Grooming of cats is not usually accepted. The popularity of this procedure is growing throughout the world. Long-haired and fluffy breeds need grooming: Maine Coons, Siberian cats, Norwegian cats, Persians, etc.
Why are cats groomed? The main reason is care. Long hair falls into tangles that disturb the pet. During the procedure they are cut off. Hygienic haircut solves a number of other problems:
- Helps withstand heat and prevents overheating.
- Makes self-care easier for sick or elderly animals.
- Reduces the number of bezoars in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Prevents fur from tangling.
- Reduces the amount of hair that the animal leaves in the house.
The cat's coat is trimmed in the area of its hind legs and anus to make it easier to keep its fur clean. It will also be needed before medical procedures on the skin.
How to cut a cat's hair at home: tips
Grooming a cat at home is not an easy task, but still doable. This may be necessary if your cat:
- Fluffy and the fur is matted.
- You want to give him a new hairstyle.
- Your cat got into the paint or glue.
Actually, cutting a cat's hair is like trying to cut a child's hair. He is not interested in your arguments that it will be prettier or more hygienic. “The Tale of the Cat that Walks by itself” clearly shows that of all domestic animals, cats are the ones that demonstrate an independent character. If your pet decides that food or play is more interesting to him than a haircut, he will ignore this offer and you will have to “negotiate” with him on mutually beneficial terms.
How to cut a cat's hair at home?
Let’s immediately discard such inhumane methods of grooming a cat, such as forcible restraint or general anesthesia. After all, you don’t want your cat to lose faith in the kindness of his owner?!
- And you will be left with one option. Feed the cat to his fill with his favorite food, relax him by scratching behind the ear, massaging his back, and quietly sneak up on him with scissors.
- Instead of scissors, you can try using an electric hair clipper. But if such a machine is too noisy, your cat may get scared and run away.
- But the comb-trimmer for removing the undercoat of cats is easy to use, and the stroking that the cat will feel during this procedure will only be pleasant for him. This comb resembles a razor with teeth at the end.
Owners of furry cats face a lot of troubles during molting. Pieces of wool on the floor and beds, as well as tangles that cannot be combed out, will complete the bleak picture.
Advice for those who don’t know how to remove mats from a cat? If the lumps are located close to the animal's skin, do not try to pull them together with the skin and cut them off with scissors. So there is a very high risk of injuring the skin. Take small nail scissors and literally cut off the matted fur, millimeter by millimeter.
Cat grooming products
We remind you that it is better to use: professional cat clippers. Caring owners are interested in how much does cat grooming cost? The average cost of grooming a cat is about $10.
The price may fluctuate depending on several factors, at least on where you live: in Moscow and St. Petersburg it is more expensive, then other factors are the promotion of the clinic and their experience.
Cat haircuts: photos
Sometimes it happens that after the owner got a cat, he suddenly realizes that he needed to get a dog. The result of such a mistake will be an attempt to convert a cat into a dog. We bring to your attention cat haircuts. Admire the cat as a poodle .
Grooming a cat like a poodle
Or this option - a cat in the role of a lion .
Grooming a cat like a lion
And the owner of this cat not only cut, as it seemed to him, the excess hair, but also increased the missing fur. The result of such efforts was a cat with an Elvis Presley . It’s a pity that cats cannot express to their owners in a language they understand everything that they think about them.
Grooming a cat like Elvis Presley
The owner of this cat decided to joke and, secretly from the family, gave the cat an “ accordion ” haircut. The joke was not entirely successful because the joker’s mother was very upset when she saw her shorn pet.
Cat before and after haircut
Sometimes you can see cat haircuts that were actually appropriate and beneficial for the animals. The photo below shows a fluffy cat after molting.
Persian cat before haircut
Removing excess hair will not hurt such a cat. It’s just important not to overdo it.
Persian cat after haircut
Fashionable haircuts for cats in the form of a lion's mane, a tiger or a dragon may cause affection for the owners or guests, but your cat is unlikely to like it.
If a cat's fur is too short, his body's thermal balance will be disrupted, and even while in an apartment he can catch a cold.
If you decide to cut your cat's hair at home, be patient and use a pet clipper. Cats do not tolerate interference in their privacy. Be prepared for the fact that your pet will run away from you without completing the transformation into a lion or dragon and you will have to “persuad” him with a treat or finish the haircut the next day. But there are cats who categorically do not want any new hairstyles and after a haircut they look pitiful and unhappy. Nature gave cats fur for a reason. It protects the cat from both hypothermia and overheating. It's better not to upset this balance.
How often are you allowed to cut your hair?
For hygiene reasons, it is recommended to do haircuts as needed. But the need varies, so you shouldn’t be partial with it.
Groom your pet twice a year. The new fur grows back to its size in about six months.
Frequent trips to the cat hairdresser will disrupt the structural balance of the fur, and it will deteriorate, which can harm the pet.
If you are preparing your cat for an exhibition, grooming should be done here 3-4 months before the exhibition itself.
This is enough to maintain hygiene and aesthetics.
Haircut for a cat Dragon
Grooming a cat's dragon
A haircut for a cat's dragon is done with an electric clipper. Your task will include
- Make the cat bald on the stomach and sides.
- Leave the head, tail and stripe on the back unshaven.
