Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

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Alice
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Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Alice »

My long-haired Ragdoll, Leo, is very happy to be brushed, but still gets lots of matted clumps of fur, mainly under his tummy, which ordinary brushes don't deal with. I sometimes manage to cut some of them out, very carefully, with sharp scissors but really need some sort of tool. I don't know whether to get a Furminator, or if something else would be better. I seem to recall MarkB mentioning something he liked, a while ago, but I don't remember what it was.

Advice and recommendations welcome, please. Thanks.

Here he is, ready for some brushing....
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Lyn from Australia
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Lyn from Australia »

What a handsome cat! I suspect a Furminator might be a bit rough for tummy knots, as it tends to pull much of the fur out by the roots. If I cat a cat that didn't mind being brushed/combed, I think I'd probably use a fairly wide-toothed comb and perhaps some spray-on conditioner. My Raggy girl Summer hates being groomed and I tend to just cut out knots every now and again.
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MarkB
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by MarkB »

Yes a Furminator is the last thing you would use on a knot - in fact they tell you to check for and remove knots BEFORE using one - otherwise they can catch on knots which could be really painful or dangerous even. For the odd knot, without pulling on the knot, you can separate the knot (in a similar way to opening a packet of crisp - if that makes sense.

One of mine is long-haired and his fur is very fine, so he get knots and matts all the time. Some of the best money I ever spent was on an Oster Artisan http://www.easyanimal.co.uk/oster-artis ... immer.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And a can of blade lubricant to go with it http://www.easyanimal.co.uk/catalogsear ... =kool+lube" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I see Easyanimal are out of stock and other places are more expensive - worth looking around for the best price. I must have used it hundreds of times in the last few years - just be careful around nipples and other sensitive area! :)
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Alice
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Alice »

Thanks Lyn
I didn't realise that the Furminator pulled fur out in the way you described - thought it would cut rather than pull at knots. I sometimes find it awkward to hold Leo still and cut the knots when they're under his tummy or near his front legs. I don't want him to jump down when I've not quite cut the knot out, in case he pulls at it and swallows it, and as his tummy fur is more or less the same colour as his skin it's tricky to get the scissors between the knot and his skin, especially working on my own.

I did take him to be groomed once, but wasn't happy about leaving him there amongst lots of barking dogs, all waiting their turn, and I'd to go back for him a few hours later. He must have coped well, as the groomer said he'd been licking her while she worked, and nudging her for more when she paused to change tools! That's Leo!! :lol:

I'm not familiar with the spray you mentioned - anyone know what name to look for in the UK, and if used, can you recommend it?

Thanks Mark - I was hoping you'd remind me of the product you liked - I'll look it up now. I do try to untangle knots with my fingers or fingers and brush/comb, but many are too big and tight for this to work.
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Alice
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Alice »

I see what you mean about the Oster being more expensive on other sites, Mark, - what a difference!!
I'm getting an order ready for Zooplus, so I think I'll get a battery operated trimmer from there for the time being, and watch for the Oster being back in stock (hopefully at the same price).
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by MarkB »

Don't bother with the Wahl pocket trimmer. It is rubbish and a waste of money (about £10) I know they do another model, but the pocket trimmer is useless.

One thing I learned, is that after you trim a matt out, you leave behind a lot of undercoat, which they will groom out. What you need to do is brush the area straight afterwards to get all the loose undercoat fur out. Laz loves this - as did Alice :) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-Grooming- ... in+slicker" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unlike regular slicker brushes, each prong has a tiny nylon bobble on the end so it doesn't scratch their skin. Alice used to rub herself against it. Laz does too. Another thing worth its weight in gold :)

I tried a medium, but it is too big. The small is perfect for cats.

You can avoid a lot of matts brushing daily with this. :)

PS - Looks like they have changed the design, but just found it here for £3.99 with free delivery (til Monday) :) http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Mikki-Ball-P ... NSL/SMALL/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Lyn from Australia »

To be honest I don't know if there is actually a conditioner spray for cats. On the odd occasion I've used this method I've just put about 10mL of a children's hair conditioner (may be Johnson's? I'm not sure) in a spray bottle and then about two-thirds filled the bottle with warm water. I think those garden spray bottles would be around 250mL.

