Top TIPS for Brushing Your Cat (even if they hate it)

I dont even have a cat. I just like this guy.

Jackson, this is Andi from the video! That was so helpful! Thanks for the tips and good vibes my friend! Stay awesome!

I brush my kitty every day. She hated it at first, but we started brushing her first thing in the morning, and she won't get breakfast until after brushing is done. She learned to enjoy it once the routine was set!

I have 4 cats. They love/hate brushing. But as soon as I get the brush out, they can be all over the house... but they appear out of nowhere and wait in line to get brushed. And they do this. The kitty that's being brushed will leave and come back to the back of the line.

I'm lucky, my cat loves being brushed, I brush her after her medication as a reward.

I have 3 cats so my advice is: Before starting a grooming session always wait until your cat is laying relaxed on the floor before brushing. Pet her/him a minute before beginning brushing. Let them sniff the brush before you begin working on their fur. Remember that they have sensitive skin so GO LIGHTLY! Use a light touch! On shorthairs use a bristle brush not a wire rake. On longhaired cats, alternate every few wire rake strokes with a bristle brush strokes and repeat. Be gentle and be slow, not rough, and remember that below all cat fur there is delicate skin. If you're too vigorous it hurts them, and also gets them overstimulated. Your cat (s) will appreciate it!

I addition to Jackson's advice for Andi, I'd add that brushing the face can be a reward for tolerating brushing in other areas. With my cat, I start with her head, brush the sides a bit, then back to the head for a reward, then a little bit more of the sides. Etc. It works well and gets her to tolerate the whole brushing session.

If your cat gets hyper when you brush it try using shorter stokes instead of long full body ones.

This came at a perfect time. My husband and I just got our first cat and he is a long haired cat. He always has veiwed the brush as a toy and it has been nearly impossible to brush his back legs. Slowly(because im dumb) I realized that I always clip his nails right when he wakes up from his afternoon nap, because he is so calm, so I should also try brushing him at that time as well. It has been soooooo much better!

I remember going somewhere because I was hired for cleaning, I was done fast and noticed their cat had so many mats... so I spend half an hour of my work time and an hour of my own time trying to help that cat. But it was so bad, I barely made a dent and the cat got annoyed with me (+a stranger) doing something they clearly weren't very used to. Poor thing, sometimes I wonder if that old lady (cat) is still struggling.

I had a cat that would come running and meowing when I pulled out the brush, he just loved everything to do with it. I'd hold the brush on its side and he'd walk along it and brush himself, so cute

Perfect timing .. I’ve had some questions lately

Jackson is in quarantining and is going a little batty lol. Love this.

When we were kids, my sister had a kitten, long~ fur. But had a matte PATCH on her lower back. Outdoor kitten cus we lived on a farm. So she had fleas from the wild cats our step Grandfather feed. So my sister used a tiny barbie brush to slowly untange that matte. They BOTH had massive patience for one another to get that tangle out.

Jackson: “Cats should be earning their treats.” Me: “Uh oh...” 😲 Try telling that to my treat addicted monster cat. 😄

I found out brushing my kitten when she’s sleepy it’s the best time. Also using shorter strokes and pretend like my brush is another cat grooming her (gentle, short strokes). Sometimes she’s ticklish/sensitive around some part of her back, but if I hold her fur and go slow, she’s fine with it. She occasionally purrs now when I brush her. She sheds quite a bit and brushing has helped a lot with controlling her shedding.

My dad got her VERY grumpy and fluffy cat to accept his brushing by doing it when she comes to sleep on his bed. She always comes to ask for pets and instead of petting her, he switched to brushing. That worked! She's basically a sphere of fur, so he had to. She looks obese but is actually very healthy, she just had the thickest fur I've ever seen in any cat.

As a professional groomer, I will say that in my experience, MOST cats actually love being brushed.. if you use the right brush. My best trick is to leave a rubber curry brush on the table in front of them while I'm doing stuff they DON'T like as much and a lot of the time they start rubbing on the brush and it distracts them lol. I also reward a lot of them with brushing after they let me do something they hate (shaving pads, trimming feet, clipping nails, etc...). I have had a lot of owners absolutely shocked when they see their cats LOVING the brushing that they fight so hard at home for. A lot of times, if you put them up on a table or counter top or even washing machine or dryer, with a cozy towel under them (it also helps catch the hair you brush off) it is way easier/more enjoyable. Most clients I've suggest it to have reported back that it worked like a charm. Also using the proper brush or comb and proper techniques goes a long way

My Tinkerbell LOVES getting every little spot brushed out. She prefers using my hair brushes, mainly the small tooth combs you would use for bangs. But she also loves paddle brush on the tummy.

this video could not have come at a better time