Best Ragdoll Cat Grooming Tools for New Owners

As Ragdoll Cat owners, it is ingrained in us to groom daily or regularly. But, it’s not as simple as running a random brush or comb through their fur. With haphazard grooming like that, mats and knots still form, causing irritated skin and a bad, “catty,” attitude!

What you need are a few types of brushes and other items. Here’s my list of the best Ragdoll Cat grooming tools you must have in your arsenal to get your Ragdoll feeling and looking super fresh.

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Best Daily Brush

Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush

To keep your Ragdoll Cat’s fur looking and feeling great on the daily, use a slicker brush. It sets the stage for a good relationship with grooming because it’s low-impact and provides a wealth of benefits.

These include removing dust and debris, light detangling and removing loose fur (like silk), plus fluffing up and fur and spreading its natural oils across its fur.

The Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush is one of the best overall for its great price, performance, and its unique self-cleaning ability.

Widely space wire teeth are deep so it can really get into the coat and undercoat to sort things out. With a soft easy ergonomic grip, this brush can effectively brush your Ragdoll and is easy to control.

This brush also features a self-cleaning mechanism which is great for making clean-up easy and quick.

Slicker brushes are known for their performance, but due to the tall bristles, cleaning has always been messy – until now!

Pros:

• Self-cleaning function and retractable bristles
• Comfort-grip
• Stress-free for cats
• Ragdoll Cat sized

Cons:

• Deep teeth may occasionally lightly contact skin

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Runner Up Daily Brush

Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Cats

The Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Cats is a grooming tool that is similar our best overall – just a tad smaller and lighter. This makes it an ideal choice for Ragdoll Cat kittens or teens.

The biggest difference between the two is size. The Safari is a bout 2/3 smaller which means you’ll need to do a few more passes with it to completely brush your Ragdoll.

This Safari model, like its Hertzko bigger brother, is awesome in light detangling, remove loose fur, and really deep brushing all the way down into the undercoat. The self-cleaning function is also on this one!

It’s our runner-up Ragdoll Cat grooming tool because it’s a bit smaller than our best pick, but it still offers effective grooming and may even offer even better control with its comfort-grip.

Pros:

• Self-cleaning function and retractable bristles
• Comfort-grip
• Stress-free for cats
• Ragdoll Cat kitten sized

Cons:

• Deep teeth may occasionally lightly scratch skin

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Best Deshedding Brush

The Furminator Longhair deShedding Tool for Large Cats

About twice a week, after using the slicker brush, it’s time for a deshedding session. This can be a bit more involved when it comes to cooperation from your Ragdoll Cat, since it’s targeting the undercoat specifically.

That is why it’s best to reach for the best deshedding tool in the business and not waste any swipes of your brush.

Furminator has a history for being a trusted brand when it comes to undercoat maintenance. This Longhair deShedding Tool for Large Cats, specifically designed for large cats with long hair, terminates a ridiculous amount of undercoat

This Ragdoll Cat grooming tool will leave your Ragdoll so much more cooler, lighter, not as weighed down, and all together happier. your Ragdoll will be extra grateful in the summer and spring, when their undercoat naturally sheds more.

Plus, you are actually preventing mats, tangles the loose fur is gone before it can form. Same with hairballs!

Furminator is a pro-sumer level grooming tool with great build quality, solid heft, and tightly packed stainless steel teeth. Get the original – cheap copies have teeth purported to bend.

Pros:

• Removes the most fur with each swipe
• Original brand, high quality construction
• Specifically made for long-haired cats
• Self-cleaning

Cons:

• Can be easy to create bald spots if not careful
• Premium price

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Best Budget Deshedding

Coastal Pet Safari Shedding Comb

This Coastal Pet Safari shedding comb is a great alternative for Ragdoll Cat owners not into paying the premium price for the brand name Furminator.

The Coastal Safari model performs almost as well as the Furminator, but accomplishes it via a set of alternating teeth, one short and one long. These teeth attack the top and undercoat, as you brush.

