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Image | Product | Features |
 | Best Daily Brush Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush |
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 | Runner Up Daily Brush Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Cats |
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 | Best Deshedding Brush Furminator Longhair Deshedding Tool (Large Cats) |
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 | Best Budget Deshedding Dakpets Grooming Brush |
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 | Best Dematting Brush GoPets Dematting Brush |
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I have large, spoiled Maine Coon. She is sensitive and temperamental at times, and I brush her regularly. She enjoys it now, and I don’t need to jealously watch Youtube videos of owners brushing their docile Maine Coon anymore!
Because of my experience with her, I can genuinely advise on what types and brands are the best brushes for Maine Coons.
And… this is who I’m working with on the regular. Meet Chelle!
Below, we talk about those categories of brushes, some essential information on brushing itself, then I tell you how I successfully brush my Maine Coon cat so you can do it too!
Best Every Day Brush
- Removes loose fur from both coats
- Large, long haired cat sized
- Self cleaning
This is a perfect brush for your Maine Coon on a daily basis and for them to develop a good connection to.
It gently removes loose fur and light tangles with bristles that penetrate deep into your cat’s fluffy coat. The wide bristles prevent any discomfort and pulling on your pet’s skin.
But the main reason why the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush wins this category is because it’s easy to clean. Slicker brushes are effective, but good luck with clean up.
Previously you had to pick out fur with your fingers, which would lead to bent wire bristles. This could lead to cuts in your pet while in use, so hard pass on that!
But now with the press of a button, trapped hair from its bristles drops to the ground.
This type of brushing also enhances healthy coats and distributes natural oils, leaving your cats with a shiny coat. The brush is also designed with an ergonomic handle that prevents slipping and wrist pain.
Rating Breakdown:
- Performance: 10/10
- Durability: 10/10
- Ease of Clean Up: 10/10
- Price: 10/10
- Overall Score: 10
What We Liked:
- Comfortable for cats
- Self-cleaning
- Retractable bristles
- Maine Coon sized
What We Didn’t Like:
- Deep bristles may touch skin sometimes
Runner Up Every Day Brush
- Removes loose fur from both coats
- Bit smaller
- Self cleaning and budget-friendly
This is yet another effective brush that is a little bit similar to Hertzko slicker brush, but is smaller. This is the one my Maine Coon and I used, when she was a kitten.
This Safari model works just as well in getting rid of tangles, overgrown fur, and enhancing the production of natural oils.
The Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush is the best in this category because of its performance and offers the self-cleaning functionality, while being fairly inexpensive.
The bristles are widely spaced hence preventing frequent tangles of fur, with deep stainless steel pins that reach into the fluffy coat for a massage.
Rating Breakdown:
- Performance: 7/10
- Durability: 7/10
- Ease of Clean Up: 10/10
- Price: 10/10
- Overall Score: 8.5
What We Liked:
- Safe and easy to use
- Has a comfortable handle
- Retractable bristles
- Maine Coon kitten sized
What We Didn’t Like:
- Deep bristles may touch skin sometimes
Best Deshedding Brush
- Gets the most fur with each swipe
- Prevents mats, tangles, hairballs from forming
- Self cleaning and the original brand
The American-made Furminator is the best deshedding brush hands down.
As a professional grade groomers tool available to the public, It simply terminates vast amounts of undercoat of Maine Coons can accumulate – the most of any tool here, in my experience.
Used after the slicker brush approximately 2-3 times a week, the fur you remove with this thing will astound you, especially during the Spring and Summer hotter months.
And your Maine Coon will be so happy, not to mention cooler, lighter, and in a better mood.
The Furminator has the strength of a valued brand behind it, so you can feel the solid weight (5.4 oz) and quality. Copycats are everywhere, with some reported to have softer teeth that may bend.
Clean up is facilitated by pressing the fur ejector button which releases trapped hair. It is also very comfortable to use because of its ergonomic handle.
