One of the unpleasant problems that cat owners face is tufts of fur all over the apartment: on carpets, furniture, clothes. The situation is aggravated if the cat is a long-haired breed - without proper care, the hair falls off and clumps form, which are very difficult to comb out and often have to be cut, which spoils the appearance of the animal. Short-haired cats also need to be brushed regularly. If an animal takes care of itself exclusively on its own, a large amount of hair regularly gets into the stomach, which can lead to negative consequences and difficult treatment at the veterinarian.
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The problem is complicated by the fact that many cats do not like the process of combing, and they try to hide when they see a comb in the hands of the owner, or they behave aggressively, bite and scratch. This is due to the fact that when using a regular comb, a person causes unpleasant sensations to the animal. If the fur is long, the process takes a lot of time, and the pet simply gets tired of enduring it.
The solution to the problem will be a furminator - a special cat scratcher with strong metal teeth. The device appeared relatively recently, but many animal owners already use the Furminator and give excellent reviews about it.
Benefits of using a furminator
Combing with a furminator has a number of advantages over using a regular comb or previously popular slicker brushes:
- there is no pain for the cat, even with an awkward movement there is no risk of damaging the skin or guard hairs;
- you can comb out the hair in particularly sensitive areas - the stomach, in the genital area;
- You can comb out up to 90% of dead hair at one time, and by repeating the procedure several times a week, you will be able to avoid disorder in the house;
- the pet's health improves - it does not swallow large amounts of fur when licking itself;
- such a comb massages the skin, improves blood circulation and the condition of the coat, as well as the appearance of the animal;
- from the comb you must constantly manually select the hairs between the teeth, and when using a furminator they do not clog the tool, and it is enough to simply collect them with a damp cloth after the procedure;
- The tool lasts a long time, the teeth do not break.
Tips for combing wool
When caring for your dog's fur, you should adhere to the following tips:
- When using combs with sharp teeth, you must hold your dog very firmly so that he does not accidentally get hurt.
- You need to comb your dog in the direction of hair growth, otherwise it will be unpleasant for the dog.
- Before starting the procedure, it is better to moisten the fur a little, then the whole procedure will be easier.
- If tangles are detected, there is no need to pull the fur, you need to carefully comb out this lump of hair.
- You need to be most careful in the paw area, because there is less hair and no undercoat.
How to choose the right tool?
When choosing a brush, you need to focus on three parameters: the type, type of coat and size of the pet.
There are only two types of furminators available: Deluxe and Classic. Reviews indicate that both are quite comfortable and last a long time. But Deluxe devices have an ergonomic handle and an automatic cleaning function.
The design of devices for long-haired and short-haired animals has some differences. Short-haired breeds include breeds with a coat length of up to 5 cm, and long-haired ones - up to 12 cm. The market offers a large selection of furminators for short-haired breeds, as well as for pets with long fur. They are recommended for use for various breeds: Siberian, Siamese, Maine Coon, Persian, Ragdoll, Norwegian Forest. You should not use this tool only for grooming animals that do not have undercoat. These include breeds such as Tiffany, Angora, and Singapore cats.
Combing short-haired cats is carried out with a furminator with a special design. You can choose the right accessory here:
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FURMINATOR SHORT HAIR LARGE CAT M/L Furminator for short-haired cats of large breeds (1 piece)
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FURMINATOR SHORT HAIR SMALL CAT S Furminator for short-haired cats of small breeds (1 piece)
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Comb-trimmer PerseiLine for short-haired cats with cleaner L 6.5 cm (1 piece)
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PerseiLine trimmer comb for short-haired cats with cleaner S 4.5 cm (1 piece)
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Grooming Tool Set
Purrs comb themselves out when washed, but dead hairs still tend to settle on fabric surfaces, furniture, and clothes. In addition, when there is too much fluff, the cat inevitably swallows it, and then it is necessary to use a special paste or food to remove the fur balls from the digestive tract.
And also, especially on soft fur (behind the ears, in the collar and “pants”), dense tangles appear, sometimes interfering with movement. To fully care for your pet, you will need to select an individual set of grooming tools and cosmetics (give preference to professional ones):
- For combing out the undercoat of long-haired breeds, a comb with rotating teeth is best suited;
- In semi-long-haired cats, fluff is more effectively removed with a slicker brush;
- A strange-looking comb with a blade instead of teeth is a tangle cutter. It is suitable for soft semi-long and long wool. His task is to cut a large tangle lengthwise into several parts, so as not to cut it across at the root;
- A short-haired pet needs at least a short-tooth comb and a rubber massage glove brush. For ultra-short hair, it is enough to massage it with a glove. And for hairless cats, specialized cosmetics are preferable;
- Animals with semi-long and short hair look much better when the cat furminator is used.
