Updated August 2026: I rechecked every pick on this list and swapped out the ones that had gone out of stock or gotten delisted, replacing them with the closest still-selling, well-reviewed option I could find.
If you've got a cat your house is probably absolutely covered in cat fur. If you've got a long haired cat you're absolutely awash in cat fur. No surprise, they pretty much shed 24 hours a day. If you're looking to minimize the fur floating around your house you're going to need to brush your cat. Almost every day if possible.
Brushing your cat can be tough , especially if you've got a cat that doesn't love to be brushed! So you want to make the most of every stroke. To do this you'll need to find the best brush for long haired cats.
Best Overall Value
DakPets Deshedding Brush for Long Haired Cats
If you only buy one brush off this whole list, make it this one. DakPets built it around a heavy-duty stainless steel blade tucked under a detachable, press-button comb head. Clearing out a wad of pulled hair takes one motion instead of picking it out by hand.
It's aimed at cutting shedding at the source rather than just skimming loose hair off the top of the coat. It's designed to work across coat lengths and even across species, so it holds up fine in a multi-pet household too.
Between the price and how consistently owners report it delivering, this is the safe "if you only buy one" call on this whole list.
Top Performer
FURminator for Long Haired Cats
If you're looking for a top notch brush for a long haired cat, look no further than the FURminator. I've had this brush for years and it still continues to deliver effectively for my cat Lexi.
It's comfortable to use on the hand and can easily get in deep to pull out small knots and take out both extraneous undercoat as well as top coat.
The only thing it isn't great for is removing severe matting or knots. It isn't designed to 'cut' through hair, so it can catch and yank on your cat's skin if you're not careful.
Or watch my full review of the brush here:
Great All Around Alternative
Aumuca Cat Brushes for Indoor Cats
Think of the Aumuca as your backup option if the DakPets or FURminator aren't quite the right fit for your cat. It uses stainless-steel bristles with skin-friendly resin tips instead of a single wide blade. And it's built to handle short, medium, and thick coats with the same tool rather than requiring a size-specific version.
A one-click self-cleaning release button clears the collected hair in a single motion, so cleanup doesn't turn into a chore.
It carries Amazon's own "#1 Best Seller" tag in the cat shedding tools category, which says something about how many owners are reaching for it.
Best Multi-Use Gloves
Delomo Long Haired Cat Grooming Gloves
If your cat tolerates a hand better than she tolerates an actual brush, these gloves are worth a look. Delomo packs 255 silicone grooming tips onto each glove, and the whole thing is built to feel like a massage rather than a brushing session. This makes it a genuinely good option for a cat who's on the fence about grooming tools in general.
The five-finger design means you can actually work into the tighter spots — the tail, the face — that a flat brush struggles to reach. And because they're rated for both dry brushing and bath use, they pull double duty instead of sitting in a drawer half the year.
Two-For-One Gloves
NVNAN Pet Hair Removal Glove for Dogs & Cats, 2-Pack
This is another hand-worn option worth weighing against the Delomo gloves above. It leans a little more into the massage angle with 260 silicone nubs packed onto each glove for a genuinely hand-like feel.
It ships as a 2-pack with an adjustable wristband, and a mesh backing helps keep your own hands from overheating during a longer grooming session.
NVNAN markets it for both bath-time and dry grooming, and says it works across short, long, and curly coats, not just long-haired cats specifically. If gloves are more your cat's speed than an actual brush, this is a second option to compare against Delomo's.
Best for Big Cats
Miu Color Extra Large Cat Brush
Miu Color's brush uses a 4-inch stainless-steel comb with evenly spaced teeth. It comes in Short/Medium and Long Hair versions, so you're not stuck with generic teeth spacing that wasn't built with your cat's specific coat in mind.
The comb head is detachable and ships with its own safety blade cover, and the handle is built anti-slip so it stays put even during an enthusiastic grooming session. It's the kind of straightforward, no-nonsense pick that shows up again and again in reviews as a reliable go-to, not a flashy one.