Rating Breakdown:
- Performance: 10/10
- Durability: 10/10
- Ease of Clean Up: 10/10
- Price: 5/10
- Overall Score: 8.75
What We Liked:
- Removes the most fur with each swipe
- Prevents hairballs, mats, tangles
- Original brand, high quality construction
What We Didn’t Like:
- Overuse 100% will remove too much fur
Best Budget Deshedding Brush
- Prevents mats, tangles, hairballs from forming
- Removes a ton of undercoat
- Less expensive than the Furminator
For those not into the branded Furminator for any reason, the Dakpets Grooming brush is a great viable alternative.
Compared to the Furminator, this brush is
- Not self cleaning
- has a smaller comb edge
- lighter weight (1.6 oz vs 5.4 oz)
The Dakpets Deshedding Brush claims to reduce shedding by 95%. It’s hard to prove that number…
But it’s simple to see the generous 4 inch stainless steel edge with those deep teeth. It gets all the way down into your Maine Coon’s undercoat and smoothly removes any loose-but-not dislodged fur.
A lot of users also state that there’s no pulling on skin, and the combing action is very smooth. There is also light, ergonomic handle that enhances grip, thus giving you good grooming experience.
Because of the value and how similar it performs to the Furminator, the Dakpet Deshedding Brush is the winner in this category.
Rating Breakdown:
- Performance: 7/10
- Durability: 7/10
- Ease of Clean Up: 7/10
- Price: 10/10
- Overall Score: 7.75
What We Liked:
- Removes a lot of undercoat
- Prevents hairballs, mats, tangles
- Has a versatile detachable design
- Price
What We Didn’t Like:
- Need to remove fur from teeth manually
Best Dematting Brush
- Clears mats and tangles gently
- Sharp but will not cut your skin
- 2 set of teeth for different matted fur situations
Despite your best efforts, your Maine Coon will develops mats or knots. And when those cannot be brushed out, use a something like the GoPets Dematting Brush.
This model attempts to do it all, featuring dual sides that offer daily brushing and deshedding capabilities. People report those functions are fine, but the real benefit of this tool is the sharpened teeth.
This means you have a way to attack the tangles and mats by cutting through them as you comb.
Of course, you do have to proceed with caution here as we don’t want to use force – mats tangles tight to skin and this will cause pain. Some knots or mats will just take a few sessions to clear.
On the market, there are plenty of dematting brushes. This GoPets model is the original and best quality, especially the blades. People comment that on cheaper models, the blades are not as sharp and ends up pulling on the fur even more.
It’s similar to a sharp knife and how effortless it is to slice things, there’s no friction and no sawing – it’s like that with the GoPets Dematting brush.
All in all, if this can’t handle it, you need to book a professional appointment
Rating Breakdown:
- Performance: 10/10
- Durability: 6/10 (the handle)
- Ease of Clean Up: 10/10
- Price: 7/10
- Overall Score: 8.25
What We Liked:
- Original brand and high quality
- Multi-purpose
- Safe and easy to use
- Impressive thinning, shearing, cutting action
What We Didn’t Like:
- Handle can get gummy
How Choose a Maine Coon Brush
Keep these factors in mind when you choose any brush for your Maine Coon.
Is It the Right Brush?
You’ll need to do a few kinds of brushing on your cat, so you need the right one or you’ll hurt yourself or your cat.
A slicker brush can be used to groom your cat daily. You’ll also need a deshedding tool at least twice a week – it deals with your cat’s undercoat. Dematting with a dematting brush occasionally is also vital to remove knots, tangles, and mats in the fur.
Comfort
Your Maine Coon has preferences and tolerances for how brushes feel. Therefore, no matter how great a brush is at its job, it’s useless if your Maine Coon doesn’t accept it.
A big part of this certainly come back to the owner, and how early proper grooming was introduced to the kitten.
Control
Are you able to hold the brush comfortably and ergonomically? This is critical because you might be grooming your Maine Coon at a funny angle or compromised position at times, and last thing you’d want is to slip or get a cramp.
Ease of Clean Up
After brushing, it’s important to clean up your brushes to prevents pet’s fur from spreading everywhere. Some brushes might require you to pull the hair out of the brush while others have some enhanced features on how you can remove them.