ADVICE! In addition to fur care, provide nail scratchers and a nail clipper, and also monitor the oral health of all your animals.
Operating principle of the furminator
What is a furminator? The word “FurMinator” itself is a commercial derivative of the famous “terminator” (a cyborg robot, and in astronomy it is the boundary of light and shadow) and the English “fur” - fur. You can speculate for yourself on the free translation of this word, but the operating principle of this device is truly unique.
Something else interesting: How to choose the right comb and brush your cat
The teeth of this comb are designed in such a way as to capture and pull out dead elastic hair from the fur mass - it is this that obsessively sticks into clothes and bedspreads. While lighter seasonal fluff can be easily removed with a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner.
Thanks to special sharpening, a slight resistance is created between the comb and the hair. This pulling force is safe for living hairs, but dead hairs easily succumb to it and are pulled outward following the teeth. The living spine remains intact, which is important for maintaining the health of the coat.
Selecting a Furminator by breed
Before choosing a furminator for your cat, check out the assortment of different stores, re-read the instructions and recommendations. There are several types of tools for different types of wool:
- A furminator with short teeth and a blade width of 30 mm is good for a kitten.
- The Furminator has 45 mm and slightly longer teeth for British cats and all short-haired adult animals;
- The furminator comb for cats can have a working blade width of 6 cm or more. This is suitable for large animals weighing over 5 kg and wild-type breeds with very hard fur;
- When choosing a Furminator for Scottish cats, also take into account the quality of the skin (lighter than that of the British). The shorter and more delicate the hairs, the shorter the teeth of the instrument should be.
IMPORTANT! The Furminator is not suitable for breeds with very fine hair and no undercoat. And for long-haired cats there is a special furminator!
- For breeds such as rex, angora, sphinx and laper, combing with a furminator is contraindicated!
When purchasing, rely on your experience in choosing hairdressing accessories and don’t try to buy something cheaper: we don’t choose cheap combs for our own hair! The quality of steel, the perfection of sharpening, the processing of cuts and teeth ultimately affect the appearance of the pet.
American manufacturers have proven themselves best. The USA is a leader in grooming dogs and cats, and the pet beauty industry is more developed there than anywhere else.
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The furminator must be accompanied by instructions. Sometimes it comes with a convenient case or you can store it in its original plastic packaging.
How to choose tool size?
The choice of comb width depends on the size of the cat:
- 3.2 cm - suitable for medium-sized kittens aged 2-3 months;
- 4.5 cm - for adult pets of small breeds whose weight is not more than 5 kg - Siamese, Balinese, mongrel;
- 6.8 cm - for cats of large breeds weighing more than 5 kg - Siberian, Angora, Maine Coon and others, as well as outbred cats, which delight the owners with a large article.
It is important to choose the right size. You should not buy a comb “for growth” and try to comb an animal weighing 2 kg with a tool for large animals. Significant areas of the body will remain untreated. If you use a furminator for kittens for an adult cat, the duration of the combing process will increase several times, and the efficiency will decrease.
Selection rules
Despite your pet’s individual preferences, there are several important rules to consider when choosing. Of course, the price of cat brushes plays a role. It depends on the brand, the material from which the product is made, the quality and convenience of the combing device itself.
Read here Cat door - design, installation, rating of finished models and price of a modern cat door (115 photos)
Next, it’s worth assessing the condition of your pet’s fur – is everything too shabby, are there any problems in the form of tangles and others.
You should definitely take into account the length and thickness of the animal’s fur. For short-haired breeds, some types of combs will simply not be relevant.
The last thing you need to understand is the purpose of this purchase. If the comb is specifically for fleas, but the cat has no trace of them, wasting money will be unnecessary. But a tool that will help a purr care for its fur is a useful acquisition.
How to use it correctly?
You can only comb dry and clean wool. It is often necessary, before combing long-haired cats or short-haired cats that walk outside on their own, to bathe them and allow them to dry and lick themselves. The tool is not used to remove tangles - they must first be untangled or cut out.
