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Love Cats, Hate Cat Hair
Certain things seem to go hand-in-hand with sharing your life with a cat, with hairballs, vomiting, and hair on EVERYTHING often seen as unavoidable side effects of a life spent in feline company. In theory, we know that regular brushing is an important part of caring for our pets; it is an activity that often falls lower and lower down the priority list, particularly if our cats go running in the opposite direction when they catch a glimpse of us with our trusty old brush in hand. Let’s face it: our lives are busy enough without wasting time chasing our cats to perform a seemingly thankless task.
But what if there was a way to make that task quicker and easier, that will end up saving you money on vet bills, improve your cat’s health, and elevate your quality of life? I’m sure that got your attention.
I’m talking about the Deshedding Tool from Refuresh, and how it’s going to change how you think about grooming your cat.
The Right Brush Can Change Your Life
You’re probably wondering how a grooming tool could possibly have any impact on your quality of life, so let’s take a step back and ask, “Why do we need to brush our cats?”
After all, cats come with a built-in grooming device in the form of a tongue covered in microscopic bristles; why are we needed at all? Cats are indeed very capable of cleaning themselves, but there are a number of factors – almost all due to human interference – that have made feline self-care less effective.
- Breeding: Long coats, flat faces, thick fur – with the exception of those naked kitties, many of the physical changes from selective breeding mean that cats shed more or groom less efficiently (sometimes both).
- Diet: Processed foods and dry kibble are often lacking in some of the essential fatty acids needed to keep skin and coat healthy, and cats are much more prone to obesity, which makes grooming hard to reach places even harder.
- Lifestyle: Cats that live predominantly or exclusively indoors often shed more fur due to higher temperatures and drier conditions, and their proximity to our clothing and furniture when that happens means that we are also affected by this.
- Age: Improved healthcare and living conditions mean that our cats are living longer (yay!), but just like us, cats become less flexible as they get older, meaning they cannot groom as effectively as they could when they were young.
As a result, our cats are more prone to excessive shedding, matted fur, and hairballs. Our belongings become covered in hair faster than we can clean them, and allergy sufferers keep making excuses not to visit. More significantly, cats are more frequently affected by vomiting, constipation, gut motility issues, and intestinal obstruction.
There is a billion-dollar industry built on dealing with the consequences of cat hair, from allergy medication, hairball paste, dietary supplements, specialized foods, air purifiers, high-powered vacuum cleaners, pet hair dissolving laundry products… myriad solutions to a problem that could be largely managed with just two things:
PROPER NUTRITION & THE RIGHT TOOLS
Cats shed. It is a completely normal and natural process, and one that cannot be prevented. While high-quality diets and supplements can help keep the skin and coat healthy, you cannot stop the cycle of fur growth and replacement. You cannot prevent shedding, but you can control it.
We often look to easier, less labor-intensive solutions because, well…they’re easier! But the fact is that if you truly want to reduce the amount of fur flying around the home, you need to brush your cat. And with the right tools, it doesn’t have to be such a chore.
What Makes a Really Good Brush?
Now that your entire mindset regarding cat hair management has shifted, you might be wondering what makes a really good brush. There are a few criteria that mean the difference between a brush that will ‘do the job’ and one that will make a real difference to the amount of hair your cat ingests, how much ends up all over your house and clothing, and the overall health and condition of your cat’s skin and coat. Most cats, whether they have long or short fur, have pretty dense coats. Often, it’s the short and medium coats that are worse in terms of shedding because the shorter hair length comes away from the body more easily, while long-coated cats like Persians or Maine Coons are prone to getting knots and matted fur as the dead hair gets trapped beneath the top coat.
What you really need is a deshedding tool, not just a brush.
What Is A Deshedding Tool?
A deshedding tool reduces shedding by reaching beneath the outer coat layer and removing the dead undercoat, which is where all that hair that finds its way onto your clothes, furniture, food, etc. comes from.
As the hair from the undercoat falls out, it often gets trapped beneath the topcoat. As your cat cleans itself, they end up swallowing a lot of this hair, which is what leads to the formation of hairballs. Without proper grooming, this dead undercoat can also become matted, trap moisture against the skin, and result in skin irritation or infection. Although brushing helps remove some of this fur, most brushes aren’t the right design to get beneath the outer layer to remove the undercoat.
Deshedding tools are designed to reach and remove the dead undercoat, but many still require a lot of effort, and often damage the topcoat in the process. The trouble is that a proper deshedding tool needs to be strong enough to reach behind the undercoat, curved to pull the dead fur to the surface, and delicate enough to do this without pulling the topcoat with it.
You want a tool that:
- is lightweight
- has a comfortable handle
- has strong teeth
- is gentle on the skin
- is effective against knots
- is easy to clean
The Deshedding Brush from Refuresh doesn’t just tick all these boxes; it adds some new ones.
The Refuresh Deshedding Tool
If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a box of pet brushes, combs, and grooming tools, all purchased with great enthusiasm and optimism, all now gathering dust. The problem is that it’s really difficult to find a brush that is strong enough to get through thick or long coats that doesn’t pull the fur or skin, without needing to buy three or four different tools. If I’m going to get serious about staying on top of grooming, I need a brush that is easy to use and something my cat doesn’t run away at the sight of. Enter: Refuresh.
Not only is this brush extremely lightweight and comfortable to use, but it also has revolutionary vertical teeth that glide through the coat and eliminate tangles and knots. Unlike the single horizontal blade of some popular deshedding brushes that pull at the topcoat, or the sharp pins of deshedding combs that dig into the skin, the stainless steel vertical teeth of the Refuresh Deshedding Tool reach deep into the undercoat to pull out dead hair without damaging the topcoat. For short or medium-length coats, the teeth have a ‘double C’ shape to help pull the dead undercoat to the surface, while the tool for long coats uses an ‘L-shaped’ design.
