Is it possible to cut Siberian cats?

Furry pet lovers often wonder: is it possible to groom cats? The answer is clear - yes, it is possible, sometimes even necessary! Grooming cats and cats is becoming increasingly popular. The reasons are dictated by the need to provide complete care for your pet’s fur coat. And if you get creative, the animal takes on an interesting image.

How to secure a cat for grooming?

Must be fixed

the pet is lying on its side, holding it by the hind and front legs.
First of all, the tangles are cut off with scissors. After this, they continue cutting
the hair on the sides of the body and back using a clipper.

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Pros: relief from heat and health problems

One of the most common arguments in favor of grooming a cat is the summer heat: representatives of long-haired breeds especially suffer from it during the hot season.
You need to cut your cat's hair if for some reason (for example, due to age) it is not able to properly care for its fur coat, and you do not have the opportunity to brush it regularly. The fur of your furry pet becomes tangled, forming tangles that cause discomfort. The skin underneath tightens and stops breathing. Diaper rash and itching appear. All this is a fertile environment for parasites, fungi and infections.
While grooming itself, a cat ingests large amounts of hair, which forms lumps in the gastrointestinal tract. They can lead to various problems, including obstruction, which will require a visit to the veterinarian. In particularly serious cases, it comes to surgery.
Grooming a cat can be a lifesaver for owners suffering from allergies or asthma. It will help eliminate the factor that causes suffocation and exacerbation of the disease.

Cons: unpleasant consequences of a haircut

Grooming, like bathing, is a stressful procedure for a cat. After it, the animal may look sad, depressed, and out of resentment, it may begin to ignore the owner. Particularly proud pets may leave a “surprise” in the owner’s slippers in retaliation for encroaching on their fur coat.
After cutting, the structure of the hairs of the coat changes: they become somewhat thinner. In addition, the animal's color may become lighter.
If the hair is cut too short, the cat risks overheating in the sun or catching a cold due to hypothermia under the air conditioner or in a draft. Dryness of the skin and loss of elasticity are also possible.
In some cases, after a haircut, hair does not grow back on some areas of the skin, that is, alopecia occurs. It is caused by hypothermia and a change in the correct growth of hairs. This pathology usually occurs in dogs, but occasionally occurs in cats. If bald spots began to appear before the haircut, do not try to solve the problem with its help: a veterinarian’s consultation is necessary.

Recommendations for different cats

Long-haired pets

Grooming a cat with soft, long hair at home is not at all easy. The machine does not grip the hair well and slips. It will take a lot of patience, and each section must be walked several times in one direction and the other.

Sedate and docile cats of the Persian breed experience enormous stress during grooming and are able to show their claws. Therefore, it is better to invite an assistant. The classic version of haircut for Persian cats is “puss in boots”, when the head, paws and partly the tail remain untouched.

Grooming a British breed cat

It is not customary for British people to cut their hair. Their fur is short and mats rarely form. It is enough to regularly remove guard hairs with a bristle or rubber brush. The undercoat is then not damaged, and the coat looks well-groomed.

To combat tangles, there is a special tool - a tangle cutter. It can be replaced with scissors. It is necessary to place a comb under the mat so that when cutting off the matted fur you do not injure the cat.

Haircuts for furry pets

For fluffy and long-haired pets, there are simple French Lion and Puss in Boots haircuts. More complex options for craftsmen are “modern” and “harlequin”.

Watch also the video on the topic:

Pros and cons of grooming

Supporters of pet grooming and their opponents have ongoing debates about the positive and negative aspects of grooming. Owners who are of the opinion that grooming cats of long-haired breeds is not a whim, but a necessity, are definitely right. It is advisable to carefully consider all the pros and cons before going to a cat beauty salon.

No wool deposits on upholstered furniture and clothing.
It is easier to wash your pet and there is no need to dry it with a hairdryer.
In summer, the cat does not languish from the heat.

