Haircut cats: features and recommendations

Haircut cats is a very hot topic and raises many questions from their owners. The case is very specific and serious, so before you decide to cut a pet, you need to familiarize yourself with the intricacies of the process and weigh the pros and cons.

One of the main reasons why cats are cut is stalling wool and the formation of mats. In this regard, the main purpose of the haircut is to rid the animal of the unpleasant sensations arising as a result of tightening the skin with matted hair.

Especially often suffer from this long-haired cats, in which these troubles occur very often. One has only to miss combing, as the animal begins to experience tangible discomfort and very nervous. Moreover, in the tightened skin, blood circulation is disturbed due to what appears intolerable itching.

No less important cause of cutting off excess wool is too hot climate as well as an increase in room temperatures in the summer and winter periods. Animals, especially long-haired, it is very difficult to tolerate air temperature above 35 degrees, so it is simply necessary to alleviate the condition of the pet in such cases. Another common problem for wool cats is contamination of long hair with excrement during the trip to the tray.

In this case, there are two ways out of this situation: constant washing of the contaminated area or cutting out the hair around the anus.

In addition to the hygienic component, there is an aesthetic moment in the grooming of cats. Properly trimmed pet looks very beautiful and well-groomed, attracting the attention of others and pleasing the eyes of the owners. In addition, intensively molting animals also require trimming, otherwise they literally flood the house with their wool. But if the cat sheds too long and abundantly, you should show it to the vet, as intense hair loss may be caused by a lack of vitamins or the onset of a serious illness.

As mentioned above, the benefits of grooming cats, of course, there is. This is getting rid of the animal from the unpleasant sensations caused by tightening the skin with tufts of felted wool, and alleviating the pet's condition in the heat, and a significant reduction in the amount of wool in the house during the cat's molt. The latter is especially true for owners suffering from allergic reactions to animal hair, as well as for young children.

In addition, a haircut noticeably transforms and ennobles even the most inconspicuous cat and makes him a beautiful and graceful animal.

However, in addition to the obvious benefits, have a haircut and its disadvantages. One of the most important negative aspects is a violation of the thermoregulation of the animal's body, due to the fact that a gross intervention occurs in the natural conditioning mechanism of the skin. As a result, after the removal of part of the wool cover, the animal's body temperature changes, and it becomes vulnerable to drafts and direct sunlight.

Another weighty argument against haircuts is the deterioration of the hair after regrowth. There are frequent cases of noticeable degradation of hair structure and color changes. But this is not the most important thing, since the most dangerous consequence of grooming cats is the most powerful stress that most animals experience, especially those that cut their hair for the first time. Many pets after the procedure fall into a serious depression and often become ill on nerves. Here it is worth mentioning the famous cases of the death of animals during the hairstyle from cardiac arrest.

Considering the cons, it is impossible not to mention that cats overgrow quite slowly, and there is no guarantee that wool after shearing can ever reach its original length. Moreover, in the first few weeks after cutting, the hairs will remain rather prickly and not very pleasant to the touch. With very short haircuts performed by nozzles at 1 mm length, the risk of damage to the pet's skin during scaling increases significantly.

Therefore, it is very harmful and risky to cut the cats too short, besides, most of the problems arising from the long hair of the animal can be solved by regular grooming and thorough combing.

Cat haircuts are divided into two groups: model and hygienic. The latter pursue very specific goals and are performed in order to protect the animal from overheating and mats, as well as for veterinary reasons. These include diseases of the skin and gastrointestinal tract, increased secretory activity of the sebaceous and paraanal glands, as well as the age of the pet when he is no longer able to cope with his hair on his own.

Model haircuts are performed exclusively for decorative purposes in order to give the animal the greatest appeal, as well as in front of cat shows. Haircuts are considered the most common. under the lion, under the dragon and under the dinosaur. Puma hairstyle is also very popular and is a simplified version of the lion haircut. The only difference is the design of the tail: so, if in the “puma” it is cut out almost baldly, then in the “lions” it repeats the forms of a real lion's tail with a fluffy tassel.

However, the most creative can be called a haircut "dragon", which includes various variations of clipping symbols, letters, ornaments and figures on the back of the animal. Despite the rather exotic look of the pet, most veterinarians warn owners from doing this haircut. This is due to the fact that after cutting the patterns, the coat on the pet's skin becomes uneven, which greatly violates the thermoregulation and does not allow the body to adapt to this variant of heat transfer.

Graduated hairstyle has a much stronger negative effect on the condition of the cat, rather than uniform haircuts, to which the body adapts over time. The same, but to a somewhat lesser extent, applies to the haircuts of the limbs “socks”, “golfiki” and “puss in boots”, which are also very popular among cat owners. Among the exhibition haircuts are very popular "harlequin", "modern" and "continental chic."

Before you start grooming a cat, you must carefully prepare. To do this, you need to make sure in advance that an assistant is present during the procedure. Then it is necessary to resolve the issue with the use of sedatives, soothing the animal during the shearing. However, when making a decision, it is necessary to understand that any anesthesia adversely affects the health of cats and can only be used in exceptional cases. Next, you should prepare special tools and accessories that will be needed in the process of cutting the animal.

