My friend Angie rescued a black Persian from a household where nobody did take care of his fur (a neighbour of her was asked to catsit him and as the neighbor saw in which state little Kaiser, 2 years old was -he could hardly walk because of knots bewtween his legs, he asked Angie for help and she just took the cat with her -the original owners would not want him back and would never had got him back, because Angie has lots of red hair and the corresponding character ;-) ).
So little Kaiser did not like the brush at all because he wasn't used to it. Now he gets shaved (by the vet) every spring when the days get warmer -looks a little crazy first but he feels perfectly comfortable and can move very well, climbs trees and fences and has no problem with his looks.
Neko: fyi Kaiser has an adopted sister who is a sorrel Aby girl with emerald green eyes.