Jonatan is our majestic Norwegian Forest Cat. His coat is absolutely stunning – thick, water-resistant, and with a dense, long undercoat.
But with great beauty comes great grooming responsibility! When Jonatan’s been outside, he often brings half the forest home with him – twigs, heather, and leaves get stuck in his fur, and if we don’t brush them out right away, tangles form fast.
We try to brush him a couple of times a week, using a wide-tooth comb to loosen any knots before they tighten. He actually enjoys the attention, as long as we’re gentle – otherwise, we get that look only a Forest Cat can give.
Jesper is a house cat, and house cats can have any kind of coat – short, long, thick, thin… a real mix of everything.
Jesper’s coat is long, but not among the very longest. His undercoat isn’t especially thick, so a quick brushing every now and then is enough.
Now that he’s a senior cat, he spends more time indoors, and his undercoat has thinned out with age.
We mostly brush him to remove loose hair and reduce hairballs, and he absolutely loves it – it’s become part of our cuddle routine.
Kasper is also a house cat, but with long hair and an incredibly dense undercoat. It’s so thick it almost feels like a mix between a musk ox and a house cat!
His undercoat is nearly as long as his guard hairs, which makes it a very demanding coat to maintain.
He simply can’t manage it all himself – tangles and mats form just from him turning around on the porch.
After one walk in the garden, he comes back dragging half the forest with him.
If he ever went missing, I’m pretty sure it would only take a few weeks before the entire cat was one big tangle!
Kasper also needs regular trimming and shaving around his backside, so things don’t get… messy back there.
To make grooming easier, we bathe him occasionally with shampoo and conditioner, and use detangling spray between baths.
We thin out his undercoat quite a lot, especially during shedding season, using both a dematting knife and scissors. We also shorten his “pants” and other fluffy areas as needed.
This doesn’t just prevent mats – it also helps reduce hairballs and makes it easier for the cats to groom themselves.
He’s not always thrilled about bath time, but with treats and patience, we make it work.
Video: 3 katter, 3 varianter underull
With three long-haired cats, it’s fair to say we have more than enough fur in the house already.
So when it came to choosing a dog, we made a very deliberate decision: he had to be short-haired and easy to maintain – and we definitely don’t regret it!
His DNA test even showed that he’s genetically perfect for our home.
He’s predisposed to shed very little, thanks to the MC5R gene, which regulates oil production and how tightly the hair is anchored in the follicle.
He has two copies of the sd/sd variant, which means his hair holds on extra tight – so he sheds even less than most dogs.
In short – while the cats leave hair in the air, on clothes, on the bed, and probably in our coffee too, the dog hair stays right where it belongs: on the dog!
He fits right in.
Three cats, three coat types – and three completely different grooming needs.
From Jonatan’s forest coat that catches everything nature has to offer, to Jesper’s easy-care senior fur, and Kasper’s dense “musk-ox fluff” – each one needs their own approach.
Start grooming early, especially if your cat is young.
Don’t pull or tug at mats – it hurts! Use scissors to carefully cut them out instead.
The sooner a tangle is removed, the smaller and easier it will be to deal with.
A little grooming often is better than a lot of grooming once in a while.
And most importantly: make it a cozy bonding time – not a battle!
And yes – the vacuum cleaner definitely gets a workout, but that’s just part of the charm of living with cats!
(Though yes, we do dream of getting a robot vacuum… we’re just a bit hesitant in case it decides to swallow a few hairballs along the way!)