Therefore the most important thing is to find a brush that is not too inconvenient to clean. That way you actually clean it.
Best Way to Brush Your Maine Coon
The Slicker Brush
Step one is to use a slicker brush, because its bristles are wide apart, yet deep and get into their coat for loose topcoat, dirt, oil, and other dust. This should be done daily or regularly and should not hurt your cat.
The bristles should be wide enough apart not to be threatening or pull on potential mats or knots. But also tight enough to actually sort through the fur and remove unwanted stuff.
Deshedding
Step two is deshedding. A deshedding brush has tightly packed teeth that attack the undercoat, and dislodges loose fur that doesn’t shed by itself. This is done after brushing with slicker, when the fur nice and ready for additional work.
Undercoat left to its own devices turn into the nasties: knots, mats, and tangles. As your cat grooms themselves, they swallow more and more undercoat, leading to hairballs!
Diligent deshedding prevents all of that, plus keeps your house clean. There is no more random shedding, which means less fur on the furniture, floors, carpet, and on your clothes.
Dematting
Mats are bound to happen, even as we brush and deshed. When that happens, we use a tool like a dematting brush. And yes, daily brushing precedes dematting with every session.
These have the tightly packed teeth of deshedding tools, but with sharper edge to cut away minor mats, knots, and tangles.
Mats are very annoying and painful to your Maine Coon, so we advise caution with working through them. And it’s better to get professional grooming help if there’s a big mat your cat won’t let you handle. (You’ll know)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best brush for the Maine coon cat?
Owners have their preference when it comes to brushes for Maine Coon cats. Well, the cats do too!
I recommend starting with the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush because it is very easy to use and clean. The wire bristles are wide apart and gentle so it won’t hurt your cat.
Give them snacks and compliments to make a good time after during brushing. Then introduce a deshedding brush, and finally, a dematting brush, when you discover minor mats.
How often should you brush a Maine Coon?
Grooming a Maine Coon should be done daily with a low impact tool like a slicker brush. It ensures your Maine Coon is cleared from loose fur, debris, dirt, oils, and light tangles.
Grooming can stimulate natural hair production and effective blood circulation. This collectively contributes to healthy skin and good overall well-being. You can also detect any underlying health problems such as scratches, fleas, and other skin problems.
Don’t forget – it is also enjoyable because it offers other therapeutic benefits like fluffing up their coat while strengthening the bond between you and your cat. Brushing is a non-negotiable part of pet ownership.
Deshedding should happen twice, or at the minimum, once a week. Dematting is as needed, or during regularly scheduled professional pet salon appointments.
How do you brush a Maine coon cat?
Begin with small strokes as you use the slicker brush in the direction of hair growth. Repeat this and work through all sections of fur. Be extra gentle near the belly, arm pits, and back of legs.
Deshedding can be a little bit more demanding. Just go slow and don’t overdo it at each session.
If you notice your cat is feeling uncomfortable, give it break, and feel free to use treats and hugs to help them. Or just stop, and try again in a few days.
If you don’t feel comfortable with cutting or shearing mats, consult a professional groomers. Do not attempt to use scissors.
Do Maine Coons shed a lot?
Surprisingly, they do not. For a dramatically long haired cat, they do not shed all that much compared other breeds like Persians, Himalayans, and Ragdolls.
(By the way, if your long haired cat is shedding a lot, look at their overall health. They might need a cat food for shedding that’s formulated for the skin and coat!
A Maine Coon’s fur is also not as prone to tangles vs other long haired cats. This is most likely due to its waterproof nature and harkens to the Maine Coon breed’s wild past in nature. A prissy, high maintenance coat probably was not advantageous.
Despite that, they still shed, so that is why I recommend a high quality deshedding tool like the Furminator to get rid of the vast majority of loose undercoat.
I’m Gary Hu, a proud cat dad to a 15 lb Maine Coon. Have taken care of outdoor and indoor cats for over 10 years, and learned tons on behavior, habits, health, and products. I help new Maine Coon (or any other cat) parents with common questions and issues based on real, practical experience.
