Moo's coat is somewhere between medium and long. Although I groom him daily, he still sheds a lot of hair. His vet says that Moo's healthy and his skin is in good condition so that's not the problem. There is a mobile cat groomer in town that does hair cuts. Hopefully that would help the problem. Has anyone here ever had their cat's coat trimmed? I'm on the fence about this but would appreciate some guidance.
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Hair cuts for cats?
- Thread starter zcb
- Start Date
Shedding is a consequence of hair growth.
If hair grows, it will eventually shed no matter how long or short it has been cut. You will simply end up with shorter shed hair.
Hair grows through three phases: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.
Anagen phase is where the hairs grow from the follicle.
Catagen phase is where the hair follicles rest and regenerate after the growth phase.
Telogen phase is where the hairs are shed and fall out.
This cycle repeats, ad infinitum. The length of the cat’s coat is controlled by the length of the Anagen phase. The amount and speed of shedding is controlled by the time it takes hair to transition from Catagen to Telogen phase. The faster the transition, the more shedding.
In the winter, the Catagen phase is longer and it is shorter in summer.
You can cut hair shorter but it will still fall out when it reaches Telogen phase.
The length of the phases is controlled by genetics. If you never cut a human’s hair it will eventually grow to a maximum length then fall out. The concept of
Rapunzel, a woman whose hair grows to extreme length is nothing more than a fable. Most people’s hair will grow to a maximum length between the shoulders and waist then it will just stop growing. A few people might be able to grow ankle length hair but they are in the minority.
If you look in your shower drain, you should still find the same number of hairs, just longer or shorter, depending on when you got your last haircut.
The same things apply to your cat.
If you like having your cat’s hair short because it is easier to take care of or if you like the look, go ahead and get your cat groomed.
Maybe shorter hair would be easier to clean up. Maybe it won’t clog the vacuum so much. Maybe you won’t end up going, “P-f-fff!” so much when cat hair get in your face. Maybe you won’t see so much cat hair on your clothes.
The hair might be shorter and it might be less bothersome but there will still be the same amount.
Bottom line.... It’s up to you and whether you think your cat will tolerate being groomed by a stranger.
If hair grows, it will eventually shed no matter how long or short it has been cut. You will simply end up with shorter shed hair.
Hair grows through three phases: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.
Anagen phase is where the hairs grow from the follicle.
Catagen phase is where the hair follicles rest and regenerate after the growth phase.
Telogen phase is where the hairs are shed and fall out.
This cycle repeats, ad infinitum. The length of the cat’s coat is controlled by the length of the Anagen phase. The amount and speed of shedding is controlled by the time it takes hair to transition from Catagen to Telogen phase. The faster the transition, the more shedding.
In the winter, the Catagen phase is longer and it is shorter in summer.
You can cut hair shorter but it will still fall out when it reaches Telogen phase.
The length of the phases is controlled by genetics. If you never cut a human’s hair it will eventually grow to a maximum length then fall out. The concept of
Rapunzel, a woman whose hair grows to extreme length is nothing more than a fable. Most people’s hair will grow to a maximum length between the shoulders and waist then it will just stop growing. A few people might be able to grow ankle length hair but they are in the minority.
If you look in your shower drain, you should still find the same number of hairs, just longer or shorter, depending on when you got your last haircut.
The same things apply to your cat.
If you like having your cat’s hair short because it is easier to take care of or if you like the look, go ahead and get your cat groomed.
Maybe shorter hair would be easier to clean up. Maybe it won’t clog the vacuum so much. Maybe you won’t end up going, “P-f-fff!” so much when cat hair get in your face. Maybe you won’t see so much cat hair on your clothes.
The hair might be shorter and it might be less bothersome but there will still be the same amount.
Bottom line.... It’s up to you and whether you think your cat will tolerate being groomed by a stranger.
