Best Deshedding Brush for Ragdoll Cats

Ragdoll cats, much like any other mid- to long-haired cat breed, do shed their fur. And if you don’t keep in control of your cat’s shedding, they could end up with matted hair or potentially hairballs from grooming themselves.

That’s why it’s important you groom your cat too, and that should involve a good deshedding brush. A deshedding brush differs from a regular grooming comb because it is designed to not only detangle the coat but it gets deep into it as well, and removes any shed fur.

Finding the right tool that your cat is comfortable with is important. It’s also equally important that the brush is comfortable for you too. If you buy something that’s difficult to use or that just isn’t nice to hold, over time you’ll be more likely to make a mistake and hurt your kitty, or start to fall into bad habits by brushing your cat less than you should.

So, let’s take a look at some of my favorite deshedding brushes along with some recommendations from Floppycatters too.

Essential Tips for Using Deshedding Tools with Your Cat:

Here are some top tips for making sure your cat doesn’t put up too much of a fight when you use a deshedding brush:

  • Introduce them to brushing at an early age so they’re used to it
  • Make it a positive experience – reward them with a treat when you’re done
  • Start slowly – let them get used to the brush and smell it before you use it, and start with smaller areas before expanding to brushing their entire coat
  • Get them comfortable – find a position where they can relax
  • Make sure you’re comfortable too – you’re more likely to be gentle when you’re not struggling
  • Tackle every area – it’s easy to focus on your cat’s body but tricky areas behind the legs need brushing too
  • Pay attention to your cat – if they look uncomfortable or distressed, stop. Don’t force the issue or future brushing will be harder
  • Start in an area you know your cat enjoys so that they relax – leave the more problematic areas to the end
  • When you can, use deshedding tools outside. Many drop dead fur and hair everywhere, and cleaning up outdoors is much easier

Best Deshedding Brush for Ragdoll Cats

1. JW Pet Company GripSoft Cat Shedding Blade

JW Pet Company GripSoft Cat Shedding Blade

This is one of the best deshedding tools you can buy for long-haired cats. The blade is circular and it has a lot of very small teeth, which means that it can gather up more fur at once and, because of the circular shape, it brushes the hair in different angles at the same time, which again helps it to gather up more fur.

The teeth aren’t too sharp, so it won’t cut the fur or hurt your cat, but it will get deep into the coat to remove the loose hair effectively. So even the harder to reach areas of your cat’s coat will be tackled, which will prevent matting in the long term.

The handle of the pet shedding blade is really comfortable to use too – it’ll fit snug in your hand and won’t leave you with cramp or aches if you spend a good amount of time brushing.

The one recommendation I’d have is to use this tool outside if you can. That’s because it’s so effective that you will remove a lot of loose fur which will get everywhere if you do it indoors. You can save yourself some of the clean up if you’ve a relaxing spot outside where you can brush your cat with this shedding blade.

Purchase on Amazon.

2. Safari Cat Comb

Safari Shedding Comb with Contoured Wooden Handle for Longhair (1-Unit)

The Safari Cat Comb is a simply designed comb that is effective at brushing long-haired cats, and claims to be good for short-haired cats too. The key is in the different lengths of the teeth – they alternate between being short and long – which helps to penetrate deeper into your cat’s mane and comb out any pesky loose fur in the coat.

What’s also important is that the teeth are smooth and have a rounded end, which is vital for protecting your cat’s skin as you brush. I like to test all combs on myself before I use them on my cats, and this one didn’t hurt at all on my skin.

The handle is wooden and sturdy, with contours to fit your hand, so it’s another option that won’t tire you out as you brush. An advantage of this comb is its smaller size – it’s ideal for carrying with you if you’re traveling and just need to quickly brush out a knot caused by loose fur.

One key recommendation – our regular vet has one of these in their office. They’re a cat-only vet and have been working for over 30 years, so if this is the cat comb they prefer then it must be good.

Purchase on Amazon.

3. EquiGroomer

EquiGroomer Deshedding Brush for Dogs and Cats | Undercoat Deshedding Tool for Large and Small Pets | Comb Removes Loose Dirt, Hair and Fur | Perfect Clean for Short and Long Hair Grooming Shedding

The EquiGroomer, as you might be able to guess from the name, started as a product to be used on horses, but has since been developed for other pets too. It’s a wooden block that has a saw-type blade along one edge, with small teeth that are designed to snag loose fur.

Importantly, like other brushes and tools on this list, it does not cut healthy hair, only pulling out the dead and loose fur that is tangled amongst the coat. And while the blade is low profile, the design of the block does allow you to get close to your cat’s skin without hurting them, so that coat gets a thorough treatment.

Because it snags hair at the ends, it tends to pull less for your cat, and so this is a good choice for anyone whose pets don’t like being brushed. The handle is also nicely designed again to feel sturdy and comfy to use, and it’s another tool I’d recommend using outdoors if you can just because of how effective it can be.

Purchase on Amazon.

4. Shedmonster


Oster ShedMonster De-Shedding Tool for Cats

The Shedmonster almost looks like a razor blade you’d use for shaving, but it is a brush only and it doesn’t cut any hair at all. Instead, it has stainless steel tines that are curved and rounded, helping to get deep into thicker coats of cats or dogs and drag out any dead hair whilst combing the healthy coat and keeping it from getting tangled.

