How to brush a cat that point-blank refuses to cooperate

If you're interested, I'll post the link to the shop where I got it.

To brush a cat that’s a bit of a handful, you could try using a grooming glove. Personally, it works a treat for mine – they think I’m just stroking them when I’m actually brushing them, and it’s brilliant for the fur! ;)

Rather than using malt paste, which only contains 5 or 10% malt and is mostly fat—likely vegetable oil, basically a tube of margarine—you’re better off choosing something more suitable and less harmful. Try a treat made from dried meat instead (have a look at brands like Cosma, Orijen, or Thrive).

And, if you'll excuse the phrasing, please avoid combing your cat; it’s absolute torture in thick fur, like being waxed! You should really only ever use a flea comb in exceptional circumstances. Always stick to a brush and just give them plenty of gentle strokes instead.

Yeah, I definitely tend to assume all cats are total greedy guts :)

Play is another great way to distract a cat for a grooming session.

I’m with @Greylox on this one!

Ours (1 year old) isn’t a huge fan, and treats don’t work (she’s not very food-motivated... much to our despair!). So, we get her to play at the same time: we wave a Kong-style toy around and brush her while she’s trying to catch it (usually with my boyfriend's help to keep her distracted...). The main thing is keeping her occupied with something else, even if she does run off fairly quickly! Even if you only manage two 5-minute sessions a day, it’s better than nothing :)

When it comes to cutting out mats, it’s much better to get someone to help you – doing it on your own is a real nightmare.

Malt paste is just one example; we give it to help with hairballs, plus one of our little ones tends to get a bit constipated. However, you can swap it for any treat that takes a bit of time to eat and that your girl enjoys. We’re lucky that ours love malt paste, but not all cats do (be careful, it’s very fatty, so use it sparingly and definitely don’t follow the dosage on the tube. Our vet was horrified when I told him the brand we buy recommends 6 cm of paste per day per cat! ^^)

Generally speaking, giving her something tasty to nibble or lick while you brush her helps her associate the grooming with a positive stimulus. Over time, she’ll be more willing to be brushed (basically, you’re using positive reinforcement, just like a zookeeper would).

After two years of this approach, our girl now comes and asks to be brushed (sometimes several times a day! :D), even though she’s still not a huge fan. We’ve even made progress: we can brush the back of her legs now as she’s realised it feels good, and yesterday, for the very first time, she even showed me her tummy for a few quick strokes.

Perseverance and patience... and best of luck! :)

Thanks for your reply 😃

I'm going to try the tube of malt paste, as I hadn't heard of it before. To be honest, when I brush Mystie and there aren't any mats, it goes okay, but my main problem at the moment is really the knots that I have no choice but to cut out. As soon as I get anywhere near her with the scissors, she starts growling and it becomes a real struggle, but I’ll definitely give the malt paste a go.

Thanks again and have a lovely day!

Hi there,

To be honest, if she puts up with it for a minute, that’s not bad at all! :)

Our method at home: we brush the easiest parts first (the ones where our girl lets us). Then for the trickier bits (under the belly, the chest, and the "mane"), we whip out the tube of malt paste. Since our little lady is obsessed with it, the trick is to put some paste on your fingertip and let her lick it off while you tackle the sensitive areas. Mind you, she’s a massive foodie, which definitely helps.

Also, if Mystie already has big mats, it’s understandable that she isn’t happy about being brushed, as it must pull and hurt her. You’d probably need to try and cut or clip those mats out first.

For the medium to long term, there are alternatives to brushing — a grooming glove, for example — but I don’t find them particularly effective for long-haired cats.

Looking at the photo of Mystie on your profile, her coat looks much shorter than our cat’s, so a glove might actually be a good solution in your case.