How to brush a cat that won't sit still
Cats that dislike grooming squirm, wiggle away, or use their claws to escape when held down. Because loose fur keeps coming out even at the end of a session, owners are left unsure when to stop without stressing their cat out.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Brushing only during seasonal changes or when hairballs appearDid this help you?
- 2Using short, frequent brushing sessions instead of long onesDid this help you?
- 3Offering treats or Churu as motivatorsDid this help you?
- 4Gently holding the cat in your lapDid this help you?
- 5Vacuuming the sofa regularly instead of forcing the cat to be brushedDid this help you?
- 6Giving headbutts, forehead kisses, and cheek or chin scratches instead of body pettingDid this help you?
- 7Accepting affection on the cat's terms and timingDid this help you?
- 8Trying rougher petting or patting if the cat tolerates itDid this help you?
- 9Trimming nails before the bathDid this help you?
- 10Using claw capsDid this help you?
- 11Obtaining a sedative like gabapentin from a veterinarianDid this help you?
- 12Using pet safe wipes instead of a water bathDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“He LOVES headbutting with me which he usually initiates, and kisses on the forehead, but he doesn't care much about pets. Can anyone else relate?”source ↗
“My other cat Evie however is not particularly cuddly and doesn't like being handled unless it's on her terms.”source ↗
“I'm a little worried that by bathing her I will break some trust that's taken all this time to build”source ↗
“I'm also worried about getting my ass kicked by a 3kg cat haha.”source ↗
“They dont care for being brushed, they dont bite or anything but they also wont sit there and let me brush them either and if I try to "force" them they wiggle and squirm until I let them go or lightly use their claws to get loose and run away.”source ↗
“Also when I do brush, the fur keeps coming, how do I know when im done?”source ↗
“Vincent tends to still have some loose hairs coming up even at the end of a brushing session, but he doesn't like to be brushed and I won't stress him out holding him down.”source ↗
“My boy is the same most of the time. Sometimes he comes to me and my bf for pets... But most of the time he doesn’t care much for pets, he loves our company though as he is laying close to us all the time.”source ↗