Products We Like...Zoom Groom

Update 11/27/2009: All products were purchased by us and no compensation was received for this review. Please see our Disclaimers and Disclosures for details.

My cats love these soft rubber finger brushes. You can find them at the local pet stores for about $4 or online stores such as Amazon.com. Most cats (and dogs) love them, making routine grooming and brushing a treat, not a chore. I have seen and tried some of the other rubber brushes, but the Kong® Zoom Groom is still a favorite with my cats.
• Soft rubber teeth that gently massage the skin and stimulate the skin natural oil production.
• Get the undercoat without irritating the skin with stiff pointy steel extensions.
• Not hard or rough over the bony spines of old cats and dogs (big plus for our geriatric cats) or skinny pet. Also great for very short coat dogs.
• Brush nicely fits in the palm of your hand (may not be true if you have big hands).
• Flexible brush allows it to bend to the body contours i.e. necks, jaws, behind the knees.
• Easy to clean. Pull off the clump of hair. Wash brush with soap and dry. We have disinfected ours with diluted bleach without any problems.

Disadvantages of the Kong® Zoom Groom:
• Not a flea comb.
• Not good at getting matts out --- the rubber fingers are not firm enough. Routine brushing can minimize matts but once matts are there, use a different comb to get them out.
• Certain hair types will not stick to the brush as easily as others. May need to clean up / vacuum the loose hair after brushing. See below for tips to minimize this problem.

Kong® Zoom Groom Tips:
• To minimize hair flying all over the place, wet the brush before use. Run it quickly under the faucet and shake out the water. The wetness reduces the fly-a-ways and static shock. Also makes it easier to stick some of the hair back on the brush.
• Put some of the hair that flies off the brush in the beginning back on the brush. This may help the rest of the hair stick better to the brush.

I use the Zoom Groom on Elaine also, but it’s the biggest hit with my cats. I can tell you all the reasons why routine brushing is good for your cats. It’s supposed to be a pleasant experience for them (and you). Another big side benefit is the built-in frequent checks for lumps and bumps on their body. But if they hate the brushing, you are not going to do it. Enjoyable brushing experiences translate to frequent routine brushing which, among other things, can lead to better coats and less hairball.

Do you have any pet grooming tips to share?