The rounded tips also protect your cat’s skin – it won’t hurt them or give them ‘brush burn’, but can actually be quite relaxing and massaging. It’s effective and grabbing hair which you can then just pull off the tines and throw into the garbage.

It’s another small and lightweight tool that you could pack in a travel bag easily, and the handle has an ergonomic design that keeps it comfortable to use even as you slowly and gently tackle the larger kitty’s coat.

And because of the rounded edges on the tines, you’ve got complete control with your animal without dragging it into their skin. If your cat has a shorter coat, you’ll still have no trouble using it without hurting them.

Purchase on Amazon.

Floppycatter recommendations

I asked our Floppycatters for some recommendations of their own, and I’ve picked out some of the more popular suggestions. Make sure you follow us on Facebook for regular Floppycatter tips and product recommendations.

FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool, for Medium/Large Cats, Short Hair

A couple of readers suggested the Furminator. It’s a well-known product that effectively removes hair from your cat’s coat. However, part of the reason it’s so effective is because it uses razor blades and actually cuts the coat, removing not just shed fur but healthy hairs too. It won’t maintain the nice glossy coat but will be very good at removing hair to prevent matting and hairballs.

I’m not a fan, and some other Floppycatters on the Facebook post agree with me, but it did get a couple of positive mentions so I wanted to include it, and you can make up your own mind.

Purchase on Chewy.

HERTZKO Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Dogs and Cats Pet Grooming Dematting Brush Easily Removes Mats, Tangles, and Loose Fur from The Pet’s Coat

One Floppycatter put forward the Slicker Brush, a brush that gently removes loose fur from your cat’s coat using a number of fine bent bristles that shouldn’t harm your cat’s skin. It’s an effective brush that not only removes dead fur but also smooths and protects the healthy hairs.

Plus it has a handy cleaning feature – once you’re finished, press the button, and the bristles will retract, leaving you to simply wipe the loose fur from the flat surface into the garbage.

Purchase on Chewy.

Undercoat Rake for Dogs, Pet Grooming Brush, FIOVIEL Designed for Breeds with Medium to Long Undercoats, Reduces Shedding by up to 95% Professional Deshedding Tool, Easy Mats & Tangles Removing (Blue)

The Undercoat Rake got a couple of mentions on Facebook, and is a really simple, cheap, and effective solution for combing your pet. It has two rows of tapered steel needles that are rounded, so they won’t hurt your cat’s skin as you comb, and they’re quite long so have no trouble penetrating deep into a furry coat and dematting it while it gathers loose hair.

The design is basic but still comfortable to use, with a wide brushing area to help you tackle more of your cat’s fur in one go. It might not be the best tool for some trickier areas but for general brushing it should be nice and effective.

Purchase on Amazon.

Furgopet Fur Go Pet 00209 Large Dog Deshedder Tool

The FurGoPet looks a lot like the Furminator, but it doesn’t use razor blades to cut the hair. Instead, its fine teeth simply gather up loose fur to remove it, combing the remaining coat while it does. It’s a small tool, which has its advantages – it can be easy to carry around with you, and it can get into nooks behind your cat’s legs easily to tackle harder-to-reach areas.

However, this does mean brushing the rest of your cat will take longer. So, it’s good that the handle is comfortable to hold and the stainless-steel combing edge won’t irritate your cat while you work.

Purchase on Amazon.

HDP Cat Zoom Groom Color:Purple Size:Pack of 2

The ZoomGroom is a rubber brush with a fun cat-shaped design, that will help to comb your cat’s fur and remove dead hairs. Because it uses rubber tines it feels extremely comfortable on your cat’s skin, more akin to a massage than being brushed.

However, it is unlikely to be as effective as a brush with finer bristles at tackling matted fur or removing as much hair, while the cat shape might be fun but it’s not as ergonomic or comfortable as other options on this list. One interesting point though is that reviews do suggest it’s useful for also picking up fur from your furniture, so you could multitask with it.

Purchase on Chewy.

SleekEZ Original Deshedding Grooming Tool for Dogs, Cats & Horses - Undercoat Brush for Short & Long Hair - Painlessly Remove 95% of Loose Hair, Fur & Dirt - Easy to Clean - USA Made (5 inch)

The SleekEZ resembles the EquiGroomer and is another product with versions for horses too. It’s a wooden block with a fine wave-pattern blade that snags and removes dead hair from your cat’s coat. Because of the thin design of the blade, it doesn’t retain fur, so it will be dropped everywhere – another tool that is best used outdoors.

The handle doesn’t have an ergonomic design to it but it is rounded so should fit in your hand relatively comfortably. It is definitely more of a targeted deshedding tool than a brush though, so don’t expect it to comb the healthy fur too well.

Purchase on Amazon.

FAQs

Website | + posts

Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,

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3 Comments

  1. What happened to the EZ-Groomer with the Salmon teeth like comb?

  2. Patti A Johnson says:

    TYSVM, Jenny honey, for this super pawesome & fabulous & comprehensive info about shedding & grooming! #SoMuchFloofy #TheFloofIsREAL Very well done! 🙂 <3

    Big hugs

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