The longer my Persian kitty boys’ hair grows, the more they need brushing. Dougy generally love, love, loves it, and will hop up on his ottoman to be brushed when I pat the ottoman three times.
I usually catch mats early enough that I can pull them apart with my fingers, then brush out the spot to get any loose hair. Sometimes, though, I miss the mat and snag it with my steel-toothed grooming comb. That upsets Dougy, reasonably enough! See his tail after the latest “incident”!