Will a Sick Cat Groom Itself? (Need a Grooming Brush?)

If your cat is sick you may be wondering if it will be able to continue grooming and caring for itself independently…

Will a sick cat groom itself?

A sick cat is likely to let its grooming schedule deteriorate, or even stop. When this happens you may see the cat’s fur start to look tatty. For example, looking greasy, getting matted, or even loose fur patches. When this happens it will need some help from its owner to keep on top of it.

Use these grooming brushes for your sick cat:

Description	Image	My rating
01. FURminator Grooming (Best Option) Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad
02. Zoom Groom Brush Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad
03. Maxpower Groom Brush Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad

How can you help a sick cat groom itself?

A cat getting brushed.

Now that you understand that your cat may need your help grooming when it’s sick, you may be wondering what you can do to help it. Here are some suggestions:

01. Use a grooming brush daily

A grooming brush (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) can help to keep your cats fur in check. This will be required daily if your cat needs your assistance. Most healthy cats will obviously take care of this themselves, but if they are sick they will need extra help.

Some argue that you should be grooming them regardless of them being sick, but it is especially important when they are.

02. Wipe away any matter

Sometimes cats, who are feeling sick, will struggle with the matter in their eye and nose. This matter, also known as discharge, can look unsightly, or cause discomfort to your cat. So, you will need to help them remove it.

03. Monitor its appearance

These tasks are just some of the ways you can help your sick cat. But, it needs ongoing monitoring, it’s not a one-off. So, keep monitoring how it gets on.

Do older cats need help grooming?

Elderly cats do usually need your assistance with their grooming. This is because they may have health issues like arthritis, or just struggle to reach areas, like their back. You may also find that a younger adult cat that is quite overweight will also need your assistance.

Do dying cats groom themselves?

Dying cats may also struggle to groom themselves. This is because they may suffer from low energy and lose their agility. Therefore, like older cats, they will need your help. Some of these cat issues overlap. Meaning, it’s quite likely to have an older cat that is obese and dying.

If you fear your cat is dying then assisting them in this way will help them in their final days, which is what any good owner would want to do.

What are the symptoms of a sick cat?

There are several symptoms of a sick cat. But some of the most common ones are drastic change in diet, low energy, oversleeping, loss of appetite. If you have had the cat for a while then you should notice these changes right away and get your cat checked out as soon as possible.

What you need to know about cat grooming brushes for your sick cat

If your cat is sick and wants a grooming brush, you need a good understanding of what some of the best features and benefits are first, right?

For that reason, I will now share with you a few of these to help you…

• Simple to hold (Good grip & ergonomic design)
• Easy to clean off
• Collects the fur well
• Glides through cat fur (de-tangles well)
• Massages her, while you comb

Simple to hold (Good grip & ergonomic design)

If the comb is not simple to hold your job will be a lot harder. So, the comb must be well designed. In particular, ergonomic, meaning it fits in your hand perfectly. Not just this, a non-slip handle, and the handle size all play a part in this.

Easy to clean off

Ideally, the brush makes it easy to clean off the mess. If it doesn’t it almost makes you wonder if it’s worth having, right?

Collects the fur well

While you brush her, some brushes do it well, but then dump the excess fur onto the floor. Meaning you will have to clean up after. So, to prevent this, a comb that collects the fur as it goes makes a big difference.

Glides through cat fur (de-tangles well)

If you have to tug away to work your way through your cat’s fur, then it’s not the one for you. You want a brush that makes it almost effortless

Massages her, while you comb

Some of the good brushes not only comb well. They also massage her body as they do it. It makes a big difference actually, and worth looking out for.

My best 3 cat grooming brushes (Zoom Groom vs FURminator)

In this section, I will share with you the details of three of my best cat grooming brushes. In particular, why I selected them, what I loved and also what I feel could be improved.

What is my best cat grooming brush, Zoom Groom or FURminator? This is the best grooming brush (Click here for the availability on Amazon #Ad). Also, read on to get more information about why I choose this.

01. FURminator Grooming Rake (Best Option)

Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad

Pros:

• Good ergonomic design
• Easy to clean off (keeps the hair in the teeth)
• Great for long-haired cats with thick fur
• Rotating teeth (gets rid of loose hair, tangles & prevents matting)
• Ideal for her undercoat
• Non-slip handle (better control)

Cons:

• The handle is a bit flimsy
• Would be good if it had a button to clean off teeth (one-handed job)
• Would be better if it was slightly bigger

What I like about this FURminaor grooming rake

This rake from FURminator is great at dealing with long, stubborn cat hair. You know, especially the ones that are thick and difficult to deal with.

