Grooming a Ragamuffin's thick coat

A Ragamuffin's coat is in a category of its own — that dense, plush bunny-like texture isn't just thick on top, it goes all the way down, and standard slickers or pin brushes skate right over the surface without touching the undercoat where mats actually form. The difference between a coat that stays beautiful and one that turns into a felt blanket is almost always the right tool used consistently — and the wrong brush on a coat like this actively makes things worse by giving you the illusion of progress. Tell me a bit more: how old is your Ragamuffin, how often are you currently grooming, and is matting already showing up anywhere?

That tracks exactly — a standard slicker on a Ragamuffin coat is like raking a gravel path and wondering why you're not reaching the soil underneath. The armpit and behind-the-ear spots are classic first-mat locations because those areas flex and rub constantly. Before I point you to the right brush, one quick question: is she generally cooperative for grooming, or does she get restless? That affects whether I'd suggest working in shorter, more frequent sessions or leaning into a deeper tool she needs to sit still for.

That's a real advantage with a coat like hers. For a Ragamuffin with that volume and density, the one tool that consistently works where others don't is the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush — the large size. Don't let the name fool you, it's nothing like the flat pet-shop slicker you've been using. The pins are longer, set in a curved ergonomic head, and spaced to actually flex through dense coat rather than ride on top of it. Professional groomers use it specifically on thick, plush breeds because it lifts and separates the coat at the root without pulling. Used on a tolerant cat like yours, two or three times a week, it will get into those undercoat layers where mats are forming and keep them broken up before they tighten. It's not cheap — around £35 to £45 on Amazon UK — but it's a tool that genuinely lasts years and does the job properly rather than giving you false reassurance.

Yes — don't go straight at the existing mats with the Big G, that will pull and put her off the whole experience. Pick up a mat splitter or a seam ripper first and work the mat apart in sections from the outside in, holding the fur at the base near the skin so you're not yanking. Once the mat is broken into smaller pieces, the Big G can clear the residue. For anything tight and close to the skin behind the ears or in the armpit, if you can't get a comb between the mat and skin comfortably, have a groomer remove those first — it's a ten-minute job for them and saves you the stress. Once you're starting fresh with the right brush, staying on top of it becomes much easier.

That's exactly the right order to do it. Once the existing mats are gone and you're using the Big G consistently, you'll notice within a few weeks that the coat has a completely different texture — lighter, airier, and far less prone to clumping. Ragamuffins in good coat are genuinely stunning, and yours sounds like she's got the temperament to make regular grooming easy once the tool actually matches the coat.