Why don't people get their cats shaved?

[Batsinma Belfry]

I have a fluffy cat that looks like he should stay inside lounging on a velvet pillow. Instead, he runs outside to rid the yard of those evil butterflies. After about 10 minutes in the heat, he drags himself back into the house looking like he's about to have a stroke.
Do people not shave their cats because it's unattractive? Or is it unhealthy?

[Duke]

Let's get this out of the way first off--I assume that you are not using "cat" as a euphemism here. ;)

[Blonde]

Wouldn't it itch as it grew back?
Bald cat = somewhat ugly?
Interesting question, though - many dogs are shaved (usually for looks, but I'm willing to bet a lot of folks shave their dogs in the summertime).

[Eve]

I have a friend who has her Himalayan clipped every summer. Poor cat looks very silly and disgruntled, but I guess he's cooler.

[Hanna]

All three of my cats are short hairs, and are indoor-only cats, so there is no need to shave them. Bo does get mats on occasion, but he is patient so I can comb them out.

I have read that shaving animals can do more harm than good - the same hair that protects them from cold in the winter can also insulate them in the summer, keeping them cooler. And you also have the sunburn factor. So unless a coat was horribly matted/dirty/icky, I'd leave them be.

[ParentalAdvisory]

I don't know about that, but we have a collie that we shave, Lassie now looks like a german shepherd. She's older and with the hot weather, I think she prefers it. My cat has short hair so it really isn't an issue.

[fruitbat]

I will admit when I read the thread title this was the first thing I thought of.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=186971&highlight=shave+bird

As to the OP I don't know the shedding is a pain in the ass.

[lachesis]

1) increased risk of sunburn -- all that cat hair is nature's own sunblock

2) increased susceptibility to biting parasites (fleas, ticks, chiggers, mosquitos)

3) increased risk of injury during encounters with other cats/dogs (bites that don't actually lock into skin/onto limb are reasonably likely to wind up with the biter getting only a big mouthful of cat hair. take away the cat hair, and the likelihood of real damage being inflicted is greatly increased).

4) maybe increased risk of skin irritations (contact dermatitus, razor burn... who knows?)

5) increased risk of owner-hate on the cat's part... do you have any IDEA of the hit their dignity would be taking?????

[cowgirl]

I have always wondered this but only because I am so allergic to the damn things.

If only my friend would keep her four cats nicely shaved, I would spend so much more time at her place !

[In Conceivable]

Because the cats don't like it.

[Gulo gulo]

The only reason I shave my oldest cat is because she gets matted and has an absolute horror of being brushed. She gets shaved about once a year when I start losing ground on keeping up with the mats. And yes, she looks hilarious but at the same time I think she enjoys being rid of the knots. She acts like a kitten again, tearing around the house like a maniac.

If brushing wasn't an issue, I'd just leave her be. I don't think that the heat really affects her that much, but she's an indoor cat. On the really hot days, she just goes and lies on tile or in the tub to keep cool. If she were panting, I'd be more concerned.

Oh, and her fur grows in thicker now. One of the drawbacks of shaving.

[Sqwerticus]

Need one (http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-6/240385/baldcat2.JPG) say more? (http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-6/240385/baldcat1.JPG)

and no, it isn't my cat, and I didn't do this...

[Batsinma Belfry]

I didn't even think about the sunburn factor. Also, Billy Bob has allergies so it's probably not a good idea.

[ParentalAdvisory]

That cat looks PO'd.

[Sqwerticus]

PO'd and in need of a little kitty bra, I think.:D I still laugh every time I see it though.

[AskNott]

Originally posted by cowgirl
I have always wondered this but only because I am so allergic to the damn things.

If only my friend would keep her four cats nicely shaved, I would spend so much more time at her place !
Shaving the cats would probably not help your allergies. The allergens a cat makes are mostly in its sweat and saliva. A shaved cat would still sweat a bit, and would still groom himself, so the saliva would still flake off and make you sneeze.

I got my last dog from an American Eskimo Dog rescue group (Heartbandits) and the folks there told me of an Eskie who had been shaved for summer. The poor dog got badly sunburned and blistered. So, if you get a pet trimmed for summer, leave an inch or so for sunblock.:)

[Doomtrain]

I'd say it's because one day, you'll turn up with your throat mysteriously gone, and a very innocent looking cat sitting beside you...

[Blonde]

Originally posted by GMRyujin
I'd say it's because one day, you'll turn up with your throat mysteriously gone, and a very innocent looking cat sitting beside you...

Heh. I can't imagine a cat sitting still for a shave - mine would rip my eyeballs out in two seconds flat.

[panache45]

No self-respecting cat would stand still for the types of indignities a dog takes for granted.

