Shaving cats?

[chloe16]

I have never owned a long haired cat/dog. So I really an clueless when it comes to this. I hear its okay to shave a cat for the summer and I hear its not okay.

So, I was thinking about shaving Riot for the summer as we rarely turn the air on and I found last year he was always panting. Should I or should I not?

 

[stephanietx]

I have no personal experience with this, but my neighbor has her long haired kitty shaved every summer because it gets so hot here.

 

[blueorchid]

I don't have experience with this. However, I do see long haired cats getting their hair trimmed down for the summer at the local groomer in my area. Maybe it is not too bad of an idea especially since he gets to the point of panting.

 

[chloe16]

I dont want a full down to the skin shave. I still want an inch of fur left on him

 

[violetxx]

We shaved one of our cats a few times. Mainly because he hair was filled with mats and we were at our wits end when it came to removing them. I think it depends on the cat as well as who's doing it, since it can be a very stressful experience for them. We called around a bunch of places and many tie their legs which we did not support. We finally did find someone who would come to our home and do it with our help which was great.

So I think it really depends on your cats tolerance to stress and if you think its worth the risk. One thing to keep in mind is that cats are not like dogs when it comes to grooming, they do not enjoy the experience as far as I know, but there may be a small few who do, who knows..

 

[vladimir]

When I saw pictures on the internet of shaved cats looking like lions I always thought it was a cruel joke.  However, it does make sense to give kitty a bit of an escape from the heat if you're living in a hot climate or if the poor thing has a lot of tangles.  Glad I read this post!

 

[twofatcats]

We gave my late Purdy a lion cut a few times.  We don't live in a warm climate and it rarely gets hot where we live on the coast.  The reason I chose to have him shaved was instead because he tended to drag his deposits from the litterbox around the house on his fur and they would fall off on the carpet where they were not exactly appreciated. 

My sister also had her cat shaved recently.  In her case the cat's hair was so matted and the cat was so afraid of letting anyone near it to groom it, that having the vet shave it seemed to be the only solution.  After the shave, the cat let my sister pet her more. Previously, the cat hardly ever even allowed petting.   I suspect all those mats must have been painful.  Because she is in a wheelchair, my sister just doesn't have much flexibility in when and where to groom the cat.  And if the cat decides "no grooming," then the cat's decision prevails. 

 

[ashley marie]

I am a dog groomer and have worked with cats too, My advice is unless you got the cat as a kitten and it is use to being to the groomer DO NOT DO IT, if this is an older cat the stress level it will endure is not worth it,Not to mention it is difficult to work with a cat that is not use to the grooming ritual(Brush out,pre-cut,bath,blow dry,final cut). The haircut will not come out good because a good groomer will not risk stressing the cat out,and the ones who are only in it for the money may cause more harm to your animal. I have worked with cats(Rescues) who absolutely needed to be shaved(Some where short haired) do to matting and things stuck in there fur (Such as tar,glue ext) but these animal where always sedated as to not upset them. I hope I helped you. You can always ask for a "sanitary cut" which is just shaving the area around his anus to make sure feces do not stick to it, this is less of a stress factor and only takes 5 min to due as oppose to hours at a groomers for a full haircut.

 

[palsmommy31]

I am a long time owner of Persian kitties! I just love everything about them. Their fluffy flat faces, the calm loving nature! I do play with my animals and give them only the best of anything, kind of have to with Persians as they are easily proned to infection. I shave mine every 3 to 4 months and have done so since they were babies, so they are used to it. Some my think it's crazy and I really should just brush them regularly. Very true, but for mine and my families life style, this is not always possible, which leads to large matting of Persians, and can lead to serious skin issues and infection. And some would say, then why do you have long haired pets instead of short. Well I can't really answer that, but I do. I do live in a hot climate, but still shave them in the winter to prevent matting. In the winter if feel you may want to shave them, I use a heating pad or blanket, place it on low, and lay a towel or blanket on top, so if they feel a little cold, they lay on it and stay warm. So all in all, if you plan on doing this, I'd start when they are young.