Furminator makes short work of excess cat hair
30/5/2026
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Pictures: Patrick Vogt
Things get hairier than a 1970s adult film when our five cats are shedding. The Furminator brush promises to fix that – and delivers.
Almost all twelve labours of the hero and demigod Heracles involved animals. According to Greek mythology, his challenges included but were not limited to taming man-eating horses, slaying a near-invincible lion, mucking out vast cattle stables and capturing a destructive boar. Why am I bringing this up? Because brushing our five cats every spring is a Herculean task in its own right. Two words: winter coat.
Nomen est omen
Thanks to Furminator, this hairy business has recently got a lot easier for us. I’d seen the brand’s brushes time and again, but had never tried one myself – until now. And how glad I am I did!
The name Furminator immediately makes me think of Terminator. At first, this seemed a little extra. But now I can confirm the association does indeed make sense. In the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a relentless machine that makes short work of anything in its path. The «Furminator» cat brush does the same – with fur.
The brush
The Furminator brush has a toothed stainless-steel edge that targets the undercoat and loose hair. «DeShedding without damaging topcoat or cutting skin,» the manufacturer claims. That claim rests entirely on the person doing the brushing. Anyone who brushes their cat with the force of an ox probably shouldn’t have one – a cat, I mean. With this brush in particular, you need very little force to free your cat of excess hair. Follow Furminator’s instructions and you’ll be fine.
The brush feels nice to hold. It’s got a nice weight to it – not too heavy, not too light. The kind of weight that makes it feel like a quality tool. And that’s what the Furminator brush is: a good, practical tool.
Short coats quickly sorted
I’ll admit I overdid the Herculean task comparison at the start. Four of our five cats have short hair. The transition from winter to summer coat seems to come easily to them. But they still shed like mad during the coat change – enough to keep the hoover running constantly.
That – and to help them along – is why we brush them too. Most of our cats even seem to enjoy the grooming. At least a little bit. And the ones that don’t are just glad it’s faster and smoother thanks to the Furminator.
The prickly pièce de résistance
That’s four out of five of our four-legged masters brushed – and one to go. Wanda, our youngest, is an Angora cat. She has slightly longer fur and needs our help during the coat change – though she doesn’t want it in the slightest. At least that’s how I interpret her hissing, scratching and biting during our grooming sessions. Alas, she has to get through it, as do we. Luckily, Wanda never holds a grudge and always lets us groom her again.
The Furminator works wonders on Wanda too, with tufts of hair just flying off her. In the process, we discover where the brush reaches its limits. It’s not the right tool for matting, knots or ingrown hairs. The manufacturer states this clearly, both in the leaflet and online.
Of course, Furminator has just the thing for matted fur: another brush. I’ve already ordered it. That money’s not gonna spend itself! Honestly, if this brush works anywhere near as well as the undercoat one, it’ll be worth every penny – and maybe another product test. Stay tuned.
Bald patches?
A cat groomer that my colleague Darina once went to wasn’t a fan of the Furminator. According to her, its short blades do more harm than good. It supposedly only trims the topcoat without reaching the undercoat, which she says can lead to bald patches.
I can’t confirm that notion. We’ve relieved all our cats of a good deal of undercoat without coming anywhere near causing a bald patch. To be fair, I can see how it could happen if you don’t use the brush correctly.
Which is why I’ll repeat: follow Furminator’s instructions.
That just leaves one question: what do I do with all this cat hair? Well, I’ve already got a few ideas up my sleeve...
In a nutshell
This cat brush does exactly what it’s supposed to
We’re not talking rocket science here – it’s a cat brush. Its job is to remove excess undercoat and loose hair, especially during shedding season. And it does so brilliantly. The Furminator gets full marks for that.
Pro
- Highly effective
- Pleasant weight
- Comfortable grip
- High-quality finish
Header image: Patrick Vogt
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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