Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them CatBasket may earn a small commission, and the price you pay does not change. Prices move often; the figures here are UK retailer price ranges checked in September 2026.
Best Cat Brush UK 2026: The Right Brush for Every Coat
The best cat brush depends on the coat: a KONG ZoomGroom (about £6 to £10) for short hair, and a 7.5 inch steel comb such as the Andis (£10 to £20) with a slicker for long hair.
Prices checked 28 September 2026.
How we research this: we have not lab-tested these products. The picks come from manufacturer specifications, UK retailer listings and customer reviews in aggregate.
Most cats that "hate being brushed" are being brushed with the wrong tool. A slicker with stiff pins on a thin-skinned short-haired cat hurts. A soft rubber brush on a Maine Coon's belly does nothing to the mat forming underneath. Pick the brush for the coat first and most of the fight goes away.
Quick picks by coat
- Short-haired cat: KONG ZoomGroom, about £6 to £10. Cats tend to treat it as stroking.
- Long-haired cat: a 7.5 inch steel comb (Andis, £10 to £20) plus a slicker (Hertzko, £10 to £20). The comb finds the tangles the slicker glides over.
- Heavy moulter with an undercoat: add a FURminator, about £19 to £22 depending on size, used once or twice a week during a moult.
- Ragdoll: the steel comb does most of the work. Skip the FURminator unless your cat moults heavily in spring (see the breed section).
- On a tight budget: Ancol Ergo slicker, under £10.
Cat brushes compared
| Brush | Type | Best coat | Price (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KONG ZoomGroom | Rubber nubs | Short | £6 to £10 |
| Ancol Ergo slicker (small) | Slicker | Short, medium | Under £10 |
| Hertzko self-cleaning slicker | Slicker, retracting pins | Medium, long | £10 to £20 |
| Andis 7.5 inch steel comb | Wide and fine steel comb | Long, any coat for finishing | £10 to £20 |
| FURminator, short hair | Deshedding blade | Short with dense undercoat | About £19 to £20 |
| FURminator, long hair | Deshedding blade | Long with undercoat | About £19 (small) to £22 (medium/large) |
| Rubber or pin grooming glove | Glove | Short, brush-shy cats | £2 to £7 |
| Pecute dematting comb | Serrated dematting blades | Long, matted | £10 to £20 |
| Rosewood undercoat rake | Rake | Thick double coats | Under £10 |
| Mars Coat King | Stripping rake | Very thick double coats | Over £30 |
| Chris Christensen Big G slicker | Premium slicker | Long, show coats | Over £40, by size |
| Flea comb | Very fine steel comb | Any | £3.50 to £11 |
Price ranges across UK pet retailers, checked 28 September 2026. Grooming tool prices swing by a pound or two from week to week, and third-party marketplace sellers sometimes list the same item at double. If a price is well above the range here, check who is selling it.
The picks
1. KONG ZoomGroom: best for short-haired cats
Soft rubber fingers lift loose hair out of a short coat and give the skin a massage at the same time. There are no pins to scratch, so it suits cats that flinch at a slicker, older cats and thin-coated breeds such as the Siamese. It does very little on a long coat, which is its only real limit. Rinse it under the tap when it clogs.
2. Ancol Ergo slicker: best budget brush
A small-headed slicker at a supermarket price. The head is small enough for a cat's neck and legs. It does the job on a British Shorthair or a moggy; it will not get through a Persian's undercoat. Use light strokes, because slicker pins scratch if you press.
3. Hertzko self-cleaning slicker: best slicker
The pins retract at the press of a button so the hair wipes off in one sheet, the feature owners mention most in retailer reviews. Fine bent pins get into a medium coat well. The standard head is large for a small cat's face and legs, so pair it with a comb for those areas.
4. Andis 7.5 inch steel comb: best for long hair
This is the style groomers call a greyhound comb. It goes down to the skin, so it finds the tangle behind the ear or in the armpit that a slicker skims over. If the comb catches, you have found a mat before it became a vet problem. Wide teeth for the body, fine teeth for the face and feet.
5. FURminator: best deshedder
The fine steel edge pulls dead undercoat out through the topcoat, which is why it suits cats with a thick undercoat, such as a Maine Coon or British Shorthair, in a spring or autumn moult. Buy the long-hair version for long coats and the short-hair version for short ones, and the medium/large size for cats over 4.5kg. FURminator's own guidance is one or two sessions a week of 10 to 20 minutes, on a coat that is free of mats, without working one spot for long. Cats without a real undercoat do not need one.
6. Rubber grooming glove: best for brush-shy cats
For a cat that bolts at the sight of a brush, the glove turns grooming into stroking. It removes less hair than the ZoomGroom, but a tool the cat accepts every day beats a better one it runs from. It is a good first step towards a proper brush for rescue cats.
7. Pecute dematting comb: best for existing mats
Serrated blades cut through a small mat so you can comb it out instead of pulling it. Hold the base of the mat against the skin with your fingers while you work, so the pull goes into your hand and not the cat. Tight mats close to the skin are a job for a groomer or vet with clippers. Never use scissors: cat skin is thin and easy to cut.