Cuts Through Tangles & Knots
Hertzko Cat and Dog Dematting Tools, Single Sided Comb
When brushing alone isn't cutting it and your cat already has a mat forming, this Hertzko comb is built for exactly that job.
It comes in a 6-teeth or 10-teeth version depending on how much surface area you need to cover. Every tooth is sharp enough to work through a mat while staying rounded at the tip so it doesn't nick skin.
The handle has an anti-slip rubber grip with a thumb rest. This is key when you're working through a genuinely stubborn tangle and need real control. It's aimed specifically at long-haired cats and undercoat removal, not general all-purpose brushing.
Best for Mat Removal
GoPets Dematting Comb
GoPets built this one specifically with long-haired cats in mind, right down to naming it in the product title. And reviewers back that up — this is one of the few tools on this list that owners repeatedly compare directly to premium deshedding brushes and say holds its own.
It's a genuine 2-in-1 tool. One side uses rounded pins for gentler deshedding, the other uses a floating-pin design built for actual dematting work. The handle is filled with a silicone gel, which makes a real difference in comfort if you're working through a full coat in one sitting.
Deepest Reach
The Safari Cat Shedding Comb
If your cat's coat is thick enough that shorter-toothed tools barely scratch the surface, the Safari comb is built to actually get down to the skin. It pairs long teeth that work like an undercoat rake with a set of shorter teeth on the same tool for collecting loose fur on the surface. All with rounded tips so you're not risking scratches.
It's a simple, one-size stainless-steel design, and it shows up again and again in reviews as a long-haul tool people are still using years after buying it.
Brilliantly Basic
The Andis Steel Grooming Comb
Not every grooming tool needs bells and whistles, and the Andis comb is proof of that. It's a stainless- steel comb that combines coarse and fine teeth in a single tool, so you get two grooming jobs out of one pass instead of switching combs mid-session.
It's lightweight and genuinely portable, which matters if you're grooming on the go or just don't want a bulky tool taking up drawer space. The rounded pin ends keep it gentle even with daily use. Reviewers single it out specifically for working well on Persian cats and other dense, long-haired breeds.
Easiest Hair Cleanup
The Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker
If the idea of picking hair out of a brush by hand sounds like its own chore, this is the pick that solves it directly. Hertzko built this slicker brush with push-button retractable bristles, so when you're done brushing, one press collapses the bristles and the collected hair lifts right off.
The bristles themselves are angled and fine, designed to work through tangles and massage the skin at the same time rather than just skimming the surface. It's a genuinely popular pick in this category, and reviewers keep comparing it favorably to other premium deshedding brushes.
Best Rubber Model
KONG Rubber Brush for Cat
Every other pick on this list uses some kind of metal tooth or pin. This one doesn't — it's KONG's rubber cat grooming brush, built entirely from soft TPE rubber shaped into an ergonomic, hand-fitting design.
It's meant to feel more like a massage than a brushing session. And a lot of cats who tense up at the sight of a metal comb will tolerate or even lean into this one. It carries Amazon's own "Low Returns" badge, a signal that owners generally keep it rather than sending it back, and it's easy to rinse clean under a tap once it's covered in loose hair.
Great for the Undercoat
Pat Your Pet Deshedding Brush
This is Pat Your Pet's dual-sided undercoat rake, built to handle the two different jobs a long-haired coat actually needs. One side has 9 teeth for cutting through stubborn mats and tangles, and the other has 17 teeth for thinning and general deshedding. Flip the tool instead of reaching for a second one.
Every tooth is rounded, which matters given how much work the 9-tooth side is doing when it's pulling through a real tangle. It's a genuinely versatile pick — reviewers use it across both cats and dogs, especially double-coated breeds, not just long-haired cats specifically.
Additional Information
Frequent Q&A for Long Haired Cat Brushes
There are several major brush types on the market. Below you'll find a quick description of each as well as major pros and cons. Most of the tools are purpose built to handle a specific problem, but you shouldn't assume you'll need one of each.