The protests of cat owners who express a negative position regarding visiting pet hairdressing establishments are understandable. And they are based, first of all, on the fear of harming a defenseless creature. But you need to approach any event sensibly: if you eliminate all possible risks when carrying out grooming, then if the need arises, you can do a pet haircut.

Stress for a pet that is unaccustomed to interference in its life from strangers.
Possible abrasions on the cat’s body if hairdressing manipulations are performed by an unprofessional master.
Undesirable consequences of using anesthesia in case of an allergic reaction.

How to speed up the process

A cat's fur, like that of any other animal, goes through 3 stages of growth:

Hair reaches a certain length. Then its development stops and, after a certain time, the hair falls out, giving way to a new one. The cut pile is mainly in a catagen state. An exception would be a haircut to zero, when the developing hairs are also cut off.

Most of the fur coat will not grow back. Fresh anagen hairs will form a new coat after the cat is groomed. How quickly wool grows depends on a number of factors:

Diet. To speed up the restoration of “hair”, your pet needs proteins. Experts recommend that their share per dry weight be at least 30%. Hair growth is also stimulated by zinc, vitamins and fatty acids. The cat can receive them with food (meat, cooked yolk, sea fish) or nutritional supplements.

Ambient conditions. In nature, animals grow overgrown before frost and molt with the arrival of warmer weather. Cats living in the house are less affected by this cycle, but the connection remains. Wool grows faster in spring and summer. In winter, the process of hair change slows down. By deciding to cut your pet's hair during the warm season, the owner will quickly see his original fur coat. This is a practical solution - animals shed less during the cold season.

Care. Regular combing stimulates hair change. It is also necessary to monitor your pet's stress level. A nervous cat may shed a lot. In this case, new follicles are not activated. If the source of stress persists, the coat thins, even to the appearance of bald patches.

The fur has grown back faster, you need to provide the cat with proper nutrition. You should not imitate warming - too high a room temperature will cause molting, but will not awaken the follicles.

Overheating will also negatively affect the health of your pet and other residents. It is better to cut it in the warm season, with natural accelerated hair change. Although, during the cold season, the hairstyle will last longer.

Causes of delayed hair growth

If after 3-4 months the cat’s fur does not grow after being cut, it is worth showing him to the veterinarian. It is possible that the follicles have not entered the anagen phase. But there are other reasons:

bacterial and parasitic infections - waste products of pathogens poison the body, affecting various organs, including the skin;

hormonal disorders - hair growth can be hampered by malfunctions of the adrenal glands, changes after sterilization, ovarian tumors and other conditions;

weakening of the body due to illness or stress.

Thus, the hair on the area shaved for surgery (examination) may grow back more slowly than with a regular haircut. The age of the pet is also taken into account. The tissues of older cats recover more slowly compared to young cats.

Delayed hair growth can be observed in females during pregnancy or nursing offspring - the body is focused on other tasks.

Is it worth getting a haircut?

A pressing question, given the role of fur in a pet’s daily life. She helps:

protect the body from mechanical injuries and ultraviolet radiation;

maintain normal temperature in cold and warm environments;

assess the environment - the villi are not as sensitive as the whiskers (whiskers), but they are also involved in tactile perception;

communicate - by fluffing up its fur coat, the cat tries to visually increase in size in order to influence the enemy.

Grooming can deprive your pet of its protective layer and cause severe stress. This problem arose in a four-year-old cat named Ollie from a small British town. The Mirror published his story in the summer of 2015.

The animal was cut to zero - the hairdressers stated that such a measure was required due to the abundance of tangles. According to the owner, after the procedure the cat was depressed, did not want to leave the room and obsessively demanded people's attention. The dogs living in the house also stopped recognizing him.

This is a rare case, but it shows the possible consequences of a seemingly harmless procedure. You shouldn't cut your cat's hair for no reason. If you decide to go to a hairdresser, you should not treat:

lower part of the paws;

tail - partial cutting is allowed, but the upper half (third) is left untouched.

