Review Summary

Oster is among the most recognizable names in pet care and produces grooming products built around ease of use and durable design. Its dependability shines in its aptly named ShedMonster, an affordable yet effective tool for effortless fur removal. As the shedding season strikes, so does the ShedMonster to keep hairballs and furry clumps around the house to a minimum.

The ShedMonster is an excellent value for the right customer. It can fit seamlessly in a practical grooming arsenal for long-haired cats but may not give all owners the efficiency and convenience they demand. Is it the best product for you, or should you spring for a pricier item? We’ll explain everything with this review of the ShedMonster De-Shedding Tool for Cats.

ShedMonster Reviewed

The ShedMonster for cats is a hair control tool featuring a 16-blade stainless steel rake at the end of an ergonomic plastic handle. The blades curve in and feature a dull outer edge. Only smooth surfaces make contact with the skin, providing your cat with a comfortable, low-stress experience.

Working as a 2-in-1 tool, the ShedMonster removes the dead undercoat while cutting through mats and tangles. According to Oster, the ShedMonster can reduce shedding by up to 90%. The sharp inner edges of the teeth cut through mats while breezing past healthy hair.

Meanwhile, the smooth outer edges massage the skin. At its price point, it’s unsurprising that the ShedMonster is a good value in a well-built product. But rather than being an okay tool for all, it’s a practical choice for some cats and less appropriate for others.

De-Shedding

With a name like the ShedMonster, you would hope it would be dynamite at removing the dead undercoat your standard brush won’t touch. It excels in thick coats with a decent amount of dead hair. You’ll remove hair in clumps, ending with enough to make a whole new cat.

With a low-shedding cat, you may not remove as much hair as you expect in each pass. The teeth have some space between them, and since they don’t grab hair individually, they can pass over sparsely shed hair without affecting it much.

That helps skip past healthy hair but reduces its effectiveness at trapping and removing the dead coat. The brush needs a decent amount of hair to collect so that the buildup in the brush captures more with each pass.

De-Matting

While it’s pulling up the undercoat, the ShedMonster does a serviceable job of busting through mats. The rounded teeth have sharp inner edges that slice through tangles and knots but can eventually get hung up.

It may tug in extremely matted areas. In those situations, you’ll need to make a few extra passes while taking more care to keep your cat from getting hurt and prevent the rake from pulling out healthy hair.

Who Makes ShedMonster and Where Is It Produced?

Oster, a Sunbeam brand, is the name behind the ShedMonster. Professionals know Oster primarily for its series of corded and cordless clippers, though the top-tier models most groomers lean on unsurprisingly reach professional prices.

In the relatively inexpensive ShedMonster, the brand brings a pedigree of durability to the all-in-one de-shedder/detangler tool. Oster produces the ShedMonster in China.

Who Is ShedMonster Best Suited For?

If you have a long-haired, heavy-shedding cat, the ShedMonster is worth a try. It penetrates deep and glides through the coat, making harmless contact with the skin to prevent brush burn and irritation. Each stroke removes tons of loose fur without yanking at it.

Cats stay comfy and generally like the ShedMonster. Paired with the tool’s ergonomic and lightweight construction, this makes grooming as easy as possible for everyone involved. When the shedding season hits, the ShedMonster shines.

Who Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

Cats with shorter hair and an average shedding amount generally won’t get the same efficiency from the ShedMonster as long-haired breeds. Their coat will require numerous passes and likely leave hair stragglers on your cat.

With each additional stroke, you’ll also risk thinning the coat more than you want. The ShedMonster isn’t extremely sharp, but its mat-busting teeth will still jostle healthy guard hair loose with enough attempts. For better undercoat capturing in fewer passes, a product like the Furminator might be ideal for short-haired and moderate-shedding cats.

Although it isn’t as gentle on the skin as the ShedMonster, the sharper, bunched-up teeth can do a better job of trapping the undercoat. De-shedding will take less time, and the tool will collect the fur to make cleanup easier.

Discussion of Oster’s ShedMonster

ShedMonster is a practical multi-purpose tool when shedding and matting are equal concerns. While you’ll find other products either remove the dead coat or break up mats more efficiently, few products will do both in one motion.

The durable design is the difference maker compared to other de-shedding rakes at its price point. The ShedMonster’s lightweight body is comfortable in the hand and puts little strain on the wrist. It’s simple and well-built, offering several years of quality performance.

Head Width

If there is one clear drawback to the design, it’s the width of the head. The teeth only cover about 1 ½ inches from side to side. They make thin lines and require numerous passes to cover your cat’s entire body.

Although it’s excellent for removing fur from a fluffy coat, you’ll be there a while if you’re grooming a Maine Coon. Thankfully, your cat will likely enjoy the ShedMonster’s painless touch, making the process easier, if not shorter.

Hair Collection

Unless your cat is shedding heavily, the space between the ShedMonster’s teeth won’t do much to collect the hair it removes with each pass. On the one hand, this serves as a benefit since it makes the tool easy to clean.

A quick shake removes whatever fur and hair stick to the teeth, and they always stay clear to optimize their efficiency with every stroke. As a drawback, the ShedMonster’s teeth make cleanup everywhere else more of a chore. Since the tool doesn’t pick them up, shed wisps of the undercoat will either sit atop your cat’s body or settle around yours.

A follow-up brushing will often be in order to clear the debris from the coat. To make life easier, you might want to skip the hassle and use your ShedMonster outside.

A Quick Look at the ShedMonster

 

What Other Users Are Saying

Conclusion

The ShedMonster aims to do more with less. The affordably priced tool breaks up mats and removes loose fur in a single pass, all while maintaining gentle contact against your cat’s body. It may take extra work to eliminate all the shedding fluff, but your pet won’t complain. While it’s only one part of a complete grooming set, you’ll love the value when the molting seasons roll around, and your cat creates an endless flurry of fur.

• See also: FURminator deShedding Edge Cat Brush Review: Pros, Cons & Features