Kitty's tongue isn't always enough!
Shedding season is fast approaching. This year I decided to get ahead of the curve: last weekend I bought a Furminator for my cats.
Let me tell you something, it is SHOCKING how much fur you can get off a cat with a Furminator. You would think my cats would be bald by now, with all the fur I have taken off them in the last week. But no: all I have done is caught the loose fur before it ended up all over the couch, the carpet, my clothes, the bed, etc!
Not to mention, hairballs! If you brush the hair off the cat, it won't end up in their stomachs when they groom themselves.
There are a lot of different brushes, and they all work well for different cats and different coats. I recommend the Furminator, even though it is a little pricey. But it's totally worth the extra cost! My second runner-up is the slicker brush, which has a flat square head studded with lots of small, angled wires. A flea comb will work in a pinch. Those brushes which look like small people hair brushes never seem to do any good.
And then you have the "oddball" category, like the Zoom Groom. I have heard great things about the Zoom Groom, but my cat refused to let it touch his body. There's that, too: you have to take your own cat's preferences into account.
When you start a grooming program, or bring home a new brush, start small. Let your cat sniff the brush, then give your cat one or two short strokes with the brush. Start by working your cat's cheeks and the back of its head. Don't brush farther back than the shoulder blades at first. When you have finished, give your cat a treat - a dab of baby food, a Pounce, a bit of cooked chicken, or whatever your cat likes.
You should never groom your cat more than once a day. Think of how your scalp is tender after you give your hair a particularly vigorous combing and brushing. Then remember that a cat's skin is even more sensitive than yours!
Eventually, with patience and treats, you should be able to work up to a 15-20 minute session. I brush my cats once a day every day during shedding season. When they aren't shedding as much, I may only brush them 2-3 times a week. If you have a long-haired cat, you will likely need to brush them more often. It's a great bonding experience for you and your cat!