Kong Zoom Groom brushes are very good, but very messy and ideally you should be outdoors when using one. As an added bonus they are excellent for removing fur from carpet and rugs and fluffing up the pile. :D
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MarkB
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by MarkB »

My only concern with anything you put on a cat is that it is likely to be ingested. Maybe overcautious, but you never know what they put in these things.

I'm with you re the Zoom Groom Lyn. They produce a candy floss of undercoat - I normally keep a ball-pin brush handy to use afterwards to get all the loose fur out.
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Crewella »

Yep, I'm a big fan of the Zoom Groom as well, and for getting fur off beds and blankets. :)

For tangles, I've found you can't beat gently attacking it with a plastic comb, and the 'open it like a packet of crisps' method of breaking up mats that I got from this forum. :)
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Alice »

Thanks for all your replies. I've been using a Zoom Groom for about 20 years, and have commented on here years ago about how my then cats and I liked it, as do Tilly and Leo. Mine cost 99p and is still in use!

I also have the type with wires tipped with glass/plastic - that's the type I use most, but it seems to glide over many of the tangles in Leo's fur. He's a big cat and I obviously don't groom his underside as much as I should - a bit awkward to hold him up against my body for long enough to do a thorough job. I also use a plastic brush which was originally for brushing a knitted mohair jacket!
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by claire_lee »

We use a human Tangleteezer on Mali (very fluffy suspected Maine coon cross) he loves it but then we do groom him regularly and started when he was little....
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by Alice »

I can assure you Leo gets brushed several times every day, to within an inch of his life!! I've good brushes, and sharp scissors, in 4 places around the house ready for a grooming session whenever there's an opportunity, but it's mostly when he's on my lap or bed, so everything except his underside is accessible, and that's the area where he gets the knots. He loves to be in the garden, where he gets wet from plants and the fur sticks together, not to mention all the bits of foliage and small slugs he brings in amongst his fur! Yuk :roll:
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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by PetApp »

MarkB wrote:Yes a Furminator is the last thing you would use on a knot - in fact they tell you to check for and remove knots BEFORE using one - otherwise they can catch on knots which could be really painful or dangerous even. For the odd knot, without pulling on the knot, you can separate the knot (in a similar way to opening a packet of crisp - if that makes sense.

One of mine is long-haired and his fur is very fine, so he get knots and matts all the time. Some of the best money I ever spent was on an Oster Artisan http://www.easyanimal.co.uk/oster-artisan-cord-cordless

And a can of blade lubricant to go with it http://www.easyanimal.co.uk/catalogsear ... =kool+lube" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I see Easyanimal are out of stock and other places are more expensive - worth looking around for the best price. I must have used it hundreds of times in the last few years - just be careful around nipples and other sensitive area! :)
I have been using a matt buster which I bought for about £8 in Pets at Home on Izzy, as well as busting through matts, it seems to thin the coat, taking the underneath puppy fluff out. I've also been using a comb and a slicker on her. I will invest in Les Pooches brush as she's older and her adult caot rows in. Many people on here recommend them.

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Re: Which grooming tool for tangles/knots?

Post by MarySkater »

My Ria (Norwegian Forest Cat) is now 2 years old, and manages to keep her fur fairly free of knots, but when she was younger I'd sometimes find a lump, usually in an awkward spot like behind an elbow, and with a bit of garden debris at its centre. I'd use an electric clipper to just lift the lump out of her coat, with little effort to me and no pain to her. So long as I spotted the lump quickly (and I regularly run my hands over her to check) the mat doesn't go down to the skin and doesn't need to be clipped too closely. She's not a show cat, so the occasional shorter patch on her coat doesn't matter, and really doesn't show much in any case.

I spent a bit of time getting her used to the clipper, first just the sound, then I'd stroke her with the back of it, before I tried to clip her. It doesn't bother her.
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