With its ergonomic handles, it makes it easy to keep a grip as you comb throw her wild fur, are you with me? Also, it has a non-slip handle that makes it even easier to keep a grip.

One of the features that I like the best is the way it collects your cat’s fur effortlessly. Meaning, while you comb it won’t just all end up your floor, make sense?

So, you can comb throw, collect the hair in the comb, then simply clean the comb off directly into your bin. Saving your floor from all the mess and hassle, sounds good, right?

It has rotating teeth, which is one of its tricks to work through her tangled hair and make it manageable again. The good thing is, it prevents matted cat fur (Click here for the best de-matting comb).

For cats that have a mean undercoat, meaning one that is hard to handle, you will be happy to hear that this bad boy will deal with this as well, yay!

In summary, if you are looking for a cat grooming brush that will handle long, thick fur as well as great handling and ideal for her undercoat, then this is for you.

What I do not like about this FURminator grooming rake

Earlier I mentioned the handle and how ergonomic it was, remember? Well, it’s good for that, but it is a bit flimsy to be honest, Not a big issue, but worth knowing up-front.

Some combs come with a button to clean off the fur easier. I wish this had this feature, to make life easier.

Lastly, not a big issue, but I wish it was slightly bigger. This would make it even easier to use, are you with me?

02. Zoom Groom Brush

Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad

Pros:

• Helps to stimulate natural oil production
• Can be used for shampooing your kitty as well
• It massages her while you brush
• Uses natural rubber
• Work well on short hair (Clears loose fur easily)

Cons:

• Doesn’t collect the hair well (you will need to clean up)
• Could be slightly bigger
• A hand strap would improve the control

What I love about this Zoom Groom brush

While this brush gets to work it is cool to know that it is helping to naturally stimulate her natural oil production. As well as brushing her, you can use it for shampooing as well (Click here to see why I rate this flea shampoo the best).

As well as this, it gently massages her body while you keep her fur in check. This is partly due to the natural rubber used to craft this useful cat brush.

If you have a short-haired cat, you may wonder if this will help you. The good news is, it will help. It makes a great job of this fur-type in fact.

In summary, if you are looking for a cat grooming brush that uses natural rubber to gently massage your kitty and is good with short hair, then this is the one for you.

What I do not love about this Zoom groom brush

One of the annoyances with this brush is the hair collection, or shall I say lack of. You may find that the fur drops to the ground as you brush, rather than collecting in the brush itself. This is not ideal because you will be left cleaning or vacuuming it up (Click here to see why I rate this vacuum for cat mess).

Regarding its size, I feel that it could be a bit bigger to make the brushing experience even easier. It works, don’t get me wrong, but this would help, are you with me?

Lastly, more of a suggestion than an issue is the addition of a hand strap. I feel that this would make it easier to work through difficult hair.

03. Maxpower Groom Brush

Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad

Pros:

• Good width (covers a good portion of the fur)
• Great for de-shedding cats
• Glides through your cat’s fur easily
• Works well on the undercoat
• Helps on tangled fur
• Gently massages her while she is combed
• Blades are cleverly rounded and hidden within the curves (protects her)

Cons:

• Doesn’t hold the cat fur well (you will have to clean up after)
• Not ideal for matted fur

What I appreciate about this Maxpower grooming brush

The width of this brush is great, it makes it easier to work through a portion of her fur, while you brush. If your cat is shedding, this is a great brush to have by your side. Why? Well, it deals with de-shedding very well.

If you have ever had to deal with a shedding cat before, you will appreciate any help with this, because it can get really messy. And, guess who has to clean this up?

For cats with big undercoats is helpful, because it can glide through her fur like hot butter, are you with me? Especially if you have a kitty with tangled fur, often this is a nightmare, but this comb helps to deal with this issue.

As she is being combed this will massage her, which helps in two ways. Firstly, it will make the process easier. But, also, she will actually enjoy the process. Meaning, she will look forward to the grooming session, rather than you having to chase her, are you with me?

The massaging is partly due to the curved blades that are on it. The sharp blades are cleverly hidden in the curves of the brush to keep her protected and it works well.

In summary, if you are looking for a ca brush that glides through her fur easily and massages her fur at the same time, then this sounds like it’s right up your alley.

What I do not appreciate about this Maxpower grooming brush

Even though this brushes well, it is not that great at collecting the fur as it goes. So, you may be left to clean up the mess after the grooming session.

While this will help prevent matting, by maintaining her fur well, it is not ideal to get rid of matted fur that is already formed. I guess it’s not necessarily designed for this though.