# what is the difference between and beard trimmer and a cat trimmer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060 "2008-06-06T20:56:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/1 "2008-06-06T20:56:02Z")
They look similar to me. Do pet trimmers have extra safeguards on them? Or is it about the coarseness of the hair? ---
**Author:** ![Danger\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/2 "2008-06-06T21:19:27Z")
What’s a cat trimmer? Is it for shaving your cat? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/3 "2008-06-06T21:38:05Z")
One’s for a man, one’s for a lady. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/4 "2008-06-06T22:32:20Z")
Usually about $10. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/5 "2008-06-06T23:00:20Z")
Are they interchangeable? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/6 "2008-06-06T23:05:09Z")
This [pet trimmer](http://www.amazon.com/Conair-Flexi-Groom-Cord-Cordless-Trimmer/dp/B0006NLXES) looks to have about the same blade design, and teeth per inch, as my battery operated beard trimmer. [This one](http://www.ihelppets.com/Catalog/home-pet-trimmer.htm) closely resembles my plug-in hair trimmer. I don’t see any extra safety features on either of them. Both are overpriced. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/7 "2008-06-06T23:32:31Z")
This month’s Consumer Report showed the same appliance used two different ways at two different prices - [Link (see second item)](http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/selling/selling-it-june-2008/selling-it-ov.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/8 "2008-06-07T00:02:01Z")
According to my daughter, who has experience with both, the only difference is in the blade head, and even that isn’t a real difference, as the blade settings for people and furry animals can overlap. Odds are, you’ll find one blade head will be fine for you, and another will be fine for kitty. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/9 "2008-06-07T14:26:12Z")
The only pet clippers I would ever recommend are the Oster A5s with a number 10 blade. Other cheaper models will not last and are unlikely to be up to the kind of jobs people expect of clippers; removing matted hair, etc. [Oster clippers](http://www.amazon.com/Oster-Golden-Single-Clipper-078005-010/dp/B000LRN32E/ref=pd_sbs_k_title_1) ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-and-beard-trimmer-and-a-cat-trimmer/452060/10 "2008-06-08T20:34:00Z")
[QUOTE=K364] This month’s Consumer Report showed the same appliance used two different ways at two different prices - [Link (see second item)](http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/selling/selling-it-june-2008/selling-it-ov.htm) [/QUOTE] That was on Headlines with Jay Leno a couple of weeks ago, too. They are both in mail order catalogs that I have received.