- Use patterns in the form of scales to decorate unshaven areas.
If your cat does not have nerves of steel, you will have to call for help from friends who will hold him during this not very pleasant procedure for him. Before cutting your cat's hair at home, weigh all the pros and cons of such a decision. Cutting the fur too short will harm your cat's health. Your pet may end up with hypothermia and psychological shock.
An urgent need
We may or may not like trimmed cats - the photos only show the external side of the issue. Often, haircuts are dictated by urgent needs: mats, skin diseases, gastrointestinal ailments, old age of the animal, or allergies of the owner.
Of course, most often the need to visit a groomer arises among owners of long-haired cats.
Scottish Straight character
It would be a big mistake to label all Scottish Straights as phlegmatic philosophers. Moreover, among these imposing cats, sometimes there are real livelies who love to chase a wind-up mouse and measure their strength with the owner. And yet, for the most part, Scottish straight cats do not have a violent temperament. Proud and serious, they cannot stand total control and are unlikely to allow themselves to be squeezed into a semi-conscious state. This, of course, does not make Scottish ascetics and sad hermits, they just require a little more independence and personal space than representatives of other breeds. Straights prefer to spend their free time in peace and quiet, lounging on the couch and learning Zen in the Buddha pose.
Squeezing the cat
The Scots are happy to make contact and join in the games, but only when they want to. In all other cases, it is better to leave the cat alone. The peak of motor activity of straight-eared Scottish cats occurs in the first year of their life. By the way, Scottish babies in their playfulness and restlessness are practically no different from ordinary outbred kittens. Adults, on the contrary, are famous for their exemplary behavior and patience. If you go on a visit for a couple of hours, leaving the Straight alone, he will easily survive it. However, weeks of loneliness, interrupted by rare raids from the owner, will not improve the character of the animal. As for the pacifying purr of straight-eared Scottish cats, it still needs to be earned: cats purr infrequently, and meow only in exceptional, from their own point of view, cases. Scottish Straights accept strangers and noisy groups of guests in a completely “secular” way, which means without unnecessary suspicion and aggression, but also without wild delight.
Scottish Straight cats are emotionally stable and not subject to sudden mood swings. However, exceptions to the general rule have not been canceled, so amateur videos with catchy headlines like: “The most disgruntled Scottish in the world” periodically appear on the Internet. In addition, straights are characterized by amazing persistence. If a cat wants something, he will definitely achieve it, following on the heels of the owner, and sometimes reinforcing his actions with annoying meows.
Care and maintenance
Scottish Straights are typical domestic cats for whom walks in the fresh air are pleasant entertainment, but not more than that. This is why Scots are considered ideal pets for homebodies. In everyday life, straights are unpretentious and rarely cause trouble. Take your animal for routine veterinary examinations, carry out timely vaccinations, use high-quality food - and straight-eared Scottish cats will not create any problems for you.
Hygiene
Scottish Straight loves its owner
Scottish Straight cats are very clean cats that carefully monitor the condition of their own fur, but they still need to be bathed from time to time. Usually, cats are washed as their “coat” gets dirty, using shampoo from the pharmacy. At the end of the procedure, you can apply a balm to the coat. When bathing, make sure that water does not get into the animal’s ears and be sure to protect the wet pet from drafts.
Owners of show-class specimens preparing to participate in exhibitions will have to work a little harder. In particular, a few months before the event, the cat begins to be washed daily to completely remove dead cells from its skin and stimulate the growth of new fur. In addition, you will have to spend money on a variety of professional coat care products, ranging from degreasing paste to texturizing conditioner. Brush Scottish cats once a week with a short hair brush. Claws are trimmed as they grow. Be sure to monitor the condition of your cat's eyes and remove unwanted discharge with a swab soaked in hygiene lotion.
Feeding
The diet of Scottish Straights is no different from the “menu” of their fold-eared counterparts. Just like folds, Scottish straight-eared cats benefit from lean meat, offal, boiled sea fish, fermented milk products, and egg yolk. In addition, the animal’s diet should include vegetables (raw or stewed), cereals and sprouted wheat.
Prohibited
- Fat meat.
- Beans and potatoes.
- Bones.
- Sweets, spices, smoked foods.
- Garlic and onion.
- Bread.
- River fish.
- Citrus.
- Mushrooms.
- Raw eggs.
Curious Scottish Straight
In serious nurseries, Scottish Straight kittens are sold starting from the age of three months. During this period of life, the baby no longer feeds on mother's milk, which means it is able to eat the same food as an adult animal.
An important point: natural-fed straight cats do not receive enough of the vital microelements. Vitamin and mineral complexes, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy, solve this problem.
Scottish Fold cats can also be fed commercial food if you are willing to spend money on its non-budget varieties - “premium”, “super premium” and “holistic”. An ideal cut for a Scottish dog should contain at least 26% protein and about 9% fat. It is advisable that the food does not contain wheat and corn, which can cause allergies in the cat. From this point of view, the most useful options for “drying” can be considered the Canadian Acana Pacifica Cat and the American Earthborn Holistic.
Three-month-old Scots are fed up to 6 times a day, six-month-old kittens eat 5 times a day, nine-month-old kittens - 4 times. One-year-old individuals are considered adults, so 2-3 meals are enough for them.
