Maine Coons do require grooming on a regular basis. The amount of grooming required will depend on the texture of the fur, age of the cat, lifestyle, and overall health. Some long coats almost never tangle, while others can become matted overnight. If your cat’s coat is prone to matting, daily brushing/combing may be necessary. Otherwise, about three times per week should suffice.
Grooming Tools
Grooming long-haired cats require some specialized tools. Most groomers recommend a wire slicker brush, an undercoat brush with a combination of wide and narrow teeth, a finer-toothed comb to go through the undercoat after you use the narrower brush, a flea comb for short-furred areas like the head, and a mat splitter. You may be able to substitute a letter opener like the one shown here for a mat splitter.
Metal combs: Metal combs have teeth that are far apart are good for keeping a dense undercoat from matting. Combs remove the harder to reach underfur.
Wire slicker brush: This flat, metal brush has small, fine wire bristles that are bent at an angle. Wire slickers will remove any loose top fur, not the undercoat.
Soft-bristled brush is good for removing dirt, debris, dead skin cells, and loose hair from your cat’s coat. It’s also nice to use at the end of a grooming session to distribute the oils through the coat, which makes it shiny and smooth.
Mat splitter: does just what it says. Sometimes mats are unavoidable no matter how much you groom your long-haired cat, and must be removed for good coat health.
Grooming TIPS
Start Grooming young
It’s best to start getting your cat acquainted with grooming at an early age. Professional groomers and breeders say you can begin grooming your kitten as young as eight weeks of age.
Build trust a little bit at a time
Not all long-haired cats get used to grooming as kittens, however, so you may still have a job in front of you when you begin grooming an adult cat. The good news is that while you’re acquainting her with the joy of a good brushing and combing, you can start easy. In the beginning, groom her back first. Cats tend to be less stressed when you’re not approaching vulnerable parts like the belly. Be sure to reward her patience with her favorite treats.
Be gentle when you find mats
Don’t tug on mats. It hurts and you may rip your cat’s delicate skin. Instead, use a mat splitter to cut the mat into smaller pieces, which you can then remove with a comb. I’ve also found that if you can grasp the hair by the roots and begin combing the mat out from the end of the hair, it relieves some of the pain of tugging and allows you to get the mat out a little bit at a time.
Do long-haired cats need haircuts?
The short answer is, no. Unless your cat has a matted coat, haircuts are unnecessary. Grooming your cat regularly is recommended by your veterinarian for your specific breed.
Deshedding Tool
Don’t want your Maine Coon to have so much fur? This comb will remove a significant portion, especially with regular usage. This dual-sided matt demolisher features 23 stainless-steel teeth designed to tear through even the densest of tangles. A non-slip ergonomic handle makes it a breeze to detangle your pet’s hair, while rounded edges serve to protect your little one’s sensitive skin from sharp blades. Plus, Pet Republique will donate 15% of all profits to the American Animal Rescue Society, so each purchase you make helps to save the life of a dog or cat in need.
Carding Buttercomb 4"
Strips undercoat like no other. Many slicker brushes have sharp ends that can scrape and damage a cat’s delicate skin. High-quality metal combs penetrate deeply into the coat to remove dead hair, knots, and tangles, without irritating the skin. Brushing a cat isn’t the best technique in removing shedding hair and undercoat, and a lot of the time it just adds static. Brushes do not reach down to the skin where the problem may be. But if you decide to brush the cat anyway, I recommend using a soft bristle brush versus a metal slicker brush. The slicker can scrape the cat’s skin so I don’t use them.
TIP: Best Maine Coon comb is a 10” long, 1 ½ inch tined greyhound comb
Slicker Brush
PRO TIP: Use a Slicker Brush to “brush” your cat trees! You heard me right, the easiest way to clean a carpeted cat tree is to first use a wire brush. It will pick up 90% of the hair.
Groomer’s Goop
The professional choice of groomers, breeders, and those who show their pets. It’s a great first step to ‘degrease’ the coats of Persian, Himalayan, and Maine Coon cats and long-haired dogs. Its enriched formula contains lanolin, glycerin, vitamin E, and aloe vera to better treat your animal’s skin. Groomer’s GOOP offers a complete line of pet de-greasers, shampoos, conditioners, rinse-free shampoo wipes, plus leave-in conditioning spray and coat freshening spray.
Lion Cut
Cats can get lion cuts whether they are long or short-haired. The most common reason for a lion cut is matting. If a cat is already matted, the best and most humane option is to shave the cat into a lion cut, then get the cat on a regular grooming schedule to prevent matting. Cats should not be cut with anything smaller than a #10 blade (1.5mm).
TIP: If you use a 9.5MM blade on the clippers you will get a non-buzzed/shaved appearance. Instead, the hair will be slightly longer. Many groomers will use a smaller blade resulting in an unappealing super short haircut. Remember to ask for a blended transition if you prefer less abrupt sections.
Lion Cut Maine Coon using 2.5MM blade. (via mammamia_s)