Poor Kitty - Russian Salon Turns Cats into Dragons

JTbo said:

Sometimes I think there would need to be tests that should be passed before having right to have a pet.

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 I totally agree.

I wonder if there is any harm in doing these things to cats, after all, I remember reading something about warning people against using Koolaid to dye cats.  I honestly have to plead ignorant about any side effects of the dyes used.  Full body make up has made humans sick before, so I wonder what it could do to a cat.  In any case, the whole thing just seems silly.

peaches08 said:

 
I wonder if there is any harm in doing these things to cats, after all, I remember reading something about warning people against using Koolaid to dye cats.  I honestly have to plead ignorant about any side effects of the dyes used.  Full body make up has made humans sick before, so I wonder what it could do to a cat.  In any case, the whole thing just seems silly.

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without taking into consideration any physical side effects this would cause the cat...

and..taking into consideration how most cats are usually when you try to brush or groom them, clip their claws, or anything else that requires either holding down your cat for a long period of time..or doing something on your cat that causes it STRESS..

Stress for cats lead to so many illnesses. Not just cats even humans too. but why put your cat through that stress that could manifest or lead to a bigger issue?

i wonder why people would put their cats through that?? or animals for that matter...animals are animals. they are not plush toys. goes for cats and dogs and that's just how i feel about it. If you wanna "change things up" buy a kitty or a puppy outfit. Something removable. i don't know

I think outfits are more stressful for an animal than creative grooming. Cats and dogs who need routine grooming ought to be used to it or even enjoy it, so taking a little extra time shouldn't be any more stressful. Seriously, I don't see a problem with it :dk:. There are a lot of things I think are silly but that doesn't make them harmful.

I don't think the cat is suffering or anything. The costume looks comfortable, food coloring is safe, and one could apply it with a simple hairbrush. It's a bit silly, but it's not abusive.

The cat seems good-natured, too. There'd be no keeping the costume on a cat with any kind of attitude.

I put this in the same category as "cat in a halloween costume".... silly, annoying, a bit patronizing, but ehh, it's not something I'm going to worry about because in the end it doesn't hurt the cat. At worst, the cat is annoyed.

Callista,  that isn't a costume - it's the way they cut and colored it's fur. Did you watch the video, and see the bumblebee dog also?

Although, I agree with all your points.  

I agree that stress can cause health problems, but I wonder if this cat is really that stressed?  I mean, we have members here that have to bathe their cats for cat shows...are they stressing those cats out?  I had a show dog (WKC bred Samoyed stud) that THRIVED in competition.  He loved bath time!  He didn't mind the chalking either.  Once in retirement, he got hot easily here in GA so we lion clipped him.  He was like a little kid showing off his new cut to the other dogs.  I certainly agree that competition and even these clips aren't for every animal though.  I can't clip my cats claws, they freak out.  I also don't need to clip their claws, so it works out just fine for my crew.

As far as costumes, I can't help but to think of the chick that posts videos of her cat and dog while the cat rides a vacuum cleaner.  It's silly, but I LMBO every time I watch it.  No one looks distressed in those videos, even the duck that just jumps out of the way of the cat taking swats at everybody when it passes by on the vacuum cleaner.

Humans have suffered illness from full body makeup, but it's pretty rare.  That was my only concern with regards to the food coloring.  Just because it's food coloring, that doesn't mean there aren't limits.  But again I have to plead ignorant here and I only bring it up because you wouldn't think full body makeup is harmful either.

I just hope that the kitty is looked after with regards to getting cold after a cut like this.  That's my biggest concern.  Having money to do something doesn't mean having sense to go with it.  Hopefully the cat has clothes since it gets pretty cold in Russia.

Oh my gosh. I have such mixed reactions towards this.

Awesome Work-

Just because it is cruel to a person does not mean that no effort was put forward into the grooming. Even counted as cruel in my book, the work they did was a lot (And the cat does look kind of cool...   

Despair-

Looking in that cat's eyes, I can see one thing. Despair. It does not like it's coat green, nor does it like it's shaved up fur. I feel pity... 

Overall, I have to say, amazing art, but it is obviously cruel to do something to someone without their consent. 

We used to have a pedigreed long-haired dachshund that we'd adopted from a shelter.  She'd been a show dog, and hadn't taken well to it, which was why her former owners abandoned her to a shelter (and not a no-kill shelter, either).  We had to change her name because she cringed when we called her by her show name.