My personal opinion is that a de-shedding tool is probably your best all around followed by a de-matting tool.
De-Shedding Tools:
These tools are specifically designed to remove loose hair from your cat and keep it from being both ingested and from floating around the house.
Most de-shedding tools also do a lightweight job of pulling out tangles and mats. The blades aren't designed specifically for it so it can cause a bit of a 'yank' on your feline friend. Be careful if you encounter any resistance!
De-Shedding tools are the best all all around choice and every cat owner needs one.
De-Matting Tools:
Just as the name implies, these are primarily geared toward removing mats, knots and tangles in your cat's coat. The blades are designed to slice through the problem area without injuring your cat. Large or unruly mats may require the use of some scissors to clip out a mat even with this tool at hand.
Most de-matting tools available today also have two sides, one with wide teeth and one with fine teeth. The fine toothed side acts more like a traditional brush to simply remove loose hair.
A de-matting tool is a must have for any long haired cat owner.
Rubber Brushes (Including Gloves):
If you've got a sensitive cat then rubber brushes are often the best route to take. They are specifically designed to be very gentle on your cat and her skin.
This ensures you won't irritate the skin or pull on any tangled areas. But at the same time it also means that you won't be able to easily remove mats and tangles so you'll need to approach it another way.
A rubber brush is a must have for anyone with an extra sensitive cat.
Start by trying to remove the mat yourself with one of the dematting tools above. Left alone, matted hair can cause real skin and comfort problems over time. If you're not confident, there's a helpful video from Dr. Krista Magnifico showing safe mat removal:
Or you can take your cat to a vet or professional groomer instead. Just make sure you get her into the carrier the easy way first, since that's usually the bigger hurdle than the actual appointment.
Worth checking too. If the matting shows up along your cat's spine specifically, it can be a sign she can no longer reach that spot to groom herself. This often points to age or weight as the underlying cause.
If weight turns out to be the issue, that's worth a real conversation with your vet about her diet, along with building in some structured daily play to help her stay active and mobile enough to keep grooming herself properly.
Every cat is a little different, but I aim to brush my own long-haired cat every single day. The longer you go between brushings, the more likely mats, tangles, and knots are to form — and once they do, brushing stops being pleasant for either of you.
Brushing regularly cuts down on loose hair around the house which is a big win. But it also stops mats before they start, helps circulation, spreads natural oils through the coat, and lowers the odds of fleas or other pests.
It's genuinely one of those habits that pays off for both your cat's health and your own sanity around the house.
There's no single right answer here — it depends on your cat and on you. A groomer brings real advantages: professional-grade tools, years of experience handling nervous or difficult cats, and styling options for long-haired breeds. But there are real downsides too. Most cats don't love the carrier ride over, groomer facilities are full of unfamiliar scents and sounds. And you can't stay with your cat during the actual session.
If your cat handles the carrier and new environments reasonably well, it's worth trying once to see how she does. If getting her into the carrier is the real obstacle, that's worth solving on its own first — our guide on getting a reluctant cat into a carrier can help.
There are a huge number of benefits to brushing your cat on a consistent basis. And there are both benefits for you and your cat!
- Bonding Time: Brushing your cat can be a great chance to bond with your feline friend. Many cats absolutely love the massaging feeling a brush provides and will purr up a storm while you brush them. Not only will they get a ton of enjoyment, but they know it is you providing the enjoyment so they'll grow closer to you in the process!
- Hairball Reduction: Long haired cats are especially susceptible to hairballs. Consistent brushing helps reduce the amount of hair that your cat ingests while grooming herself. This means less hair gets into the digestive track and thus less hair to potentially vomit up later.
- Less Stray Fur: Brushing your cat daily does an amazing job of picking up dead hair that is still stick in your cat's coat. This fur most commonly simply falls of your cat and ends up stuck to a couch or floating through the air. By brushing your cat you pull all this hair off and get to stick it right in the garbage.