Experts recommend avoiding cutting your hair to zero. Western sources advise leaving the coat 1 inch long if the owner is struggling with shedding and excess hair in the home. Considering that in many breeds the pile does not exceed 2.5 cm, you can stop at 0.5-1 cm. This way a person will get rid of hair indoors, and the cat will retain a protective and heat-insulating layer.

Having shaved the pet almost bald, the owner should put cotton capes on it to prevent direct sunlight on the skin. Without this measure, the risk of burns or cancer increases.

In particular, prolonged sun exposure promotes the development of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, which affect the upper layers of the skin.

You also need to monitor the cat’s communication with other animals in the house. Lack of fur increases the risk of injury during play and fighting.

How quickly a cat grows after a haircut depends on a number of factors. On average, the process takes six months. It can be accelerated by using a diet rich in proteins, vitamins (in particular group B) and microelements.

A haircut during the warm season will also help – hair grows more actively in spring and summer. If your cat's coat does not grow back for a long time, or bald spots, reddened areas or damage appear on the skin, you need to contact a specialist.

This could be the consequences of licking (the animal is not accustomed to the new length of the fur coat), injury or signs of illness.

Have you thought about cutting your pet's hair? Write about it in the comments.

Is it possible to shave a cat's head?

Animal wool plays a big role: it protects against hypothermia, sun rays, and protects the skin from accidental damage. Cats that are constantly kept indoors are no less susceptible to injury than street cats.

Shaving the head is strictly prohibited: sensitive vibrissae are located here, damage to which is contraindicated. Hair cutting bald is an extreme measure, permissible if it is impossible to remove building mortars and foam from the coat, and it is also necessary before surgery. In other cases, shaving your pet will not bring any benefit, but can cause the development of colds.

In addition to the above, it is unknown how long the wool will take to recover. This usually happens within six months, but if there is a lack of nutrients, the process can drag on for several years.

How to trim or shave your pet if necessary?

Hairdressing procedures at home are carried out according to a certain algorithm:

Trimming nails. It is carried out with special tweezers, pre-disinfected. Light pressure on the paw pads causes the hidden claws to extend; the owner only needs to trim the very tips. This procedure will prevent scratches during cutting.
When performing the initial manipulation, an assistant is needed - he must hold the animal, preventing it from running away. Some cats become aggressive when they see grooming tools. For safety, the pet is wearing a plastic collar that prevents it from biting.
The cat is laid on its side, its paws are securely fixed. For cutting, use a clipper or scissors. The first will avoid damage to the skin, but can irritate and frighten the pet with its buzzing.
The fur is removed from the sides, then moved to the back and belly. Hair removal is carried out both in the direction of its growth and in the opposite direction. The remaining long hairs are trimmed with nail scissors. There must be a tassel on the tail.

After the procedure is completed, the pet is bathed with a special cat shampoo and dried with a towel. If the animal is not afraid of a hair dryer, then it is also used for drying. Veterinarians recommend using the services of specialists. The groomer will carry out the manipulation quickly, without injuring the cat’s delicate skin or damaging the whiskers.

How often can you shave or cut your pet's hair? The fur grows back within 3-6 months. If spots form, the animal grows unevenly, then it needs to be shown to a veterinarian.

Types of cat haircuts

A hygienic haircut is done no more than 2 times a year, so as not to harm the structure of the coat and skin. If a cat will participate in an exhibition, the last trimming is done no later than six months before the event. The haircut is usually done with a clipper, leaving a hair length of about 3 mm. After this procedure, the animal’s skin becomes “plush” to the touch. It is not recommended to trim your cat on your own; it is better to contact a specialist, a pet beauty salon: for high-quality trimming you need special tools - various types of hairdressing and thinning scissors, a clipper, a set of combs.

You can't cut cats completely bald! This will disrupt the heat exchange process and may cause skin irritation. When trimming a cat, at least a small part of the fur must remain to protect it from sunlight and cold.

