8 Common Types of Cat Brushes (With Pictures)

Cats are known for their fondness for grooming and keeping themselves clean, but there are times we, as cat parents, need to lend them a helping hand. No matter how fastidious your favorite feline is, they won’t always be able to work out mats or tangles in their fur. This is especially true for longhaired cats and cats who are older or can’t move as well as they once could, which means cat parents to the rescue with the brush. Even if your cat doesn’t need the help grooming, brushing your pet offers several benefits¹, including bonding time and decreased shedding.

There are several types of cat brushes you can choose from, making the decision on which to get a bit more challenging. Below you’ll find information on eight common types of cat brushes. With this info, you can easily pick the right brush for your pet!

The 8 Types of Cat Brushes

1.  Bristle Brush

The bristle brush is just what it sounds like—a brush with bristles like the ones you’d find on a human brush. You’ll find a wide variety of these brushes available, but which one you go with will depend on your cat’s coat type. Though these brushes are excellent for all coat types—tightly clustered bristles work better for shorthair cats, while bristles that are spaced apart work well on longhair cats—how they’re used will differ depending on the coat length. A bristle brush is often plenty to do the job for cats with short hair. But for those with long hair, a bristle brush is best used as a finishing touch after another brush has removed tangles.

You’ll also want to determine how well your kitty tolerates grooming to decide how soft you want the bristles to be. Even cats who hate being brushed can enjoy the massaging effects of softer bristles!

2. Deshedding Brush

Deshedding brushes are an excellent choice for cats that shed a lot, as they pull out loose hair before it can get all over your sofa. They work by using a combination of bristles and a blade to de-shed hair that’s loose (don’t let the blade part concern you, though; so long as you use as instructed, this brush won’t cut your pet’s skin). Though they can be used on shorthair cats, this brush type works best on longhaired breeds or those with double coats. You’ll find deshedding tools for various coat lengths available.

3. Double-Sided Brush

Further down, you’ll read about pin brushes and their use, but for now, we present the double-sided brush. This brush has a bristle brush on one side, with a pin brush on the flip side. While you can use a double-sided brush on pretty much any coat type, it works especially well on long-haired cats as one side can detangle, and the other smooths out the coat. A dual-sided brush also saves you the money and hassle of having to purchase more than one type of brush for your longhair kitty pal. It might not be the favorite of cats who hate brushing, though.

4. Grooming Glove

Alright, a grooming glove isn’t technically a brush, but it does the same thing as a brush (mainly removing loose fur), which is why it’s included. Essentially, it’s simply a glove you put on that has silicone or rubber bristles on the palm. Once it’s on, just pet your cat like you normally would, and voila! Now you have less cat fur and a (hopefully) happy kitty.

After you’ve finished, you can easily gather the loose hair from the glove and toss it in the garbage. This brush type is particularly good for pets who loathe being brushed. Some longhair or double-coated cats might need something more than the grooming glove to really get into their fur and untangle it, but this brush should work on most coat types.

5. Pin Brush

And here’s the pin brush mentioned above as one side of a dual-sided brush. These brushes are readily available and are—you guessed it—brushes with pin bristles. Pins may sound painful for your cat, but the pins on these brushes have tips covered with a tiny ball, so they won’t harm your pet. Those tiny balls are also excellent for stimulating the natural oils in your cat’s coat, leaving it nice and shiny. A pin brush isn’t for all cats, though. This brush works better for felines with medium to long hair or those with curly coats, as pin brushes are used most to remove tangles.

6. Rubber Massage Brush

You might also see these brushes called curry brushes; they’re made from silicone or rubber and are a big hit with felines who hate brushing. Not only are these brushes softer than bristled or pin brushes, but their large, wide bristles work well for those with sensitive skin. The rubber massage brush can remove loose hair on all coat types and give your pet a nice little massage. This brush type can also be used during bathing to lather shampoo! However, this isn’t the brush type you want if your cat is prone to getting tangles or mats.

7. Slicker Brush

You’re probably familiar with the slicker brush, as they’re a fairly popular brush type. These brushes have very fine, metal pin teeth clustered together on a flat or curved brush head. Those fine metal pins are excellent for removing loose fur from kitty’s coat and for working out tangles and mats. Plus, they’re pretty great at stimulating your cat’s natural oils for a nice shine to your pet’s coat. However, those fine metal pins can sometimes be sharp, so you’ll need to be careful with this one. And while they can be used for any type of cat, the slicker brush works exceptionally well on felines with medium to long hair that tend to shed a lot.

8. Undercoat Rake

Chances are you won’t use this type of brush (which, yes, is more of a rake) unless your cat has an undercoat that sheds a lot or is prone to matting. If your cat does have an undercoat or a lot of mats, you’ll love the undercoat rake, as it uses metal tines to cut through even the densest of fur to get rid of loose fur and nasty mats. And while they tend to be fairly heavy-duty, they’re also designed to not pull at clumps of hair while getting rid of mats, so your pet doesn’t have to go through a painful brushing.

How Often Should I Brush My Cat?

Now you know the types of brushes available, the question is how often you should be brushing your cat. Honestly, you only need to brush your pet once or twice a week for them to receive the benefits of it, for the most part. If you have a cat with longer hair or fur that’s prone to tangles and mats, you might want to brush them an extra time a week to work through any fur problems. But the majority of cats will only require brushing or two each week for a healthy coat!

Conclusion

Regularly brushing your favorite feline offers a host of benefits (and not just for them!). However, deciding which brush is the best to use can be difficult since there are so many types out there. Now that you know what’s available, you can pick the brush (or brushes) that will work best at deshedding your pet and keeping its coat healthy and shiny. Most cats will only require brushing once or twice a week, but if you have a cat with long hair or mats, you may need to add an extra weekly brushing to that number.

Featured Image Credit: VeronArt16, Shutterstock