- A Full Body Check In: Your cat may not love getting brushed on every part of her body, many don't like the stomach, but brushing gives you a good opportunity to check through your cat's body and make sure there aren't new lumps and bumps. If there are you should go to the vet ASAP!
- Prevents Tangles and Matting: Tangles and mats can turn into a very painful experience for a cat if they are left alone. They can also be incredibly painful to remove if they grow large enough. A consistent brushing routine ensures mats and tangles never have a chance to form saving your cat from pain in the future!
- Removal of Dirt and Skin Dander: Is your cat an outdoor cat? Mine are only allowed on the patio and they still get stuff stuck in their fur all the time. Brushing them removes all this unwanted debris to ensure it doesn't get stuck there and cause a bigger problem farther down the road.
- Removes Nits, Lice & Other Bugs: Similar to removing debris and skin dander, if you've got an outdoor cat you'll want to ensure they don't have any bugs stuck in their fur. Bugs can get your cat pretty sick or make your house an absolute nightmare if spread. Fine toothed brushes and combs can help minimize the opportunity these bugs have to make your cat's fur their home.
It's a fair worry, and it's honestly a mixed bag across the dematting-style tools on this list. Feedback on several of them — the Hertzko dematting comb, the GoPets comb, and the Pat Your Pet undercoat rake — is genuinely split: most owners say these tools work through mats and tangles without real discomfort when used properly, but a real minority describe some tugging, sticking, or outright discomfort, usually tied to using too much pressure or trying to force a tool through a mat too fast.
The safest approach is to let the tool do the work rather than pressing down, go slowly through any real tangle, and stop and try a different angle (or scissors, for a truly bad mat) rather than fighting through resistance.
They're a genuinely different tool for a genuinely different problem, not a strict downgrade. Both glove options on this list — the Delomo gloves and the NVNAN 2-pack — get consistently good marks for how comfortable cats find them (several reviewers describe cats visibly enjoying it, closer to a massage than a brushing) and for how well they work during baths specifically, when a metal brush isn't practical anyway.
Where they fall short of a dedicated metal tool: neither is built to cut through a real mat or tangle the way a dematting comb is, and both have some mixed feedback on durability and how much loose hair they actually collect per session compared to a blade-based brush. If your cat tolerates a hand better than a brush, gloves are a great daily option — just don't expect them to replace a real dematting tool once mats have already formed.
Some cats really dislike being brushed and you may need to look for an alternative method to decrease the amount of hair around the house.
There are specially formulated wipes you can use on your cat to pull away stray hair. But I've found that a damp washcloth does about the same job and saves you purchasing the wipes and then them ending up in the landfill anyway.
Other owners have mentioned that microfiber cloths an also do a great job at helping pick up cat hair. You can buy microfiber cloths for all sorts of purposes, but most often you'd see them used for cleaning things like glasses and camera lenses.
The notes above will help you determine which might be the best fit for your cat. That being said there are a couple of general rules of thumb you should keep in mind for every selection:
- They don't cause any pain or irritation when you know how to use them.
- They easily remove loose hair from your cat to minimize hairballs and free floating fur.
- They are easy to hold and they are comfortable even over long periods.
- They're made of high quality materials that will last a long time.
Wrapping It Up On The Best Brushes for Long Haired Cats
There are obviously hundreds of options out there when it comes to brushing your cat. But if you have a cat that doesn't particularly like being brushed then it is worth buying a high quality brush.
This not only ensures you get the most out of every stroke, but high quality brushes also ensure you won't injure your cat. At the same time a good brush also helps spread natural oils to your cat's coat and stimulate blood vessels for circulation.
All in all constant brushing not only helps make your cat look great, it makes her feel great and stay healthy too!
If you have any specific brushes you've used and love then please share the details with us below in the comment section!
References: Furminator Website, DakPets Website, GoPets Website, WebMD for Pets
