There are numerous breeds of cats, although the exact number depends on who you ask. According to the Cat Fanciers Association, there are 42 recognized pedigree breeds. Among these, some cats are hairless, and others have short, medium, and long haired coats. Many of these cats need help with grooming to stay healthy and mat-free.
If you have been looking for a brush that you can use for a medium haired cat to keep them healthy and have bonding time together, you are in luck! We reviewed seven of the best brushes for cats with medium-length fur. You can use these to get out tangles, help them shed less, and spread the oils through their coat to encourage all-around fur health. Whatever you need your brush to do or be, there is an option that should make both you and your cat happy.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Hepper Cat Brush
Easy to clean
Great price
Waterproof
Check Price
Best Value
JW Gripsoft Cat Slicker Brush
Ergonomic handle
Angled pins
Check Price
Premium Choice
HandsOn Bathing & Grooming Gloves
Helps groom your cat’s fur
Promotes de-shedding
Fit and color for everyone
Check Price
Master Cat Grooming Tools
Two model choices
Unique ergonomic handle
Tackles tough mats
Check Price
Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
Affordable
Steel pins
Self-cleaning
Check Price
The 8 Best Brushes for Medium Haired Cats
When it comes to grooming, cats are notorious for hating every second of the process, even the brushing. But, when you have a medium-haired cat, you need to keep their coat brushed out, so mats and tangles don’t develop. We suggest simplifying the process with the overall best cat brush for medium-haired cats: the Hepper Cat Brush.
Material: Stainless Steel Pins
Lifestage: Kitten – Adult
Check Price on Hepper
With bristles that are at a 60-degree angle so they catch less in your pet’s fur, brushing out your favorite feline will take less time, making for a happier household all around. Plus, cleaning up any loose hair is a breeze! Just click the button on the back of the brush, and hair is collected. Who knows? Maybe hair brushing will become your kitty’s new favorite thing!
This brush comes in three fun colors—pink, gray, and blue—and is made from stainless steel and ABS plastic. The brush is waterproof, so you can clean it up with a quick rinse whenever you need.
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Pros
60-degree bristles designed for comfort
Easy clean-up of hair
Waterproof
Great price
Cons
Product cannot be shipped to P.O. boxes
JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Slicker Brush starts with a comfortable rubber handle that enables you to get a precise brush on your cat. The Gripsoft technology also has non-slip grips to optimize your control and comfort while you work on grooming your cat’s medium-length fur.
60-degree bristles designed for comfort
Easy clean-up of hair
Waterproof
Great price
- 60-degree bristles designed for comfort
- Easy clean-up of hair
- Waterproof
- Great price
Product cannot be shipped to P.O. boxes
- Product cannot be shipped to P.O. boxes
Material: Rubber
Lifestage: Adult
Check Price on Chewy
This slicker brush has angled pins to get into the cat’s coat and keep it soft and tangle-free. The angle of the pins also helps keep them from scraping against sensitive skin. The primary goal of this brush is to help reduce hairballs and shedding by taking out the soft, down-like hairs that often cause your cat to choke on hairballs. This cat slicker brush is the best medium-length cat hairbrush for the money.
The downside to this brush is the sharpness of the tines. They are pointed, and although the angle stops them from being too hard on your cat’s skin, when you try to get the hair out of the brush to clean it, the tines may scratch you instead.
Pros
Angled pins make it easier on your cat’s skin
Ergonomic handle
Helps reduce the chance for hairballs
Cons
Sharp tines make it challenging to clean
This brush is not what you might typically think of to be a brush. Instead, they are gloves that you can use to groom either a cat or a dog. You can get these gloves in black, green, or blue. In addition, there are sizes to fit everyone’s hands, running from junior to extra-large.
Angled pins make it easier on your cat’s skin
Ergonomic handle
Helps reduce the chance for hairballs
- Angled pins make it easier on your cat’s skin
- Ergonomic handle
- Helps reduce the chance for hairballs
Sharp tines make it challenging to clean
- Sharp tines make it challenging to clean
The HandsOn All-in-One Pet Bathing & Grooming Gloves have a nodule design on the palm of the gloves to deliver maximum cleaning and stimulation by causing more circulation around the skin and distributing the natural oils throughout the fur. The nodule design of the gloves is meant to be softer on a sensitive cat’s skin rather than raking through the fur with pins. It also helps de-shed your cat without causing a mess, since the hair shouldn’t stick to the gloves even when it is wet.
