The 7 Best Cat Grooming Supplies
Keep these tools in your stash for at-home grooming!
So, you’ve decided to take on the task of grooming your cat at home and are now on the search for the best tools to get the job done. You’ve come to the right place.
Having an arsenal of high-quality and effective grooming tools will make the process of grooming pain-free (literally!) and so much easier. Both you and your cat might actually enjoy the experience.
The Dodo sought advice from groomers and vets about which cat grooming tools work best for which jobs so you can put together the perfect cat grooming kit for your cat’s specific needs.
- Best cat brush for long hair: Andis Steel Pet Comb
- Best cat brush for short hair: KONG ZoomGroom Multi-Use Brush
- Best flea comb: Hartz Groomer’s Best Flea Comb
- Best cat nail trimmers: SHINY PET Pet Nail Clippers
- Best cat wipes: Burt’s Bees Dander Reducing Cat Wipes
- Best cat shampoo: Pro Pet Works Oatmeal Pet Wash
- Best ear wipes: Well & Good Cat Ear Wipes
How to groom a cat
Unsurprisingly, how to best groom your cat is all dependent on your cat’s specific needs.
“There are a large number of cats that require grooming, although for some it may not seem like a necessity until they get older,” certified feline master groomer Lynn Paolillo of Cat Naps Cattery told The Dodo. This is because as your cat gets older, she’ll probably groom herself less and might not keep up with scratching her claws, which could result in her nails growing into her pads.
Age aside, long-haired cats will need more grooming attention than cats with shorter fur and hairless cats. All cats require brushing, but cats with longer hair are more prone to matting, which means brushing needs to be more frequent — daily brushing is ideal, but a few times a week should be fine, too.
More in-depth grooming, like baths, nail trims and ear cleaning, can be done less frequently, if at all. You can read more about when and how to give your cat a bath, how to trim your cat’s nails, and if you should be cleaning your cat’s ears to better understand what grooming steps should be added to your routine.
And, as always, you can consult your vet or local cat groomer, who can help you set up a personalized grooming routine for your cat.
“Cat owners should get in the habit of assessing their cat regularly,” Paolillo said. “This includes looking inside their ears and mouth, touching their feet, feeling all over the body, etc.” If you notice mats forming, ears getting gunky or claws growing out of control, it’s time to take action to help your cat out.
Best cat grooming tools
Again, the best cat grooming tools are different for every cat. But according to the experts, there are a handful of tools you should have that work great for every cat.
“For long-haired kitties, my favorite tool is a greyhound comb,” Julie Matthes, cat groomer and owner of Feline Fancy, told The Dodo. “Takes care of mats before they become too big to remove.” Greyhound-style combs are usually metal with both wide and narrow teeth.
“Many short-haired cats tend to be heavy shedders, and brushes like the ZoomGroom [with] rubber [bristles] are gentle on skin and can attract a lot of dead hair,” Paolillo said. Check out The Dodo’s roundup of the best cat brushes here.
Flea combs don’t have to be used for just the removal of fleas (though they’re great to have on hand just in case an infestation should happen). “Smaller combs are great for around their head, legs and paws,” Paolillo said. This one from Hartz is highly rated and is easy to use thanks to the elongated handle.
“The easiest I've found to use look pretty much like a very small pair of scissors, with one ‘blade’ having a cutout area,” Dr. Megan Conrad, a licensed veterinarian who works with Hello Ralphie, a pet telehealth company, told The Dodo. And these trimmers from SHINY PET are just that. The rubber grip makes them comfortable to use, and the sharp blade makes snipping the tips of your cat’s nails super quick and easy. You can see our full roundup of the best cat nail clippers here.
Most cats don’t need regular bathing, but wiping your cat with a deodorizing and dander-reducing cat wipe after brushing can give her a quick all-over refresh. These soothing wipes from Burt’s Bees contain nourishing ingredients that hydrate her fur and skin while reducing allergy-causing dander.
Though it’s best to consult your vet before bathing your cat and using a specific shampoo, the organic shampoo from Pro Pet Works is a gentle and safe formula that can be used on all pets. This shampoo is best for scrubbing away dirt and grime, so call your vet if you’re thinking about bathing your cat to help her dry skin or oily coat — these could point to bigger issues. And check out The Dodo’s list of best cat shampoos here.
If you’ve determined that your cat could benefit from a gentle ear cleanse, then these ear wipes from Well & Good will do the trick. They contain nontoxic ingredients that help control odor and keep wax buildup at bay. Remember to never clean inside your cat’s ear canal — just wipe these on the skin that you can see!
Now that you have the tools you need to assemble the perfect cat grooming kit, your cat will be looking (and feeling) happy and healthy in no time!
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