8. Chris Christensen Big G slicker: the premium option
A slicker with a flexible pad and long, fine pins, used by show groomers. It is gentler on a long coat than cheap slickers and lasts for years. For most pet cats the Hertzko and a steel comb do most of the job for about half the price. Buy this if you show, or if your long-haired cat is groomed daily and you want the nicest tool for it.
What is the best brush for a short-haired cat?
A rubber brush such as the KONG ZoomGroom (about £6 to £10), because it has no pins to scratch a thin coat; a small slicker like the Ancol Ergo (under £10) is the budget alternative.
A rubber grooming glove (£2 to £7) suits short-haired cats that run from a brush. Add a FURminator short hair only for a short coat with a dense undercoat, such as a British Shorthair.
What is the best brush for a long-haired cat?
A wide-and-fine steel comb plus a slicker, with a FURminator or undercoat rake added only if the coat has a real undercoat.
Long-haired breeds are the reason most people search for a cat brush, and they do not all need the same kit.
Ragdoll: comb first, skip the FURminator for most cats
Ragdoll owners argue about deshedding tools more than about anything else to do with grooming. The reason is the coat. A Ragdoll has a silky, semi-long coat with far less undercoat than a Persian or Maine Coon, which is why it mats less. A deshedding blade is designed to pull out undercoat; on a coat that is mostly topcoat it thins and breaks the silky outer hair instead. FURminator itself says cats without an undercoat do not need the tool.
What works: a steel comb two or three times a week, with extra attention to the armpits, the ruff and the "trousers" on the back legs, where Ragdoll coats do knot. In a heavy spring moult, a few light passes with a deshedder once a week does no harm, and some owners swear by it. Treat it as optional.
Weight matters for tool size. An adult male Ragdoll often weighs 6 to 9kg, so most need the medium/large size of any sized tool. See male vs female Ragdoll for sizes by sex.
Maine Coon: comb plus an undercoat tool
A Maine Coon coat is shaggy and uneven: short on the shoulders, long on the belly and britches, with a real undercoat. Mats form on the belly and behind the back legs, which the cat is good at stopping you reaching. A wide-tooth steel comb two or three times a week plus a FURminator long hair (medium/large) or undercoat rake in spring and autumn covers it.
Persian: daily combing, and a groomer every few months
A Persian has the densest coat of any common breed and needs a comb through it every day. Miss a few days and the mats close to the skin need clippers. Many Persian owners book a professional groom every two to three months on top of home combing. A steel comb and a dematting comb are the core kit; a slicker helps with the finish.
Norwegian Forest cat: light most of the year, heavy in spring
The Norwegian Forest cat has a water-resistant topcoat over a thick undercoat. It needs less grooming than you would expect for most of the year, then drops a huge amount of undercoat in spring. A weekly comb, and an undercoat rake or FURminator through the spring moult, is enough.
How often should you brush a cat?
Short coats twice a week, semi-long and long coats two or three times a week (daily for a Persian), and every cat more often in the spring and autumn moult.
| Coat | Normal weeks | Moulting season | Core tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short (British Shorthair, moggy) | Twice a week | Daily | Rubber brush or small slicker |
| Medium (Russian Blue, Birman) | Every 2 to 3 days | Daily | Slicker and steel comb |
| Semi-long, little undercoat (Ragdoll) | 2 to 3 times a week | Every other day | Steel comb |
| Long with undercoat (Maine Coon, Persian) | Daily for Persians, 3 times a week for Maine Coons | Daily | Steel comb, slicker, deshedder |
| Hairless or rex (Sphynx, Devon Rex) | Wipe weekly | Wipe weekly | Soft cloth, no brush |
| Older cats, any coat | Little and often | Little and often | Whatever the cat tolerates |
UK cats moult hardest in spring and again in autumn, with indoor cats shedding more evenly through the year because of central heating and artificial light. Older and overweight cats struggle to groom their back and hindquarters, so they need more help than their coat type suggests.
A bath is not a substitute. Bathing does not remove loose hair, and most cats find it stressful. Hairless breeds such as the Sphynx are the exception: they need a regular wipe or bath rather than a brush.
How do you brush a cat that hates being brushed?
Change the tool first, then start with 30-second sessions on the cheeks and chin, pair each one with a treat, and build up over a couple of weeks.
A cat that bites or bolts during brushing is usually being hurt by the tool, kept at it too long, or touched somewhere sensitive. Stiff slicker pins on a thin coat are the usual cause.
- Start with 30 seconds, then stop before the cat decides it is finished. Build up over a couple of weeks.
- Begin with the cheeks, chin and neck, which most cats like. Leave the belly and base of the tail until the cat trusts the routine.
- Brush with the direction of the fur.
- Pair each short session with a treat, at the same time of day.
- If the cat still flinches, switch to a rubber brush or grooming glove.
Is a FURminator worth it for cats?
Yes for a cat with a real undercoat, such as a Maine Coon or British Shorthair, and no for cats without one, including most Ragdolls.
Used as the maker intends, it is safe: on a coat with no mats, once or twice a week for 10 to 20 minutes, without working one spot repeatedly. Avoid irritated or broken skin and ask your vet if the skin looks sore. On a Ragdoll's mostly-topcoat fur it thins and breaks the silky outer hair, which is why the long-hair section puts the steel comb first.