has anyone used a shedding blade on a cat

as above! if anyone has, did you find it more effective than rakes and slickers? if youve only used it on a dog input would still be appreciated.

 

As a pet groomer, I would advise against a shedding blade for your cat. I don't even like to use them on dogs.

First of all, you have to have a very light hand, or they will scratch kittie's skin. They also damage the coat, and cause split ends and crimping of the hair shaft.

If you're cat is short or medium haired, I'd suggest a soft rubber Zoom Groom or curry. That soft rubber just grabs the loose hair like magic, and doesn't damage the coat at all. It's also good for scrubbing kitty should you decide to bathe, or if you use a waterless shampoo, which is what I recommend to owners who want to clean their cats up at home.

If you're cat is long haired, line combing with a grayhound comb is the way to go. Push the hair back (against the growth pattern) with one hand, and comb it down, with the growth pattern, in sections, a little at a time, being sure you're grooming all the way to the skin. Once you've line combed the whole cat, go back over again, just combing with the growth pattern.

 

wow... well there u have it.

when i had my golden retriever i found the rake to be a life saver personally, then a slicker to polish her up

 

shineillusion i have tried everything else on my cat. he has very dense long hair so small rakes and combs dont go through his fur and medium to large rakes and combs go through, but are only effective on his tail. we cant use the slicker on him otherwsie he attacks us. we also cant spend time doing little sections,over handling him and use brushes that require quite a bit of pressure to get through his fur [hes nuts as you can tell :lol: ]. the blade is our last option to rid him of the hair that doesnt get brushed out and causes mats and nasty furballs [weve already clipped his hair to half its length to help with the furballs] are there any other gadets out there to help shineillusion?

 

You could try a Coat King, probably a medium blade. They're made for carding terrier coats prior to stripping, but work pretty well on cats too. Your other option might be thinning scissors, used with caution, and then comb with a greyhound comb.

But honestly, I think a medium/coarse greyhound comb should do the job if you're lifting the coat and combing it in sections. Don't use those little combs they sell for cat grooming. The teeth are too close and aren't long enough. Look in the dog section and chose a full sized comb. And if you don't understand what I mean when I say lift the coat and comb in sections, ask a local groomer to demonstrate line combing. They might charge you a small fee for instructions, but if they don't, bring cookies, LOL.

I hesitate to suggest a mat splitter, but as a last resort, if you're VERY carefull and work slowly, they can remove a lot of dead coat. But remember, they're sharp and will cut skin as well as coat. I've never cut an animal with one, but I've sliced myself with them a few times.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the medium Coat King works wonders on Golden Retrievers too.

 

You could try a Coat King, probably a medium blade. They're made for carding terrier coats prior to stripping, but work pretty well on cats too. Your other option might be thinning scissors, used with caution, and then comb with a greyhound comb.

But honestly, I think a medium/coarse greyhound comb should do the job if you're lifting the coat and combing it in sections. Don't use those little combs they sell for cat grooming. The teeth are too close and aren't long enough. Look in the dog section and chose a full sized comb. And if you don't understand what I mean when I say lift the coat and comb in sections, ask a local groomer to demonstrate line combing. They might charge you a small fee for instructions, but if they don't, bring cookies, LOL.

I hesitate to suggest a mat splitter, but as a last resort, if you're VERY carefull and work slowly, they can remove a lot of dead coat. But remember, they're sharp and will cut skin as well as coat. I've never cut an animal with one, but I've sliced myself with them a few times.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, the medium Coat King works wonders on Golden Retrievers too.

 

woah! just looked at the coat kings and they look viscious! i dont know of anywhere that sells them here. my cousins good friend is a groomer so maybe she could get her hands on one. they are very expensive though

 

There is a cheaper version of the Coat King, called a Mat King. Basically the same tool with a different handle. Oster also makes the same basic tool for less than the Coat King.

They're all available through mail order from Ryan's Pet Supplies.