Sorry, I refuse to shave my cat's hair!

[taty caty]

Hello,

My cat has is long-haired. He is shedding a lot, and I was told this is normal because they are getting rid of the winter coat in preparation for summer.

Several people advised me to shave his coat and made me feel that this is a must and it is for the cat's interest because he will get hair balls if I don't.

Sorry, but I don't want my cat to look like a peanut. My room is air conditioned, and he might get cold if his coat is shaven.  I'm grooming him daily to get rid of the extra hair. I'm doing my duties.

Cats in the wild don't get their fur shaved. I know they rub themselves towards trees and things, and I know they groom each other to get rid of the extra hair. But I'm doing that, I'm combing and brushing him daily. Why should I shave his lovely coat? This is cruel.

 I think it is for the human convenience not the cat convenience to shave the cat for summer!

I believe it is a selfish thing. And unless someone comes with a clear medical reasons to do that, I refuse to do it.

What do you think guys?

 

[pinkdagger]

I feel bad when I see shaved cats. If you live in a hot climate and home where a long haired cat isn't suited and you don't have the time or resources to get them groomed or groom them yourself frequently to prevent hairballs and matting, then all the power to owners who end up needing to shave them.

Everyone has different circumstances, so if they feel they can justify shaving their cat for the crazy hot seasons (of which we're seeing many more lately, at least here in Canada), that's just what they have to do. Unless cats are outdoor or indoor/outdoor, there are a lot of vastly different circumstances cats live in as domesticated pets too.

It's partly honesty - I would vastly prefer to NOT shave an animal, but if I can accept that I just don't have the time to sit down and groom them for however long it takes (or they'll tolerate) to get a sufficient amount of fur out - on a regular basis - to prevent any discomfort, I guess that's something I have to do. I'd much prefer a shaved cat than a matted cat, that I end up having to shave and risking pain or discomfort tugging at any knotted clumps near the skin.

 

[taty caty]

 
I feel bad when I see shaved cats. If you live in a hot climate and home where a long haired cat isn't suited and you don't have the time or resources to get them groomed or groom them yourself frequently to prevent hairballs and matting, then all the power to owners who end up needing to shave them.

Everyone has different circumstances, so if they feel they can justify shaving their cat for the crazy hot seasons (of which we're seeing many more lately, at least here in Canada), that's just what they have to do. Unless cats are outdoor or indoor/outdoor, there are a lot of vastly different circumstances cats live in as domesticated pets too.

It's partly honesty - I would vastly prefer to NOT shave an animal, but if I can accept that I just don't have the time to sit down and groom them for however long it takes (or they'll tolerate) to get a sufficient amount of fur out - on a regular basis - to prevent any discomfort, I guess that's something I have to do. I'd much prefer a shaved cat than a matted cat, that I end up having to shave and risking pain or discomfort tugging at any knotted clumps near the skin.

I understand what you are saying, but I'm just not happy of them making me feel that I'm abusing my cat if I don't shave his coat.

Let me ask something, my cat is totally an indoor cat. It is blazing here, so we use AC all the time. The temperature is set to around 25 c. This is "cool" generally speaking. So my cat won't eve know it is summer outside. Will my cat still shed badly?

Is shedding a natural thing (like in their biological clock) or does it happen when they sensor the heat?

 

[pinkdagger]

Hmm, I don't think indoor cats explode in fur the same way cats who are routinely outdoors or exposed to natural outdoor conditions do. I'm not a biology buff by ANY means but it could have something to do with daylight too, and not just temperature. I know my birds recognize spring and breeding season based on the hours of sunlight they see - longer hours of sunlight, even when factored into their typical daily naps, means warmer seasons. Our fully indoor cats have been shedding WAY more lately too. Cats being crepuscular may mean that when they spend fewer hours awake and active in the night, their brain tells them it's spring or summertime.

 

[taty caty]

 
Hmm, I don't think indoor cats explode in fur the same way cats who are routinely outdoors or exposed to natural outdoor conditions do. I'm not a biology buff by ANY means but it could have something to do with daylight too, and not just temperature. I know my birds recognize spring and breeding season based on the hours of sunlight they see - longer hours of sunlight, even when factored into their typical daily naps, means warmer seasons. Our fully indoor cats have been shedding WAY more lately too. Cats being crepuscular may mean that when they spend fewer hours awake and active in the night, their brain tells them it's spring or summertime.

I see, thank you.

One last desperate try. I'll keep the curtains down during most of the day then.

 

[andrya]

  Agreeing. My cats are indoor and l keep my house at 24 year round. l have a Cornish Rex who has only one layer of fur rather than the usual three, and he's cold pretty much year round, so l imagine it would be similar for a shaved cat.

