Sit in the Combing Place and utter the spell MEOW.
April 30, 2015 8:08 PM   Subscribe

My cat loves to be combed. She was fine with a brush, then I tried a comb, and then I tried another comb. She absolutely loves to be combed with that one. I know the benefits of removing cat hair. This is not utilitarian any more, it's a thing she loves and wants. Will my cat ask for more combing than is good for her?

This (still) is my cat (video). She is at least partly Maine Coon and her fur is moderately long, quite thick, and very fine. Combing and moistening her coat - the major event is after my shower - pleases her to the point she'll ask for belly combing sometimes.

At first it was once a day, then twice - and now she would like combing three times a day. It's a social event every time she asks for it, there is purring and twining, and sometimes rolling around.

The amount of fur that is coming off the cat is un-diminished for several weeks. Is that an equilibrium point of fur loss? Is she going to ask for enough combing to cause any problems?
posted by jet_silver to Pets & Animals (10 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: If she seems to be getting bald or really thin spots, worry. If she's not, and you're in an area of the world that's starting to warm up this time of year, your description sounds pretty normal. I have a cat with similar length fur and she's shedding a TON right now. Doesn't like anything messing with her belly, but she's wanting extra grooming every spring and throughout the summer. If I knew anything about spinning or knitting, I'm sure I could make three more of her a month.
posted by MuChao at 8:49 PM on April 30, 2015 [6 favorites]


Oh my, what an adorable kitty! Honestly, I don't think 3 combing sessions will do her any harm at all. Is she grooming herself with the same frequency throughout the day? The combing is probably taking over some of the "shedding hair removal" function of her grooming herself. Just keep it gentle. She'll let you know. What a sweetie :)
posted by Klaxon Aoooogah at 8:51 PM on April 30, 2015 [2 favorites]


What kind of comb is it? I think a Furminator-type fine-tooth comb can pull out too much of the undercoat and create thin spots if used too often, but a regular cat comb shouldn't be able to do any harm on a long-haired cat like yours.
posted by oh yeah! at 9:06 PM on April 30, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yeah - the Furminator is far too aggressive.

I've never groomed quite that often, but I've never had any problems with an ordinary brush or comb. My favorite is a good quality longer pocket comb with coarse and fine times. It's versatile and a bit gentler than the pet combs I've tried, while clearing lose hair very effectively.

I really wouldn't worry too much, as long as you're not seeing bare spots and your cat is enjoying it. Some people give their cats lion cuts this time of year (not my thing), so clearing out a lot of hair shouldn't be too troublesome.
posted by wotsac at 9:43 PM on April 30, 2015


Response by poster: It's meant to be a comb for people, freebie on an airplane flight. She prefers the coarse-toothed comb to finer teeth or the brush. The coarse comb accumulates more fur than the finer one and she likes it much better.

If she ever started developing bald spots I would know for sure something was wrong, she's fussy about her coat and yes, she spends tons of time grooming. Meal, bath. Excitement (there was a cat outside last night), bath. Session of play, bath. Waking up from a nap, bath.
posted by jet_silver at 10:06 PM on April 30, 2015 [4 favorites]


I don't think you'd get full-on bald spots with such a beautifully floofy long-hair as you've got, but a person-comb might pull out a disproportionate amount of the undercoat over time. My vet told me to use a shedding comb like this or this.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:19 AM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best answer: The Zoom Groom takes a bit less hair off than a comb, but still collects a surprising amount. I think there's less risk of skin damage too. It'll definitely give the skin massage that kitty lurves.
posted by klarck at 5:38 AM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


2nding the Zoom Groom.
posted by desjardins at 8:58 AM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


Best answer: It's coming up on summer, and your gorgeous kitty has a lot of winter coat to shed. You could probably make a whole new cat out of all the fur you get from her -- or at least a sweater.

We use the Furminator when our cat gets belly dreads -- he loves to be raked with that thing, seriously. He will lay there for 45 minutes or more. But we also just use a normal human hairbrush on the cats (not the same one you use on yourself, obviously) with natural bristles and that seems to work well.

Many cats will stick their tongues out and lick their lips if you run your fingernails along the edge of a comb like you're playing a guitar. Try it! You might even get your kitty to fetch a comb if she can carry a cup like she's doing in the picture.
posted by vickyverky at 11:52 AM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks for the replies. She is my first long-haired cat and there's a learning curve, especially as she shows what she likes and how that varies from the shorthairs I've had before.

She may continue to have three combings a day. I'm going to try the Zoom Groom.
posted by jet_silver at 10:10 PM on May 2, 2015


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