The animal should be combed by running a comb along the hair growth. Movements should be careful and leisurely. Start correctly from the head, then work on the back, and then on the paws, belly, tail and panties between the hind legs.
Dealing with shedding is easy if you have a quality tool. In our online store you can purchase a slicker for your beloved pet:
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If your cat is restless, take a short break, pet it, give it the opportunity to assume a comfortable position, and then gently turn it as you treat one or another area of the body.
Before brushing your pet for the first time, read the instructions for the device - where the manufacturer describes in detail how to use a specific model.
How often can you use a furminator for cats?
The frequency of use of the device is determined individually for each animal. It depends on how long and thick his fur is, and whether he has a tendency to form tangles. It is usually sufficient to brush short-haired cats 6-7 times a year, mainly during shedding, and only with a brush for the corresponding breeds. Luxurious long fur requires more attention - the procedure can be repeated 2-3 times a week during shedding, and use a brush once a week in the summer. In winter, you should not unnecessarily pick up a brush in order to preserve as much as possible the undercoat, which protects your pet from the cold, even if he lives in an apartment.
If you have doubts about what care regimen will be optimal for your pet, you need to ask your veterinarian.
To make caring for a long-haired pet easier and to get rid of hairballs flying around the house, look for a furminator or trimmer in a specialized online store:
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FURMINATOR LONG HAIR SMALL CAT S Furminator for long-haired cats of small breeds (1 piece)
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PerseiLine trimmer comb for long-haired cats with cleaner L 6.5 cm (1 piece)
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PerseiLine trimmer comb for long-haired cats with cleaner S 4.5 cm (1 piece)
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Types of combs for dogs
It is a mistake to think that choosing a good comb for your pet’s fur does not matter and you can scratch it with improvised means or use your old one. The effectiveness of the procedure depends on how correctly the accessory is selected. In addition, using the wrong comb can injure the animal. Today, manufacturers of pet products offer a variety of devices for combing wool:
- A slicker brush is a brush with thick teeth made of thin wire. The ends are slightly curved and may be sharp, but are often covered with small rubber or plastic balls to prevent scratching the dog's skin.
- A comb is a metal comb with one row of teeth, resembling a small rake. You can purchase several of them - with different lengths of teeth and distances between them. You can find double-sided combs on sale that replace 2-3 combs.
- Massage brush - in appearance it can resemble a slicker brush or a human brush (comb or even a clothing brush), with a handle or strap for putting on your hand. Its teeth are made of natural bristles or wood, plastic, rubber and metal.
- Mitten - small thin wire teeth located on the inside of the mitten, similar to a slicker. The advantages of the mitten are that the surface area to be combed is larger, the pet is not afraid of the brush in his hands, and the procedure itself resembles stroking.
- The glove, unlike mittens, is made of soft silicone or rubber, the teeth are thick and short, more like spikes. Suitable for combing delicate areas - stomach, groin, inner thigh, neck.
- The Furminator is a relatively new device on the market, but it has taken a strong lead among dog combs. A metal comb with short, flat, wide, closely spaced teeth. It looks like a clipper blade.
Separately, there are special accessories for various procedures:
- To comb out fleas, use a comb with very fine teeth. Helps get rid of parasites after washing and treating your pet. Use this comb only for its intended purpose, as needed. The size of the teeth is selected based on the length and quality of the dog’s coat.
- Professional for trimming and grooming - stripper, comb with a knitting needle, with a blade, tangle cutter and groomer. These devices for cutting fur and getting rid of tangles require special skills and ability to handle them, as they can easily injure both the pet and the owner.
Precautionary measures
In order not to cause discomfort to the cat or damage the skin and fur, the tool should be used in compliance with the following measures:
- do not try to untangle long pile tangles with it;
- use only brushes of the appropriate size;
- Do not use for combing wet and dirty wool;
- do not use if there are wounds, scratches, or inflammatory processes on your pet’s skin - you must first consult a veterinarian and follow his recommendations;
- Do not use for grooming animals of breeds that do not have undercoat.
Before the first combing, you need to understand how the device works and how to use it correctly. After use, the Furminator should be cleaned and capped.
What is a cat furminator?