The Refuresh Deshedding Tool also comes in a range of sizes, so if you have larger cats or – like me – also have dogs, you will be able to find the right tools for your fur family.
You can adjust the angle of the brush – something I didn’t know how much I needed until I used it – and the hair discard mechanism is powerful, but easy to use with one hand.
The Refuresh Deshedding Brush is the result of a collaboration between Australian pet groomers, pet owners, and farmers, putting a robust and rugged spin on a design that is practical, comfortable, and seriously effective. After enjoying enormous success Down Under, the team at Refuresh are very excited to be bringing a smoother grooming experience to North America.
At around $45, the Deshedding Tool from Refuresh is not the cheapest tool on the market; in fact, it may even be one of the most expensive. BUT, it might just be the last pet brush you’ll ever need to buy. Plus, it’s backed by a 2-year warranty for added peace of mind.
My Experience With the Refuresh Gentle Deshedding Tool
I share my home with five cats (plus four dogs) of varying sizes, shapes, and coat length. Pet hair management is a top priority for me, and yet something that I am constantly failing to stay on top of. I have all the expected items, including a super-powerful vacuum cleaner, an air purifier, premium hairball cat food, and clothes rollers dotted around the house like fire extinguishers.
I tried out the medium-sized tool in both the long length and the short/medium coat option. Look, I’m not gonna lie here; I was a tad disappointed when I found that the actual colors of the handles were blue and red, not the vibrant orange and teal featured on the outer packaging, but this was merely a fleeting moment of sorrow.
As you can probably guess, the long coat tool is an absolute must for long-coated cats, and I was thrilled with how well it worked on our black-haired beauty, Zelda. She has never been a big fan of being brushed, so I wasn’t setting my expectations too high. However, she seemed to actually enjoy the sensation of the long coat tool, and even tolerated the more intense action of the short/medium coat tool.
If I had to choose just one, I would say that the short/medium tool packs more of a punch when it comes to really getting to the undercoat, but in my household, having both lengths is essential. Although the small-sized brush would have been good to use on the cats, I found that the medium tool worked really well on all my pets, from the smallest Chihuahua to the 80 lb Shepherd, and all the cats in between, so I prefer the compromise of having one size but two different lengths.
The easy discard function makes it so easy to keep the hair in one place, and I recommend keeping a slightly damp cloth or bin beside you to help keep it contained, unless you happen to have a cat that is as strange as Clutch, who doesn’t mind having a vacuum cleaner nearby, or even used on him!. It’s super satisfying to see the hair pile up, thinking about how much less is going to end up strewn all over your clothes, furniture, food, and vomited up in hairballs.
On a personal note, I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right (dominant) hand just two weeks before I tried the Refuresh Deshedding Tool, so I was fully prepared to just use my left hand for this task. However, this brush is so lightweight and requires almost no effort as it glides through the coat, that I found myself using my right hand without even noticing.
WARNING: This is a Professional Grade Grooming Tool
When I first tried out the deshedding tool from Refuresh I started with my dogs, and made the mistake of assuming this was just another grooming brush. When I got to work on Kodah, my German Shepherd x Malinois, I was delighted at the amount of fur I was removing. What I didn’t realize was that the unique design of this tool meant that I had removed all the dead undercoat within the first few strokes, and was now treating him to some heavy-duty skin exfoliation. Poor Kodah never let on that there was a problem, and I felt absolutely terrible when I spotted his very sore-looking skin later that day.
This is a seriously powerful deshedding tool, and it’s obvious why professional groomers love it so much.
It would be highly unusual for a cat to allow this to happen, but just remember: this is not just any other old brush. This is a professional-grade grooming tool. Don’t make the same mistake I did!
If you’re someone who loves to spend hours brushing your cat, feeling like you’re getting nowhere, then this tool is not for you. Stick to a regular brush.
But if you and your cat would like to spend less time grooming, then the Refuresh Deshedding Tool is worth the price.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where can I buy it?
The Refuresh Deshedding Brush is available in selected stores across the United States, as well as on Amazon.
Can I use it on my dog?
Absolutely. The deshedding tool comes in small, medium, and large sizes, and two coat lengths: short/medium and long. I used both lengths on my dogs with amazing results.
You can read more about my experience using the Refuresh Deshedding Tool on my canine family HERE.
Do I need a special technique?
No special technique needed, but because this is a highly effective tool, you’ll likely need less effort and fewer strokes than you would with an ordinary brush. The Refuresh Deshedding Tool should only be used on clean, dry fur. It is designed to glide through the healthy topcoat to remove the loose undercoat, so it only needs light pressure.
Will it damage the coat or skin?
Only if you make the same mistake I did!
The unique design of the teeth on the Refuresh Deshedding Tool allows it to remove loose undercoat without affecting the topcoat. In most cases, it takes only a couple of strokes to remove the dead undercoat, and excessive brushing can lead to irritation.
Is there a warranty?
Refuresh offers a 24-month warranty that covers any defects or malfunctions of the brush that occur due to manufacturing faults or material defects. This warranty does not cover damage or issues resulting from misuse, improper handling, unauthorized repairs, or modifications.
Final Thoughts
I don’t know about you, but I have much better things to do with my time than spend hours brushing my cats, and my cats certainly prefer to do just about anything besides being coaxed and coddled into a grooming session. The Refuresh Deshedding Tool is most definitely a professional-grade grooming instrument that makes coat maintenance a breeze, allowing you to remove dead hair from your cat’s coat quickly and easily, leaving you with more free time and less cat hair invading every aspect of your life. Healthier coat, healthier cat, healthier you.
