The 8 Best Cat Brushes Tested With Real Cats and Kittens

Best Overall

Mars Coat King Boar Bristle Cat Hair Brush

$13 At Amazon View On Marscoatking.com

For weekly maintenance of a cat's coat, a brush with a head full of soft boar bristles provides a gentle glide that even the most finicky of cats will tolerate. The Mars Boar Bristle Cat Hair Brush is made with a sturdy, lightweight birchwood handle offering the control needed to delicately and efficiently brush through cat fur of all lengths.

It's one of the softest cat grooming brushes we've tried and is suitable for use on cats of any age. If you have a senior cat, you may start to notice that self-grooming is becoming more difficult for them to manage. This brush can be very beneficial for keeping the skin and coat in shape by collecting dry skin flakes, dirt, and hair that has already been shed.

The brush is made to endure with easy-to-clean natural boar bristles. With gentle strokes once or twice a week, you can decrease the amount of cat hair found throughout your home, reducing cat allergens—all while helping your cat maintain a healthy coat.

_{Dimensions: 7.25 x 1.25 x 2 inches | Weight: 0.32 ounces | Material: Boar bristles, wood}

Best Slicker Brush

Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush

$13 At Amazon $13 At Chewy $16 At Walmart

If your cat is prone to developing mats in their fur, a slicker brush is a necessary preventative tool, and we recommend the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. The curved, flexible wire bristles are gentle on the skin but capable of getting beneath a cat's topcoat where mats tend to form. It's also excellent for removing dander along with loose hair to keep your cat's coat as well-maintained as possible.

The regular-sized Hertzko slicker is easy to handle with a brush head that's just under six inches across, providing plenty of surface area for efficient brushing. And one of the best features is the self-cleaning button. With a quick click, the bristles retract and release all the hair you've collected.

This grooming tool is ideal for both long- and short-haired felines, as well as virtually all dog breeds. The sturdy, comfort-grip handle is designed to prevent slipping and wrist strain.

_{Dimensions: 5.8 x 3 x 10 inches | Weight: 0.2 pounds | Material: Plastic}

We Also Like

Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush

$19 At Amazon $17 At Chewy $17 At Walmart

The Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Cats is very similar to our top choice for Best Slicker, but the dimensions are slightly different and you might find the handle to be more comfortable. With two kittens, we found the brush very easy to maneuver and capable of reaching all parts. The brush reduced the amount of shedding found on clothing and furniture, and it is very easy to remove trapped hair from the bristles with the push of a button.

The head of the brush has soft stainless steel pins that effectively pass through tangles to remove and prevent mats in the fur. Our participating feline testers developed a preference for this slicker brush over their comb, but not all cats enjoy the feeling of this slicker. From our experience, if your cat doesn't like the brush they will let you know. But if your cat enjoys the sensation of the the Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush, they'll likely let you use it on their backs and bellies, which is how our cats demonstrated their enjoyment.

There are two larger versions of the brush that look similar but are better suited for dogs. We strongly recommend checking the dimensions, 7 x 3.25 inches, to ensure you have the Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Cats.

_{Dimensions: 7 x 3.25 inches | Weight: 4 ounces | Material: Plastic, stainless steel}

Best for Shedding

FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool

$37 At Amazon $34 At Chewy $34 At Walmart

With the FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool, humans who share their home with a cat or two can reduce the amount of fur found throughout the home. This tool has a stainless steel comb, with very small teeth, that glide through the topcoat and into the undercoat, safely eliminating loose hair and cat dander.

The FURminator for Cats has four options. First, you select the size based on weight—small for cats up to 10 pounds and large for heavier cats. Then you choose the long-hair or short-hair model. Its ergonomically-designed handle provides a comfortable grip, and the comb is curved to accommodate the shape of a feline's body. Many cats enjoy being brushed with the FURminator because it cuts down on their self-grooming time, prevents hairballs, and feels a lot like being gently petted by their favorite human.