The tool, called a furminator, was developed in the USA by animal care specialists (groomers). The device has the shape of a razor with a comb equipped with serrated blades. The structure of the device resembles a trimmer. The peculiarities of its design and sharpening of the teeth allow it to effectively capture dead hairs of wool during combing and pull them to the surface.
The Furminator captures dead hair while combing your pet.
Coarser guard hairs remain undamaged. At the end of the procedure, remove the combed undercoat with your hand or a napkin, put it in a bag for further knitting or felting the fluff, but you can simply throw away the removed wool.
The fluff combed out of a cat can be used in different ways, for example, to make a hat for your pet.
The device differs from a trimmer in that it does not cut hairs. The blades have many slots to allow guard hairs to slip through without damaging them.
The device is used at any time, but mainly when the animal is molting. This device prevents the appearance of hair tangles and does not harm the pet’s main hair, which is very important in the process of caring for a cat. Thanks to the tool, the shedding process is halved. The effectiveness of the furminator exceeds that of any powder powder:
- after using the device, the animal’s fur becomes smoother and more beautiful;
- the furminator is easy to use;
- the working surface is made of stainless steel, there is a plastic handle with a rubber grip;
- all available varieties of the device are equally effective in use: the design of the comb is the same;
- You can use this tool for both long-haired and short-haired cat breeds.
How to distinguish an original instrument from a fake?
It is important to know how to choose a good quality furminator. Sometimes stores offer very cheap devices. You won’t be able to save money on such a purchase - the tool practically doesn’t work, which is why negative reviews about furminators often appear.
You can choose an original device and distinguish it from a fake by the following criteria:
- the blades between the teeth should be slightly curved, not straight;
- at the top of the package there should be the inscription “anti-shedding tool” in 4 languages;
- the handle has a metal base with a rubber lining; in cheap counterfeit devices it is most often made entirely of rubber.
Before purchasing in a store, you can select and compare several products - the original ones will have different numbers on the blades, while the fake ones will have the same numbers. You can also see the distributor's sticker on the original packaging.
Opinions from cat owners
Cat owners highly appreciate the performance characteristics of Furminators. A brush for combing out the undercoat really makes caring for pets easier, helps to avoid the appearance of tangles, and improves the quality of the fur, as clearly demonstrated by the photos before and after its use. The relationship with the pet also improves: he does not hiss, does not hide or scratch when he sees a new brush in the hands of the owner, but calmly endures the procedure. The tool is easy to use, does not require complicated maintenance, and most importantly, unlike conventional brushes, it lasts for a long time, fully recouping its cost.
According to veterinarians, such care with massage has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the animal. The undercoat becomes thicker and the coat becomes shiny and healthy. It is only important to choose the right model that matches the characteristics of the breed and size of the cat.
Why are they?
Cat combs for combing fur were invented by man to keep a pet’s coat impeccably clean, beautiful and in order. And if a cat is taught from childhood to the procedure of combing (and also washing his eyes and cleaning his ears) with affection and play, then he will really love this care. And it will even ask itself!
But if you don’t teach it, then don’t be surprised... by such a reaction:
This “brush” will “comb” anyone’s hair
Device rating
Based on reviews from cat owners and sales levels, we can make a rating of the most successful models, easy to use and with a good combination of price and quality.
- The first place in the ranking is taken by FURMINATOR FURFLEX - this is a professional tool. It is chosen by cat owners for whom their appearance is very important, used for caring for show animals, as well as by those who like to photograph their pets and display their photos on social networks. The price of the tool is quite high, but it also serves for many years, maintaining the teeth and sharpness of the blades.
- Second place in the ranking goes to DELIGHT - its price is lower, but it works no worse. Models are available with different numbers of teeth.
- The rating continues with HelloPet brand products.
- Fourth place in the ranking is shared by the brands TRIXIE and Dele - they are much cheaper, but their service life is shorter. In Dele products the handle is made of plastic.
How to do it yourself?
If it is not possible to purchase a product for combing cat hair at a pet store, then you can make the device yourself at home. You can use a regular comb with natural bristles or use a wide-toothed comb. You can also make a glove with your own hands to remove dead hair from your cat. For this you will need a regular work glove. Velcro with hard teeth is sewn onto the palm area and the pet is combed out. But experts note that homemade products are less effective and require time, so it is better not to spare money and purchase a special comb for cats at a pet store. In most cases, a specialized pet care product serves the owner much longer and is more convenient to use than a homemade device.