[HPL]

Well, one, my cat doesn't need to be shaved and, two, I like not being covered with scratches and bite marks. I WANT to live for another 60 years or so, so I'm not really in any hurry to shave or bathe a cat.

[Eats_Crayons]

Originally posted by Sqwerticus
Need one (http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-6/240385/baldcat2.JPG) say more? (http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-6/240385/baldcat1.JPG)

and no, it isn't my cat, and I didn't do this... That's known as a "lion cut" and to answer the OP, some breeds DO get buzzed from time to time.

Snopes has a page about the lion cut, here (http://www.snopes.com/photos/lioncut.asp). The buzz cut for cats does exist. But it's not very common.
Snopes has a different shaved cat (http://www.ulrp.com/photos/graphics/lioncut3.jpg) pic that accompanies the article too.

Last year when it got beastly hot, I bathed my beasts to cool them off. That was so much fun that this year I got air conditioning.

[NoClueBoy]

Is anyone else as turned on as I am by all the misunderstood (by me) double entendres in Eats_Crayons' post?


Day-am!

[LurkMeister]

Our long-haired Pumpkin got out a few weeks ago and was gone for a week. When he finally came home his fur was matted and it looked like he had gotten into fight. He's been resisting all attempts to bathe and brush him. I've been putting off taking him to the vet to be neutered anyway (transportation scheduling problems) so I called to see if they had any suggestions. They don't do grooming, but said if his fur is that badly matted they could do a lion cut as long as they've got him sedated for the operation. He'd look an awful lot like that pic at the snopes site if we did, and I'm considering having it done as the best solution.

[E-Sabbath]

Now, shaved or _clipped_ severely? Clipping might help in summer, just leave an inch of fur...

[RickJay]

Domestic cats are descended from creatures that lived in desert environments. The truth is, they don't often get overly hot, don't need a lot of water, and they won't push themselves beyond their limits of endurance. So the answer to the OP is that cats generally aren't shaved because there's usually no benefit to it, but a lot of potential negative consequences.

[DeadlyAccurate]

My long-haired cat hasn't been shaved yet because it would cost $90 and include sedation. I'm seriously thinking about it, though, because it's unbelievably long, gets matted easily (and she hates being brushed), and she's been tugging on it, usually around a matted area. She's indoor-only, so I'm not worried about bugs or sunburn.

[B. Serum]

I give my longhaired cat a haircut (actually, I pay someone to do it for me) whenever it gets too long.

$45 twice a year.

He hates going in but seems to love it afterwards. He's more responsive to touching and bathes himself more frequently.

[BadBaby]

My sister used to have her long-haired cat's tummy clipped. He'd get bunches of mats and since those can cause skin problems off to the groomer he went. He wasn't shaved, just quite short so that it was like a short-haired cat. Sunburn never seemed to be an issue and he acted pretty much the same before and after regarding heat. We lived in the desert so beyond a certain point you just can't get any more nekkid to help cooling.

[as_u_wish]

Like Gulo gulo, I have an older cat who gets "shaved" a couple times a year. She can no longer groom herself thoroughly, does not care for brushing, and therefore gets uncomfortable from matted hair. It pulls and makes it hard for her to move. We have found a pet groomer who will bathe, clip and shave her for around $40. Her hair is still quite long after the grooming--she's just more of a short hair cat instead of a long hair cat. NOTHING like the lion cut. She comes home so happy, frisky and kinda cute.

If necessary they will sedate her (for an extra charge), but it has never been necessary. If you are being told that your cat needs to be sedated, you might want to look around for someone who will at least try to do some basic grooming first.

[Gulo gulo]

Originally posted by as_u_wish

If necessary they will sedate her (for an extra charge), but it has never been necessary. If you are being told that your cat needs to be sedated, you might want to look around for someone who will at least try to do some basic grooming first.

Good point. I refused to go to a few groomers because they said they sedated up front. No thanks. I doubt they're doing any bloodwork on my cat to see what she can tolerate and what she cannot. (I've already had a bad experience with sedation with her and we're not going through that again!)

My groomer is situated under a veterinary hospital so if anything happens to my fluffy monster they can just run upstairs with her.

She gets the lion cut. Not only is she happier, but she also amuses the company for a couple months.

[Gatopescado]

Instead of shaving them to beat the heat, why not take them down to the river?

[kanicbird]

Cats don't want to be shaved, cats are free thinkers, cats have (usually) claws, teeth, and worst of all piss that you will never get out of the carpet. The cat will get back at cat owners (or cat human servants as seen from the cats POV) for any perceived wrong.

[Muffin]

Cat skin feels icky to me.

[tramp]

I wax my pussy.