Okay, obviously her former owners didn't treat her well, or care at all about her well-being, but I've always felt leery of dog and cat shows as a result of this.

In my not-so-humble opinion, this haircut and dye job verges on abuse.  Much like our long-haired dachshund, this animal's humans obviously don't love it for itself, or they wouldn't do something like this to it.

And I'm seriously concerned about what kind of dye they used.  There is so much potential for danger there.  I don't trust anyone who would do this to an animal.

Margret

There are some dog breeds that do need trimming, the bichon is one that comes to mind.  I know the old wives tale about their fur will just keep growing isn't true but their fur can get very difficult to keep combed out and clean.  Some of the long haired kitties with a thick undercoat that have chronic digestive issues need to get lion cuts to reduce the amount of hair that they swallow.  They don't need weird cuts and colors though.

this animal's humans obviously don't love it for itself, or they wouldn't do something like this to it.

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Do you really feel this way? I find such thinking puzzling. In my mind, if someone needs a haircut you might as well have some fun with it. As I said, if I had a pet who needed grooming I would certainly take advantage of creative grooming now and then, and I definitely feel as though I would still love the pet for him/herself.

I fell like calling creative grooming "cruelty" or "abuse" cheapens the words. Such outrage should be reserved for things that are actually harmful.

I don't feel like the cat looks distressed or despairing either. He just looks curious to me---it looks like they're waving a toy around to make him pose for the camera :dk:.

It may not be cruel in the sense of true physical harm, but I'm not sold on the idea that cats and dogs aren't self aware enough to be disturbed by this kind of extreme.  For example, did you know that some animals are "color prejudiced"?  Maltese are notorious for reacting badly to other dogs that are too dark.  I know this from personal experience.

I understand that show animals are trained to accept grooming and handling, so perhaps this kitty has been through this before and is accustomed to that kind of treatment.  But the end result is a far cry from how a show cat would be presented. 

Hopefully that cat is an "only child", because I can't even imagine how other animals would react to it.

I don't see why this would upset a cat any more than the thorough brushing that longhairs need. Tiny and Christy both let me clip their claws, and Christy lets me wipe her face. Neither of them like it, but they're not traumatized. I still think that the worst they are doing here is mildly annoying an evidently good-tempered cat. Its whiskers are down and its eyes are not wide; it's sitting still with its tail curled round--that's a relaxed cat, not an edgy anxious one. They would never have been able to clip the cat's coat into such a precise pattern or draw the stripes on if the cat weren't used to sitting still for haircuts and willing to do so.

Not that I'd recommend it, but they're not hurting the cat. If I want to get mad at something that someone's doing to a cat, I can look out my window at the campus ferals, descendents of cats that were dumped by students and yuppies who left their cats behind when they moved. And those are the descendents of the survivors. Many dumped cats don't survive long enough for me or another cat person to find them and help them.

I can't imagine this cat didn't / doesn't freak out when she looks at her own tail/paws/whatever other part of herself, and notices it's bright green. Green happens to be the color cats are most sensitive too. They see green in more shades than any other color and more vividly. Also, I guess it could "hurt" her feeling of safety, as in: she she knows she is not really.. camouflaged anymore.

In any case, she must KNOW that she looks different and that it's a horrible green color.

That being said, I do agree, there are worse things people do to animals. It's reversible, the stuff used is not poisonous and the cat seems to be undergoing it with grace, she's probably used to it.

It's a beautiful cat. I think they really did her no service by turning her into this ugly thing.

But what's most important is, WHY? Why would you do this to a cat. EVEN if it doesn't hurt them. The cat didn't have a choice. You can never know what goes on inside their heads. You cannot force a human onto a chair and paint/shave/groom them, unless they give you permission. Cats cannot give permission. I think it's weird and I would never do it to any animal.

If you get right down to it, cats can't give permission for anything. Not being spayed/neutered, not being kept inside, not peeing in a litterbox. Those are extremely unnatural things we "force" on them. Some cats need haircuts because we've bred them to have ridiculously thick coats they can't care for themselves. So haircuts are already "forced" upon them. A slightly different haircut. . .I really don't think makes a difference.

As for "why", why do humans do anything with animals? At least this one is harmless, unlike certain human amusements involving animals.

