# Why don't people get their cats shaved? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827 "2003-07-07T18:20:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/21 "2003-07-07T23:44:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/22 "2003-07-08T03:04:11Z")
Is anyone else as turned on as I am by all the misunderstood (by me) double entendres in **Eats\_Crayons** ’ post? Day-am! ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/23 "2003-07-08T12:41:08Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/24 "2003-07-08T13:52:53Z")
Now, shaved or _clipped_ severely? Clipping might help in summer, just leave an inch of fur… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/25 "2003-07-08T14:09:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/26 "2003-07-08T14:53:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/27 "2003-07-08T17:30:14Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/28 "2003-07-09T00:34:41Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/29 "2003-07-09T01:31:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/30 "2003-07-09T17:27:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/31 "2003-07-09T17:45:04Z")
Instead of shaving them to beat the heat, why not take them down to the river? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/32 "2003-07-09T23:14:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/33 "2003-07-10T03:19:51Z")
Cat skin feels icky to me. ---
**Author:** ![tramp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tramp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tramp)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827/34 "2003-07-10T13:08:18Z")
I wax my pussy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-get-their-cats-shaved/186827.md?page=1)