Best cat brushes: Comb your kitty to purrfection

It's essential to invest in one of the best cat brushes to keep your moggy mat-free. Whether they have short hair or long hair, thick or fine, there's a brush (or comb) for every coat. Picking the right tool for your cat will ensure your cat's fur is kept in tip-top condition without causing your kitty any discomfort, and we've rounded up the best brushes for every breed.

If you have a longer-haired feline, such as a Persian, a Ragdoll or a Maine Coon, there is no way you can get away with not grooming your pet. Daily brushes will keep knots and tangles at bay while also reducing molting and those pesky fur balls. The more fur you can remove, the less your cat will swallow after all! Thicker furred breeds such as British Longhairs will need extra care and attention as they are particularly prone to knots and matted fur, so a tool that can comfortably remove these is ideal as they can easily appear within a day!

You might think your short haired kitty can groom themselves without your help, but while they don't need anywhere near as much attention as their longer-haired brothers and sisters, they will still benefit from a weekly groom. Brushing them once a week is really all that's needed to keep their coat looking its best by removing excess fur and gently exfoliating their skin. During molting seasons it is even more essential to run a brush through your moggy as they could be prone to coughing up more fur balls at this time, and it'll help prevent their fur from being dispersed all over your home.

As with the best dog brushes, cat brushes are available in a range of different styles and sizes, and which one you choose will depend on the coat length, size and concerns of your cat. If your cat has a short coat, we recommend you opt for a bristle brush or a glove. Many short haired cats enjoy being groomed and the bonding experience it offers. Being petted with a grooming glove is a great option for these furbabies as the silicone tips provide a lovely massage that also helps improve blood circulation and stimulate the growth of healthy fur and it's a simply way to brush your cat with minimal hassle. 

When it comes to our longer-haired feline friends, you will likely want to invest in a detangling comb or rake and a slicker-style brush. Detangling combs are great for using first to work out and knots and tangles and then you can follow up with the slicker brush (a great all rounder for most cats, so an essential tool if you have multiple breeds), which will collect all the dead hair. Some longer furred kitties find the experience less pleasurable than their short haired counterparts, due to their fur being pulled on, so you might need to try out a few options before you find the right brushes for you and your cat.

If you want to learn more about how to groom your cat, check out our guide to brushing cats, which has a range of helpful tips and tricks. And to help you find the perfect brush for your feline friend, our favourites below have got you covered.

PetsRadar’s pick of the best cat brushes 

Slicker brushes are designed both to remove dirt and get rid of mats, tangles and knots, sliding over fur and ensuring an even coat. The JW GripSoft Cat Slicker Brush is particularly ideal for those quick once overs of your feline friend and, because it has flexible stainless steel tines – slightly-angled and mounted on an air cushion – it makes for a more gentler brush than some others can be.

It certainly promises to keep skin irritation to a minimum – a concern when you're using these types of brushes. It's also a nice-looking product with its colorful, easy-grip handle and sleek design, making it comfortable for you to hold and control, ensuring you're not putting too much pressure on your cat as you brush in the direction of their hair growth.

Many pet owners say their felines keep coming back for more once they've experienced a brushing with the product and they report that it works well in keeping a cat's hair in great condition. While this is to be expected because slicker brushes spread a cat's natural oils across the fur, the JW GripSoft Cat Slicker Brush is also able to remove the finest of hairs for a thorough grooming.

 So you've arrived home and there it is: a hairball vomitted on to your carpet. As cat owners know, this is due to your feline friend licking their hair to such an extent that it's become lodged in their stomach and this can potentially make your cat ill. There's only one solution – regular grooming – and, in this regard, the FURminator Long Hair DeShedding Tool will aid you well.

Although there are other product by FURminator aimed at cats of different sizes and length of hair, this one is designed with long fur in mind. The manufacturer claims its device will not only reduce hairballs but decrease shedding by up to 90 percent, doing so using a stainless steel edge that is able to get deep beneath the topcoat of your cat.

This allows the tool to tackle the undercoat's fur as well as any loose hair without causing damage to the coat or the skin. And since it's also stimulating the natural oils, it will, as with most brushes, also ensure a shiny coat. One feature that caught our eye is the so-called FURejector button which releases any gathered hair with a single press. It also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

Brushing through matted and tangled hair can be painful for cats, in the same way that it's often agonizing for humans with long hair. It can tug at the strands and pull fur from the skin, but this product from Thunderpaws can help avoid all of that by cutting through the troublesome patches using an array of stainless steel teeth.