These gloves are lightweight and durable and are made out of rubber so they won’t crack, grow mildew, or tear even after plenty of use. Although they help de-shed and groom, they don’t get deep in the coat of your cat. They will leave the hairball-causing downy fur behind most of the time.
Pros
Helps groom your cat’s fur
Promotes de-shedding
Fit and color for everyone
Cons
Expensive
Doesn’t clean out fine, downy fur
- Master Grooming Tools Ergonomic Cat Dematting Comb
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Material: Rubber and steel
Lifestage: Adult
This Master Grooming Tools Ergonomic Cat Dematting Comb is essential for those cat owners who struggle to keep the fur on their cats from tangling and matting. It is meant to get deep into the coat and work out the worst tangles without pulling too hard or causing your cat too much pain.
Helps groom your cat’s fur
Promotes de-shedding
Fit and color for everyone
- Helps groom your cat’s fur
- Promotes de-shedding
- Fit and color for everyone
Expensive
Doesn’t clean out fine, downy fur
- Expensive
- Doesn’t clean out fine, downy fur
Check Latest Price
Material: Rubber and steel
Lifestage: Adult
Experienced groomers specially designed this brush to remove even the toughest mats and tangles. However, they still wanted to maintain an even coat length instead of cutting out the mats. This brush helped them accomplish precisely that, giving the cat a groomed, healthy look in the end.
The brush also has a unique pistol-like grip that reduces hand fatigue as you work on your cat’s coat. You have options with the model type as well, between a 9- and a 12-blade model. These have different teeth spacing to help suit your cat’s needs.
Pros
Tackles tough mats and tangles
Unique, ergonomic handle
Two model choices
Cons
Claim as a de-matter contested by pet owners with fine-haired pets
The Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Cats is meant specifically for cats. The brush is made with steel pins that retract into the primary pad of the brush. In one movement, the hair falls away and you can clean the pad, so hair and dry skin doesn’t stack up against the pad of the brush.
Tackles tough mats and tangles
Unique, ergonomic handle
Two model choices
- Tackles tough mats and tangles
- Unique, ergonomic handle
- Two model choices
Claim as a de-matter contested by pet owners with fine-haired pets
- Claim as a de-matter contested by pet owners with fine-haired pets
Material: Steel
Lifestage: Adult
The brush is a great brush for medium-haired cats because of the ergonomics of the handle and pad. The handle is made with a comfortable grip design so you can use it without putting too much stress on your hand. The pin design also supports this, ensuring that the brush moves through the fur with minimal effort.
The best part of this brush is the retractable pins. You should work through small patches on your cat and consistently clean out the brush to get the best stroke. There is a chance that the button will break after a bit of use, but most customers report long-term durability.
Pros
Affordable
Self-cleaning
Steel pins reach deeply
Cons
Button might break after long-term use
The Herzko Self-Cleaning Cat Slicker Brush is often used for both cats and dogs. It is a top-rated product, which is part of the reason for its increased price point. It works using steel pins spread across a pad that is about 3.75 inches, or 95 mm, wide. When you have brushed your cat so the brush is full, you push the button on the back of the brush to make the pins retract.
Affordable
Self-cleaning
Steel pins reach deeply
- Affordable
- Self-cleaning
- Steel pins reach deeply
Button might break after long-term use
- Button might break after long-term use
Material: Stainless steel and rubber
Lifestage: Adult
When the pins retract on this product, you can pop all hair and dead skin right off. It is highly effective at removing tangles and knots from your pet’s undercoat, primarily due to the unique design of the pins that curve slightly. The design allows them to penetrate thick fur without causing painful scratches on your cat’s skin. Unfortunately, the pins are so thin that if you have an animal with a bristlier coat, the pins might bend from contact with the harder fur.
The stainless-steel pins are meant to help your animal, and the comfortable material of the handle is meant to help you. The handle is easy to hold due to the anti-slip material and the durable design.
Pros
Pin design stops scratching on the skin
Comfortable, anti-slip handle
Self-cleaning
Cons
Could bend when taken through bristly fur
More expensive than similar products
- Andis Steel Pet Comb
Check Latest Price
Material: Steel
Lifestage: Adult
Sometimes, it is best to keep the design of your product as simple as you can. Having something fancier with buttons or other functions can be helpful, but it also depends on the kind of fur that your cat has. For example, if you want to use a simple comb for a medium haired cat, you can use the Andis Steel Pet Comb from Andis for a quick once-over.
