjoe.mysite.orange.co.uk
on the 'grooming tools' page. That one is quite small, which I like, but you can get all different sizes.

Use the slicker, then finish off with some sort of rubber brush like the zoom groom that Susanne suggested.

She looks lovely!

[LeighK]

Hi Buffy,

Know what you mean, with one largely white cat, one entirely black cat and one tabby all indoor cats I have the same problem. Now if Alfie would only stay on the cream carpet or bedside sheepskin rug, Frankie on the brown rug and settee or, at a pinch, the blue rug and Suzie only shed the correct colour hair on the appropriately coloured soft furnishing then I'd be sorted. If I could weave and knit then I could become self-sufficient in home-made, tumble drier, fluff-filter-grey-coloured jumpers .

I've put up signs to direct then to the appropriate moulting places but they've largely ignored them. I wore a brown fleece the other day and it looked like I'd just been to a sheep shearing trial!! .

Alfie's tummy looks pretty much the same your girls.

Good luck

Leigh

[JackSpratt]

She's tremendous! It looks like someone has just stuck her tail on as an after thought! What a sweetie.

I don't know about the best thing to groom your cat, mine get combed and still leave fur all over the place. I have found that if your brush fur together with a rubber glove it's easily collectable and your house looks a bit less hairy!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Have you tried a zoom groom?  They made of rubber and are great at getting loose hair out.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=32&pf_id=0210

[x Beckie x (Buffy)]

I love my girl to death but the trouble is she malts like no other cat i have known! Also as she is white the fur shows up on everything - if i stroke her i get a handful of hair at the end of it and if i dare to stroke her whilst she is on my lap then my work trousers are absolutely covered in fur! Also there is fur all over the house, on towels, on my duvet etc

What is the best way to tackle this. I know she will never stop losing her fur like this - she seems to malt all year round. She is a shorthaired cat but is long haired for a short hair if that makes any sense at all!!!

Someone suggested to groom her - i use a soft brush occasionally but this doesnt seem to make a difference. Do i need to use a metal comb? Are they any good? What about grooming mitts? How often should i groom her?

I have attached a photo of her showing her belly so you can see how long her fur is underneath - she hasnt got a belly at all, thats all fur!!!

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