Willowy said:

If you get right down to it, cats can't give permission for anything. Not being spayed/neutered, not being kept inside, not peeing in a litterbox. Those are extremely unnatural things we "force" on them. Some cats need haircuts because we've bred them to have ridiculously thick coats they can't care for themselves. So haircuts are already "forced" upon them. A slightly different haircut. . .I really don't think makes a difference.

As for "why", why do humans do anything with animals? At least this one is harmless, unlike certain human amusements involving animals.

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There is one difference you fail to mention, though. When we spay/neuter them, it saves them future problems (cancers, huge amounts of litters, suffering if they are indoor cats and go into heat all the time, etc). When we keep them inside, it's usually for a reason (over here, for instance, it's not allowed, due to bird species and such, and they will be caught by animal control and brought back inside. In other parts it's because of the danger they are in outside). When we shave their coat for medical reasons, it's to help them. Having them pee in a litter box, well. I guess it's more healthy for everyone, including the cat, if pee and faeces are not spread through the house. There are reasons for those. Most people make decisions for their cats for the GOOD of their cats, and yes they cannot give permission, but we have a good reason and it's in their best interest under the current circumstances.

But this green, ridiculous make-over. What reason do we have? How is this good for the pet? What does it add to her life? Does it save her from illness? Does it save her suffering in the future? Does it have any other value except for our amusement?

Just to be clear: I have the same opinions concerning those ridiculous outfits people put on their pets, or the ridiculous positions they force them in for pictures, or more such things.

There are a lot of breeds of cats and dogs that need to be regularly groomed and trimmed. It helps them stay healthy and comfortable. I don't have a problem with that, or with people having their pets bathed and groomed before a show, or with sanitary shaves and lion shaves if that's what it takes to keep the cat clean and their guardians allergies under control.

What bothers me about the dragon kitty is that it's been cut and coloured this way just to make it look amusing. There is nothing about this that is beneficial to the cat. The cat has been treated as if he or she is an accessory and I find that worrying. It's the same sense of unease I get when I see women with those tiny little dogs being carried around in their designer hand bags. The animal is just there as a kind of ornament and you know the poor thing is going to be turned over to a shelter as soon as he or she starts peeing on the floor or snapping at people. Buy the designer hand bag if you like, but designer pets that are just there as a gimmick or because they are fashionable are a bad idea. All animals need a lot of time and effort invested in their well being and this dragon cut does nothing for this poor cat at all.

So I wouldn't go as far as to call it animal abuse but it does show a worrying disregard for the cat as an animal, rather than an accessory. It looks ridiculous and it's a waste of money. If you have spare money to spend on your cat treat it to some high quality gourmet food or a cat tree. something he or she can enjoy.

Better yet, donate that money to a shelter to help cats that are less fortunate than your own. Maybe you won't get as much attention from people, but inside you'll feel really good.

Ah Norachan has more talent when it comes to putting things into words. It's basically what I meant as well. 

I don't think that it has been best thing from us humans to make animal breeds that have features for looks that cause them constant bother, like needing constant eye drops and such.

One should put him/herself into position of animal, what kind of life it would be when eyes dry, legs fail, coats are in need of constant repairing? I think it is similar to be constantly like elder people in poor shape needing constant monitoring and healthcare, few of those old people will enjoy from it, why animal would?

Making animal looking from what animal is not, has short distance from such breeding.

Biggest problem is attitude, not respecting animal as an animal but treating it as ornament/toy.

When one does similar level thing to elderly people in retirement house without asking their permission, he/she can do it to animal, that should not be any different matter, but for many that would be completely outrageous thing to do while doing such to animal is not.

Neutering of cats is of course thing of altering what animal is, we do that so that there would be less suffering cats, as our other actions have made conditions such that natural methods of population control are no longer working well.

It is not of course ideal thing to do, but it is consequence of our actions.

What consequences we want for breeding and these making cat to look like a toy -actions? Do we accept such and ignore consequences as we have done before or should it be time to start taking life seriously and respecting all forms of life as they are?

Every action has some consequence, what I wish is that such would be thought before the action and bit larger scope than one's personal circle, that way I think human kind could take turn to better.

I personally may not like the idea of an animal having its fur/hair dyed, especially cats considering how much they lick themselves, but I'm not totally against it. I don't agree with the comment above stating humans must not love their animal companions if they feel the need to change the animals looks. Would you say a parent doesn't love their child because they have their hair cut...no, I don't think you would.