Has anyone here had their cat shaved down?

[meadowlark]

I'm thinking about doing it. She's a long haired cat and the summer heat has been awful.

Is this okay or is there some aspect I haven't considered? Don't want to hurt poor kitty.

[redheadbaker]

It won't help keep her cool. They cool themselves by panting and air flowing through their coats. Remove dead undercoat with the Furminator to help keep her cool/

[mnvegas]

I bring my Himalayan to the groomer for a lion cut 2-3 times a year. She actually is much more comfortable, active and playful after this is done. Between grooming visits I use a Furminator.

[meadowlark]

Thanks! We have a furminator, but it must hurt to be brushed b/c she bites me. I wonder if she wouldn't feel better, like your cat, mnvegas. I think I'd like to try a lion cut. They're expensive here, and charge more if your kitty is cranky!

[redheadbaker]

Jul 17, 2012 18:15:21 GMT -5 @meadowlark said:

Thanks! We have a furminator, but it must hurt to be brushed b/c she bites me.

Does she have mats? You're not supposed to use the furminator to remove mats.

[meadowlark]

Jul 17, 2012 20:53:15 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

Jul 17, 2012 18:15:21 GMT -5 @meadowlark said:

Thanks! We have a furminator, but it must hurt to be brushed b/c she bites me.

Does she have mats? You're not supposed to use the furminator to remove mats.

Right, she just doesn't like to be brushed with the furminator. A regular brush is fine with her.
Thank you for your ideas!

[polarbearfans]

My cats hated the furminator and do did i. It seemed to break a lot of the hair off. The coats did not feel as soft after. It did remove a lot of the undercoat but not as shiny or soft

[brittmk0922]

My cats hate the furminator. One of our dogs hates it too, but the other loves it.
For my long haired cat I have shaved her before, not sure how much of a difference it made for her but she didn't DISLIKE it so its not like it was detrimental to her in any way...

[msmerymac]

We've done lion cuts before. Even in the summer heat, my male Persian, Samson, will go sleep on top of the DVR or other electronics to keep himself warm! I think cats are used to being at warmer temps than we are. Their normal body temperature is 101F, I think, so a little warmer than ours, so hot weather probably doesn't bother them as much. As long as the temperature of your house is bearable, they'll be fine. We leave the AC set to the low 70s during the day for the cats.

We've only done lion cuts due to matting issues. But now, regular use of the furminator and a visit to the groomer every few months has been good enough to keep them in their long coats.

Anyway, lion cuts or kitten clips (all over short cut) are perfectly fine for long-haired cats. Just not necessary for heat reasons.

[katietornado]

We just shaved one of our long haired boys down. He is SO much happier. Of course, it could be because he was so matted before (don't judge me...he is a total princess/bitch with all things grooming and is completely unmanageable when we try to brush him, like biting, screaming, writhing, scratching, etc). I say do it!

[msmerymac]

Jul 24, 2012 21:19:19 GMT -5 katietornado said:

We just shaved one of our long haired boys down. He is SO much happier. Of course, it could be because he was so matted before (don't judge me...he is a total princess/bitch with all things grooming and is completely unmanageable when we try to brush him, like biting, screaming, writhing, scratching, etc). I say do it!

That's what our female Persian is like. A few swipes with the furminator and she's done. Growling, squirming. And then the groomer will tell me how sweet she is. Yeah, right!

[NomadicMama]

Lurker here--I had to shave my geriatric long hair cat due to matting. My understanding is that cat skin is different than dog skin. If the groomer knicks and cuts a cat, a trip to the vet may be needed. That happened the second time Abby was shaved. Just something to consider when makin your decision.

[SallySparrow]

We've had to shave one of our long haired cats due to matting. We have the vet do it, that way he can sedate her (which is necessary) and if he accidentally cuts her, she's already there to be treated. But he's never cut her.