The tool also features an aptly named FURejector button to assist with the cleaning of the comb, but we still had to use our fingers to fully clear the hair and dander that was collected.

_{Dimensions: 1.75 x 2.13 x 6 inches | Weight: 4.8 ounces | Material: Plastic}

Best for Dematting

GoPets Dematting Comb

$28 At Amazon $53 At Walmart

If your cat is prone to developing mats in their fur, the GoPets Dematting Comb will help you target existing tangles and knots while helping to prevent future mats from developing. The dual-sided tool has curved teeth on both sides, one with 23 and the other with 12, to gently but effectively work through matted areas without scratching your cat's delicate skin.

The side with fewer teeth has more space between each prong making it a highly effective rake that can work through mats of all shapes and sizes. The side with more teeth serves as an efficient comb as it passes through the undercoat, removing loose hair and dander.

The squishy, non-slip handle is easy to grip and helps you get into difficult-to-reach spots, like underneath the front legs, where mats tend to develop.

_{Dimensions: 8.9 x 2.5 x 1.4 inches | Weight: 3.52 ounces | Material: Stainless steel}

Best Sillicone

Furbliss Brush for Grooming

$15 At Amazon $15 At Chewy

Remove cat dander and loose fur from clothing, furniture, and your kitty's coat using the Furbliss Brush for Grooming, Brushing, and Bathing. This multi-purpose tool is made out of soft silicone so it's dishwasher-safe and suitable for use on dry and wet fur. It also provides a gentle massage while removing debris and hair that's already been shed. There are two versions of the Furbliss Brush—the blue brush is for short hair and the green brush is for long hair. The grooming tool is designed to be held in one hand, similar to gripping a sponge, and is made in the United States.

_{Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.5 x 1 inches | Weight: 2.12 ounces | Material: Silicone}

Best Two-Sided

GoPets Double Sided Pin & Bristle Brush

$30 At Amazon

The squishy handle of the GoPets Professional Double-Sided Pin & Bristle Brush makes it easy to hold and switch between sides. Coat texture and length vary greatly among cats, even if they are siblings, so this two-in-one combination is exceptionally convenient if you have more than one cat in your home.

The bristle side is soft, quickly passing through the fur while collecting loose hair and dander. On the opposite side, sturdy pins with rounded tips effortlessly lift dirt and debris, helping to prevent tangles in long hair and double coats while adding a little extra volume to the fluffiness. For many cats, starting with the pin side will help to detangle the coat, and then flipping to the bristle side will smooth out the fur making it softer and shinier.

Both sides are designed to be gentle, but the brush is only available in one size which might be too large for smaller cats and kittens. Fortunately, the brush is very effective for quick grooming sessions so even if they are skittish, your cat won't have to endure the experience for very long. Similar to brushes made for human hair, both sides of this brush can be cleaned by soaking in sudsy water and then left out to air dry.

_{Dimensions: 9.5 x 3 x 2.5 inches | Weight: 0.5 pounds | Material: Nylon bristles, steel pins, rubber handle}

Best Budget

KALAMANDA Slicker Brush

$7 At Amazon

The Kalamada Slicker Brush with Cat Hair Comb is a reasonably priced set of grooming essentials that will decrease the amount of hair your cat sheds throughout your home.

The slicker brush head has thin stainless steel pins that are curved and rounded at the ends to protect your cat's skin. The pins glide through fur collecting hair and dander. With the push of a button on the handle, the base layer of the brush lifts up releasing all the debris for easy disposal. In our real-world testing, some cats were initially afraid of having the slicker near their head but eventually warmed up to the brushing experience along their torso.

On the other hand, the small comb was immediately welcomed and gentle enough to comb our cats' between the ears, on the cheeks, and on the chest. If your cat is prone to mats, the comb can be used to slowly work through the knots.

_{Dimensions: 8.6 x 3 x 1.1 inches | Weight: 5.61 ounces | Material: Rubber, metal, stainless steel}