Sometimes cats are given model grooming for aesthetic reasons. There are several options for a model cat haircut, here are the most popular:

"Puma" - a short-cropped body and a head in the form of a lion's mane.
“Dragon” is a curly haircut in which various figures and symbols are cut on the body.
“Golfies” - hair is removed only on the upper part of the paws.

When performing grooming of any form, there are certain rules:

In order not to damage the whiskers and hair in the ears, the hair on the head, muzzle and in the auricle is not cut.
“socks” are left on the bottom of the paws;
do not touch the hair on the front legs below the elbow and on the hind legs under the jumping joint;
leave hair at the end of the tail (a section of at least 3 cm long should remain uncut).

When deciding whether to cut your cat's hair or not, you should not forget that the main goal is to ensure the pet's comfort. If you organize a nutritious diet, including vitamins and minerals, and properly care for the animal’s fur, there will most likely not be a need to cut it. The fur of a well-groomed cat always looks thick, shiny and clean.

Why is it not recommended to groom cats?

Veterinarians and professional breeders have a negative attitude towards trimming the coat at the whim of the owner. The main danger of haircuts is the high probability of changes in the structure of the hairs. The newly grown coat may become thinner and its quality may deteriorate, leading to the rapid formation of tangles. The changes also affect the cat’s skin – its elasticity and firmness may decrease.

Cooling has a negative effect on proper hair growth - in bare areas the skin temperature decreases. Some pets develop patches of baldness - the cut hair does not grow back. The problem of alopecia is more common in canines, but some felines also experience it.

Purebred pets may lose the right to attend exhibitions: after clipping, the hair begins to curl, becomes excessively fluffy or short. Such conformation defects are the main reason for the disqualification of cats.

Not all pets calmly allow their appearance to change. To obtain a fashionable hairstyle, the animal is put under anesthesia, which can seriously harm its health. In rare cases, the procedure ends in death for the cat - under the influence of the drug, cardiac activity and breathing stop.

What tool is needed for cutting

Grooming cats is done with two tools - a clipper and scissors. A nice and neat haircut can be achieved by alternating both tools in different areas. It is convenient to use scissors to trim what is left after the device. Cutting long hair with scissors is time-consuming and traumatic, and the result is not always neat.

Select scissors of medium size with sharp edges and rounded ends. The machine does not injure the cat, it is comfortable to work with and will require less time. My only wish is to choose a model with minimal noise so as not to frighten your pet. When working with a human machine, it is difficult to achieve straight lines. It is better to purchase a special device. For long and thick wool, its power should be at least 45 W.

To groom cats that are afraid of noise from the device, you can try a mechanical clipper. Handling it requires a certain skill so as not to injure your pet.

Additionally, for a haircut you will need:

Fine-tooth comb
Hydrogen peroxide for skin cuts
A place for cutting, such as a small table
An old towel as a bedding to collect the wool in and throw away
Cat entertainment toy

Mechanical hair clipper

Do cats need to be trimmed and how often can this be done?

By providing proper care for pets, we can save them from the upcoming grooming procedure. If they still have a thick, shiny coat and their skin is healthy and elastic, then grooming will become unnecessary.

Kittens need to be accustomed to all manipulations from childhood. They should respond calmly to a comb and brush. It is recommended to brush daily. Besides being necessary, this is a useful and enjoyable massage.

But, if the fur often rolls into tangles, then experts advise cutting it as rarely as possible. Whether cats are clipped with clippers or scissors does not matter. Only a machine haircut will look more impressive and aesthetically pleasing.

As a last resort, you can cut your cat's hair for the summer, but in winter you should refrain. The frequency of haircuts is from one to three times a year.

From all of the above, we can conclude that grooming cats is not necessary. If there is no reason, it becomes a tribute to fashion. Don't forget about the consequences of meaningless haircuts and the stress our pets experience. Often cats become sad after they have been clipped, shiver from the cold and treat their feeder without the former enthusiasm and trust.