Pin design stops scratching on the skin
Comfortable, anti-slip handle
Self-cleaning
- Pin design stops scratching on the skin
- Comfortable, anti-slip handle
- Self-cleaning
Could bend when taken through bristly fur
More expensive than similar products
- Could bend when taken through bristly fur
- More expensive than similar products
This comb comes in two sizes, either 7.5 or 10 inches. When you groom cats, it is often easier to use the smaller option. On both comb sizes, half of the comb has wide teeth placement, and the other has narrower teeth. This placement is beneficial to switch between as you brush different parts of your cat.
Although this brush might take more work and put more stress on your hand, it is an affordable option made from high-quality material.
Pros
Various lengths and densities of comb
High-quality stainless steel
Affordable
Cons
Not an ergonomic handle
You can use the Vetnique Labs Furbliss Cat Brush at any time, but it is the most useful when you decide to bathe your cat. It is made entirely of rubber, including the tines. This brush looks similar to a sponge but is instead made from 100% medical-grade silicone. This material and the design of the tines help attract and trap loose fur safely.
Various lengths and densities of comb
High-quality stainless steel
Affordable
- Various lengths and densities of comb
- High-quality stainless steel
- Affordable
Not an ergonomic handle
- Not an ergonomic handle
Material: Medical-grade Silicone
Lifestage: Adult
The only major downside to this brush is that it doesn’t always get to the skin. However, it does an effective job at removing dander and any loose fur that it comes into contact with during a grooming session.
If your cat is highly sensitive during grooming sessions, this brush is an excellent choice. The silicone is gentler and provides more of a massaging sensation instead of pulling and tearing at their coats.
Pros
Gentle on sensitive skin
Effectively removes loose fur and dander
Stimulates circulation
Cons
Doesn’t get too deep
Gentle on sensitive skin
Effectively removes loose fur and dander
Stimulates circulation
- Gentle on sensitive skin
- Effectively removes loose fur and dander
- Stimulates circulation
Doesn’t get too deep
- Doesn’t get too deep
Buyer’s Guide: Finding The Best Brushes for Medium Haired Cats
An estimated total of 85 million families owns some kind of pet. Since pets have become so popular, many products are flooding the marketplace. Unfortunately, that makes finding a high-quality brush for your medium-haired cat a bit of a challenge.
If you are unsure what makes a good brush for your cat or what to look for as you shop, here is our buyer’s guide.
Type of Brush
The most common kinds of cat brushes include pin and bristle brushes.
You can also find grooming gloves that are handy for everyday grooming. However, you should try to use these in conjunction with another brush to do the most thorough job.
Pin Brush
Pin brushes are one of the most common types of cat brushes. They use pins made from steel to rake through your cat’s fur. Often, they are angled or bent a certain way to help them get the most grip and pull out any dead hairs tangled and lost in the underlayers of your cat’s fur.
Pin brushes have a handful of different variations. One of the best is the self-cleaning pin brush. These kinds of brushes are easier to clean because the pins automatically retract back into the brush, leaving the hair exposed. The user can just throw all the hair and dead skin away instead of them gathering around the pins until the brush is practically unusable.
Bristle Brush
Bristle brushes are other options for a medium-length cat coat. The bristles are often made from another type of animal fur, plastic, or another stiff material. Often, these are easier on your cat’s skin. Since they aren’t as stiff as metal, they don’t drag out as much hair but will be preferable for cats that don’t enjoy grooming that much or have sensitive skin.
Handle Materials
The materials of the pins or bristles aren’t the only part of the brush that you need to be concerned about. Your comfort as the user is also essential. Nowadays, most brushes are equipped with a rubber handle meant to make it easy to move and hold the brush.
The best way to determine the handle’s comfort is to read the customer reviews for the product. Often, people will comment about the feel of the handle, mainly if it is uncomfortable. In this case, there being no comments about the comfort of the handle is a good sign.
Conclusion
Sorting through the vast array of pet options to find the best ones for your cat can feel overwhelming. It is best to go into the process knowing the primary options and what you might prefer.
For example, you would look into the Hepper Cat Brush if you are looking to maximize efficiency and convenience. It is easy to use and effective at removing cat hair, and you can quickly clean the brush to be ready for the next grooming session.
If you have already gone through quite a few options and are simply looking for an affordable option with high value, look into the JW Pet Gripsoft Cat Slicker Brush. Whatever product you choose, though, we hope that our cat brush reviews helped!
- Next on your reading list: 10 Best Cat Brushes in the UK – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: ANURAK PONGPATIMET, Shutterstock