1. First of all, you need to decide on a place for grooming. For these purposes, a well-suited table or a wide ironing board.
2. Shaving out mats and large shreds of wool will require sharp scissors of medium size, preferably with rounded ends.
3. The main tool for grooming cats is a special machine with a nozzle of 3 mm. Acquire should be a model designed exclusively for animals. The use of a tool designed for human hair is unacceptable. When choosing a machine, you need to take into account the length and thickness of the pet's hair, and if you need a device with a capacity of 40 to 45 W for a Persian, then you can get by with a relatively weak 20 W machine to cut less woolen cats.
4. It is necessary to take into account the type of power supply apparatus. Network appliances are more convenient in comparison with rechargeable batteries: they do not require constant recharging and can work indefinitely. As for the engine of the machine, there are two options: the vibration motors are rather thin and practically do not heat up, while the rotary motors have decent power, but are prone to overheating.
5. For processing of paws, axillary hollows and peri-tail area, it is better to purchase a trimmer. It is much more convenient for them to handle problem areas, and it is almost impossible to injure an animal.
6. You will also need a massage comb to remove excess wool and give your pet a well-groomed look, as well as thinning shears, which draw up the paws, tail and scruff of the animal.
7. In case of careless handling of scissors and inadvertently injured cat, it is recommended to prepare a bottle with iodine or hydrogen peroxide.
8. Wet wipes will be required to remove the cropped hair from the coat of the animal.

After the necessary tool is prepared, you can proceed to the procedure haircut, which can be divided into several stages.

• Before you start cutting a pet, it is mandatory for him to cut the sharp tips of the claws so that he does not scratch himself or the "barber". It is important to remember that the shortening of the claws can be no more than 2 mm, as the network of blood vessels goes further and its damage will cause bleeding.
• The animal is laid on its side and the paws are pressed tightly to the table. In order to fix the limbs, you need the help of an assistant, who must hold the front legs with one hand and the hind legs with the other.
• Next, check the coat for the presence of mats, combing it with a massage brush "against the hair." The found matted sites are carefully cut with scissors.
• Then also scissors cut out around the nipples, genitals and around the anus.
• Then, at some distance from the animal, turn on the typewriter and observe its reaction. Most cats begin to growl and hiss, expressing their displeasure in a similar way. Therefore, in order to avoid injuries, the assistant should press the pet to the work surface as tightly as possible.
• Starting a haircut, first treat the sides, then the back and last of all the stomach. This sequence is due to the fact that the skin on the abdomen is very sensitive, and if you start from this area, the animal will experience extreme stress and forever dislike haircut. Starting from the sides and back, the groomer allows the pet to calm down a bit and understand that the procedure is actually not so scary. The main thing is not to injure the cat at this moment and not to instill in him the fear of the machine for the rest of his life.
• It is recommended to cut for hair growth, as this method of treatment, although quite long, but gives the pet a minimum of discomfort. Haircut against the coat allows you to cut the cat much faster and is used in relation to those animals that do not cut for the first time and are not afraid of cars.To cut the hair in such a way, it is recommended to slightly tighten the skin in the opposite direction with respect to the movement of the knives, thus reducing the unpleasant pulling sensations.
• Then trim the hair on the folds and relief areas of the animal's body with the help of a trimmer: under the arms, around the elbow joints and under the tail.
• Then cut the paws and tail, forming on the last small brush, to avoid injury to the tip.
• After the haircut of the body and limbs is completed, the cat is wrapped in a towel and the mane is processed with the help of thinning shears.
• At the end of the procedure, the animal is bathed, washing away excess wool with water, after which it is dried in a natural way and combed out with a massage brush.

Hygienic haircut is performed no more than twice a year. This is due to the fact that the wool grows to its former size in about 5-6 months, in addition, animals also shed twice a year. Shorn usually Siberian, Persian, Angora and Norwegian cats, while the shorthair representative of the cat, this procedure is not required.

Show cats trim 3-4 months before the event, it is not recommended to cut the hair too short: the animal will grow into a very long time and may not have time to increase the desired length before the exhibition.

Before making a decision about grooming a cat, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations of experienced professionals. Thus, professional groomers advise, if possible, not to touch the tail, which is the most vulnerable part of the animal's body. Even minor damage to the pet causes great suffering and can negatively affect the overall health of the cat. Attention should be paid to the stomach, especially the lower, most tender part of it.

The next point, which experts advise to pay attention, is the psychological preparation of the pet. This procedure may require some time and patience from the owner of the cat. So, long before the planned haircut, you need to start teaching the animal to the table. This should be done very carefully and consistently.

To begin with, the cat is simply placed on the work surface, stroking its sides and back and, if possible, trying to lay the pet on its side, without stopping stroking. After the animal stops behaving cautiously on the table and responds to petting with pleasure, carefully proceed to combing, each time increasing the procedure time.

If you follow the sequence and do not forget to regularly comb the cat on the table, then over time she will get used to the procedures and will take the table and the comb quite calmly. The next important step will be to teach your pet to the sound of a working machine. Ideally, it is better to purchase a silent machine, but if this is not possible, then you can try to accustom the cat to the noise of a running electric motor. To do this, a few days before the haircut, you should briefly turn on the machine, while holding the pet in your hands and stroking it.

In general, a cat or cat haircut should be perceived as an extreme measure only, when the animal's hair is hopelessly running and it is not possible to comb out the mats. As for haircuts for decorative purposes, in this case it is necessary to be guided by the cat's reaction to the procedure, while evaluating the possible consequences. When performing complex show hairstyles, it is recommended to give the cat a rest and perform trimming in 2-3 stages.

You should also remember that trimmed whiskers, as well as hair inside the ears and on the head, significantly reduce the sensitivity of the sense of smell receptors. You do not need to independently cut too aggressive or overly active pets. Such animals are better attributed to the salon to an experienced groomer, where it may be necessary to use sedatives. Thus, each owner must decide for himself - to cut or not to cut a pet. To do this, you need to soberly assess the benefit / harm ratio and focus primarily on the well-being and emotional balance of the pet.

About why to cut cats, see the following video.