Anyway, yes mine do still shed at spring, especially the Fold who has very dense fur. l groom them every day and it helps. l wouldn't consider shaving a cat, even a very long haired one unless it was having problems caused by the long hair that couldn't be otherwise prevented.

lt's pretty rotten that someone has made you feel that way, it seems a bit radical to me. 

 

[taty caty]

 

  Agreeing. My cats are indoor and l keep my house at 24 year round. l have a Cornish Rex who has only one layer of fur rather than the usual three, and he's cold pretty much year round, so l imagine it would be similar for a shaved cat.

Anyway, yes mine do still shed at spring, especially the Fold who has very dense fur. l groom them every day and it helps. l wouldn't consider shaving a cat, even a very long haired one unless it was having problems caused by the long hair that couldn't be otherwise prevented.

lt's pretty rotten that someone has made you feel that way, it seems a bit radical to me. 

Thank you, I feel relieved to hear that.

My cat has a long fur. I think he is domestic long hair or a type of Persian that has a shorter coat (he is fluffy, but not so fluffy).

Si, for the time being, I'll groom him daily, and maybe get a "Furminator".

Regards.

 

[spiffykitty]

Based on what I have read, shedding increases when light changes. It depends on the breed too. Some cats seem to explode with shedding fur in the spring, while others don't noticeably increase their shedding.  

Rather than buy a Furminator, I would simply comb every day. Combing and using a slicker brush -- great ways to keep a coat from matting and to get rid of dead fur. When you groom your cat, make sure you're not just brushing the surface of the cat's fur. Use the comb to comb down to the skin.

I'd say shaving isn't cruel. It really depends on the cat. Many seem to feel happier afterwards. Some hate the process of being shaved. Others find it mildly annoying.  As long as the cat is in a temperature controlled space, as most indoor cats are, they can be comfortable with or without their coat. I like natural coats, but many, many owners are overwhelmed by the amount of time needed to care for the coat.  

Just be sure to keep combing and removing dead fur. All that shedded fur can make a coat much more dense and thick than it should be.

Good luck.

 

[pisces7386]

This is our first experience with cats (a cat had kittens on our patio last summer; we kept her and two kittens) and we are thinking about shaving our boy. All three are long haired, but the boy is more fleece-like than the girls. We are brushing them daily with a furminator (which we love!! It was so worth the higher price tag!) and regular brush and we are getting a large amount of the 'shed'.

The boy though, seems to be warmer than he is comfortable with. Up until a few weeks ago he would be in our laps  if we were sitting down. The weather is getting warmer now and the house is getting warmer than we had the heat set to over the winter... but it is not warm enough yet that we need to turn the AC on... I mean the house is barely getting to 72F at the heat of the afternoon. Out little Bear however seems to disagree... he seems to be searching out the parts of the floor which are colder and while he will jump into our laps and try to get comfortable he just doesn't seem to be able to settle in and quickly jumps down and sprawls on the hard floor instead. Are we right to consider shaving him?

I see that SpiffyKitty said that it depends on the cat but...Are there any health/emotional problems that can result from shaving a cat? Or is it just a personal dislike for people who can't/won't put effort into grooming their cats properly? We would take him to a groomer to do it and probably ask them to just shorten his fur, not take it all off (we tried to shave their bums to keep them cleaner back there.. but our shaver just can't grab their fine fur

). 

 

[angelinacat]

 
I understand what you are saying, but I'm just not happy of them making me feel that I'm abusing my cat if I don't shave his coat.

It really is no one else's business how you take care of your cat.  You are combing the coat on a regular basis, so that should help take care of the loose hair.  God help me if I ever lost my mind to the point that I decided to shave my long-haired cat, Hoppi.  She is only about 7 pounds, but there wouldn't be enough of me left to bother sending to the undertaker.... 

 

[pinkman]

I had my longhaired boy shaved. There, I said it .

I would not have done this if he didn't have health issues. Due to his weakened gut and motility, it is very difficult for him to hack up hairballs. There are days where he will not want to eat because he feels almost "choked up". I combed him daily, and also used the Zoom Groom (not a Furminator, they can be almost painful for certain cats and it's not the most gentle deshedding tool) a few times a week as well. I feed only a raw diet for him, and have been already giving Slippery Elm, egg yolk lecithin, Vets Best, the whole works.

I'm in the opposite situation as you - I've been told I'm abusing my cat because I got him shaved at the groomers. Tell me, is it better for my cat to feel uncomfortable and not have an appetite because of his motility issues? Or look "weird" for the next few months while I adjust the apartments temperature for him?

So yes, there are reasons to shave longhaired cat. There's also reasons not to shave your cat. Each circumstance is different, but personally if he did not have these motility issues I would not be shaving him.

After the shave my cat acted as if nothing was wrong, however this is a cat that is used to 30+ minute subway rides as well. Novel stimuli does not bother him much at all.