Like the Furminator, you will be amazed at the fur you remove with this tool, thereby preventing mats, knots, and hairballs down the road.

Note this is not considered a downgrade vs the Furminator.

Shedding combs like this are recommended by old school breeders and groomers for being light, nimble, and easy to work with. When brushing areas like the belly, back of legs, an armpit, you’ll be grateful for it!

The teeth on this comb have blunt ends, meaning there’s little chance of you scratching your Ragdoll Cat’s skin as you go at it.

Finally, you will need to clean this comb manually, but that whole time you’ll be holding that comfortable wooden handle.

Pros:

• Elegant and efficient
• Inexpensive
• Quality stainless steel teeth with blunt ends

Cons:

• Clean-up is manual

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Best Clippers for Ragdoll Cats

Simply Pets Online Cat Nail Clippers

There are all sorts of nail clippers out there, but the best one for our needs is the Simply Pets Online Cat Nail Clippers. A lot on the market are aimed at dogs, and will end up being too large for your Ragdoll Cat.

The last thing you want to do is trim too much of the nail as you’d be drawing blood!

So besides being designed especially for cats, it was designed by two veterinarians who made sure you’d never hurt their own cats… and they use it in their own cat clinics.

The blades are made from stainless steel which means they should remain sharp. This is essential as it makes for a stress-free, easy clipping experience. Less than sharp blades may not cut it the first snip or even split the nail.

It also features a comfortable grip. This allows you to safely and easily maneuver the clippers while positioning your Ragdoll Cat’s paws for a quick, easy snip.

This pair of clippers reaches is one of the best Ragdoll Cat grooming tools because of its veterinarian-backed, cat-specific design that make clipping nails easier than ever.

Pros:

• Designed by two veterinarians and used in their clinic
• Sharp stainless steel blades
• Comfort-grip and scissor design

Cons:

• Nail clipping is not for everybody

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Best Shampoo for Ragdoll Cats

Pets Are Kids Too Pet Oatmeal Anti-Itch Shampoo & Conditioner In One

If your Ragdoll Cat can tolerate it, a bath and good shampooing does the same thing as brushing and grooming. It removes dirt, grime and debris, as well as oil, smells, other random things from their coat.

(I apologize for explaining the benefits of a bath!)

That shampoo should be Pets Are Kids Too Pet Oatmeal Anti-Itch Shampoo & Conditioner In One. It reaches the top spot because of its top quality ingredients, and more importantly, the ingredients it does not contain.

I suffer from eczema and my skin reacts to all sort of gnarly thing, including common chemicals and ingredients in all sorts of everyday products. Because of that, I have become a label inspector.

And on further inspection, you’ll see the ingredients in this shampoo are quite good. To comfort and nourish skin and fur, it contains:

• aloe
• baking soda
• oatmeal

Their all natural, made in the USA-formula is vegan and hypoallergenic (hooray), with antibacterial and antifungal properties. All of which means this product is a Good Thing for the health of your pet and health of the planet.

Note also that Pets Are Kids Too Pet Oatmeal Shampoo & Conditioner does not contain sulfates, detergents, alcohol, and toxic ingredients – all things that can dry out and irritate your Ragdoll’s skin.

Users report their pets fur is so soft and shiny after use, with a great light scent that lasts.

Pros:

• All Natural, Made in the USA, vegan, hypoallergenic
• Free from industrial detergents and harsh ingredients
• Soothes skin and fur
• Great scent

Cons:

• Some pet’s skin may still react to ingredients

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How to Choose Your Ragdoll Cat Grooming Tools

Get the Right Tool

Grooming a Ragdoll Cat isn’t as simple as just running any brush over their fur. Our furry buddies require multiple brushes because of their extraordinary 2 layer coat.

The Slicker Brush
One of the first purchases you should make is a slicker brush. This brush has wide teeth teeth and is accepted by most cats.

It’s a quick way to get in more daily brushing time, and it gets your Ragdoll used to grooming. It’s an essential Ragdoll Cat grooming tool.