Claimed to be designed by experts, the Dematting Rake is definitely better for pets with extreme tangling. Left for too long, the alternative can be to shave the coat but this method is much more gentle thanks to its use of rounded edges. The tool can glide over the skin rather than scratch it and cause irritation. The rake is also a two-in-one device. Use the side with 17 teeth as opposed to the one with nine and you can also de-shed a cat.

Having a wider head has benefits too, speeding up the job in hand which is particularly useful given how restless a cat can become. You can also rest assured that you're not going to slip or lose control because the non-slip rubber handle lends a solid grip. Users have suggested they can aid a matted cat in just a few moments. It can really get down into the fine undercoat and work some magic.

Just one glance at these gloves was enough to put them on the “must have a pair of those” list. Not only do they look very cool in and of themselves, they even come in a beautifully-presented box accompanied by a ziplock bag so you can store your gloves away neatly when you're not using them.

With such a good looking package, there is always a danger that they represent style over substance but thankfully these gloves have been created firmly for the task in hand. They use tough, flexible medical grade silicone covered in 260 tips that are said to be of the optimum length for brushing away unwanted hair. K&K also says the gloves will gently massage your cat.

So which size should you get? Well, the manufacturer has only one pair and it says they are designed for all hands. Some users beg to differ, however, saying they're too big but they do have an adjustable velcro strap so you should be able to secure them around your wrist. The quality of the elastic spandex fabric and breathable mesh cloth should ensure a comfortable fit. The gloves are also machine washable and can be used during your cat's bath times.

Although there are simple combs on the market, they're not going to be as comfortable to hold as this one. The distinctive shape of the curved handle is practical since it allows you to slip your fingers in for a firm grip. You can then go to work on your cat using the hooked teeth of the comb which, at just under an inch in length, can lie deep within the hair to remove loose strands.

The Odosalii also massages a cat too, helping their blood to circulate as it works on removing tangles and dead hair. It won't irritate the cat's skin and your feline friends should enjoy the sensation of it moving their fur. If you use it regularly, then it should keep the coat in tip-top shape but be way of putting too much pressure on the comb. One user said the prongs are easily snapped.

Still, it's an inexpensive buy and while it may not be as effective on cats with thick hair as some of the other brushes we're looking at here, for cats with short, thin hair, it should do a great job. Perform a series of short strokes and it will remove lots of hair without getting stuck.

How to choose the best cat brush 

The cat brush you choose will depend to a great extent on your cat's hair type. In general, a basic bristle brush can keep a cat's hair shiny and in good shape but if their fur is knotted and matted, then you'll want a brush, comb or both that can better glide through: brushes with shorter bristles work better in these situations.

Best cat brush for short hair

Short-haired cats are less likely to have tangled hair, but they still need a good brush down now and again to keep their coat in tip-top condition.

A great option for a cat with short hair is the glove brush which offers an intimate and convenient way to bond with your feline by grooming without irritating their skin. A bristle brush is also an excellent choice, as it offers a soft enough surface on their fine fur whilst still keeping hair soft and shiny. You'll generally want to avoid a pin brush as these can be too rough on short coats where the skin is closest to the brush. 

If your cat has particularly coarse hair, you'll want to consider stiffer bristles on your bristle brush.

Best cat brush for medium hair

A combination of a slicker brush and comb can be a wise idea for medium coats liable to matting. A comb can detangle the knots, while slicker brushes are the best for all-round hair care for medium locks, helping to detect loose fur in the first instance.

A dual-sided brush is also ideal for short to medium-length coats, offering the flexibility of a fine teeth on one side and a soft bristle brush on the other. You could also try a bristle brush, which is a good one to have in your grooming supplies as a brush type that works well with all coat types.

Best cat brush for long hair

With plenty of fluff to tame, cats with long hair need plenty of grooming to reduce hairballs and save your home from fur all over your furniture.

A slicker or a bristle brush is a classic choice for removing dirt and loose hair on long-medium haired cats, while The FURminator from our list is a good option too.

Alternative choices include a pin brush that can untangle knots if your cat is particularly prone to matted hair, while specific kinds of comb can help too. Try a molting, steel or butter comb to glide through your kitty's locks with ease.