The Deshedding Brush
You’ll also need a deshedding tool to help remove loose-but-not-shedding undercoat your Ragdoll Cat possesses. You’ll only need to de-shed twice a week, but the sessions are a bit more vigorous.

Only do this after you have brushed with a slicker brush.

Dematting a Ragdoll Cat
Last is a dematting brush for when loose undercoat gets tangled and form a knots of mats. It’s able to remove mats due to its sharper edge that can cut or shear out portions.

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Always try to brush out these messes before attempting to cut.

Ragdoll Cat Grooming Tools Consider your Ragdoll’s Comfort
Ragdoll Cat grooming tools need to be comfortable to them. You’ll likely discover that there are tons of different styles for each type of brush.

Some brush styles use teeth that are fine and closely packed together. Others have teeth that are further spaced out. Each cat will tolerate different levels of pulling on their fur.

Ragdoll cats will definitely let you know if they don’t like something. To ensure your Ragdoll develops a good relationship to grooming time, only use the tools your Ragdoll responds to the best – even if it’s not the most “efficient.”

The best grooming is the grooming that is actually done!

Simple Clean-Up
One last aspect to consider for choosing the best kind of Ragdoll Cat grooming tool is how easy it is to clean up.

Some have easy cleaning features. Others require you to pull the hair off yourself. Considering how much fur you’re going to be removing on a regulatr basis, a tool that offers the easiest clean-up for you ideal.

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Your Ragdoll Cat’s Coat

A Ragdoll Cat’s coat is made of their regular coat, and a thicker, denser undercoat. A major reason why we love these cats, grooming is also a non-negotiable part of owning one of these cats.

When we brush the coat with a slicker brush, we rid it of dust and debris, light tangles and loose fur, and are also spreading healthy oils around. This is on top of making the fur extra fluffy and looking nice!

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Your Ragdoll Cat’s Undercoat

A big portion of your Ragdoll’s fur is the undercoat. This is the insulating part of their coat and thins out or gets thicker depending on seasons. Taking care of the undercoat is mainly about detangling and removing loose undercoat.

Undercoat is also the fur laying around your house. If you’re constantly seeing cat’s fur on your bed, clothes, or carpet, then frequent deshedding is necessary.

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The Best Way to Groom Your Ragdoll Cat

Begin with the slicker brush. Not only does this help keep the coat looking pretty, it also removes dirt, oil, and any other kind of grime sticking to your Ragdoll’s fur. If done daily, then your Ragdoll shouldn’t experience any kind of discomfort.

Twice a week, after brushing, you’ll want to break out the deshedding tool. Unlike a slicker brush, the deshedding brush has teeth that are close together. This helps it reach the undercoat. If there’s any loose fur, then the tool will get rid of it.

Sporadically, if you find your Ragdoll Cat is matted, then it’s time the de-matting brush. Carefully run the de-matting brush through the tangle. You’ll want to go slowly and carefully in order to not cause distress to your Ragdoll Cat.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you groom a Ragdoll Cat?
Gather the best Ragdoll Cat grooming tools I’ve listed above. The first thing you should take care of is their claws. These should be clipped every two weeks.

Brushing with the slicker brush should happen at least three times a week. You’ll also want to use the deshedding tool once or twice a week.

It’s also important to bathe your Ragdoll occasionally (if they can deal with it). If not, take them to see a professional groomer every quarter for a full make over!

What is the best brush for a Ragdoll Cat?
Due to their long hair, you’ll need a few different brushes to properly groom your Ragdoll Cat. The first is a slicker brush that takes care of the top coat. It can be used to rake through your Ragdoll’s fur to make it fluffier.

A deshedding tool or comb is the next brush you’ll need. It will take care of the undercoat.

Lastly is a dematting brush, should they develop mats.

How often should you bathe a Ragdoll Cat?
You should bathe your Ragdoll Cat every month or few months. Bathing does a lot of what brushing does, but also degreases and removes dander. Finally, sign your Ragdoll up for a visit to the professional groomer every few months as well.