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    Doug Crf's Avatar
    Doug Crf Posts: 38, Reputation: 2
    Junior Member
     
    #1

    Jan 15, 2006, 02:20 PM
    Shaving a cat
    We get our cat shaved a couple time's a year.I would like to try shaving him myself.We take him to get him shaved and I have never seen him being shaved.He is a really mellow cat so I am pretty sure he should not be to big of a problem to shave.
    It is kind of a hassle to take him to get it done and the other day I had an appoinment and took him there and the groomer was not even there and never even called me,Kind of ticked me off since I got home from work 3:00
    Am and the appt was for 9:00 AM So I only got like four hour's of sleep
    And worked another 12 hour shift after that.So I figure they lost my business.
    Besides that it's kind of expensive to get him shaved 55.00 and plus he is diabitic so I have an insulin cost also.
    He love's it when I bring him home and he is shaved he act's like a whole different cat.
    Can any one give me any tip's on shaving my cat.
    Thank's Doug
    lilfyre's Avatar
    lilfyre Posts: 508, Reputation: 98
    Senior Member
     
    #2

    Jan 15, 2006, 02:42 PM
    I would not shave your cat unless you really know what you are doing. It is possible to burn you cat with the clippers or cause abrasions. If you are going to do it Oster make some of the best clippers for cats. The best blade to use when clipping a matted cat is a #10 blade. It is best if you went and really watched a professional groomer do this before attempting it. I have listed a link below I hope that it is helpful to you. I could find no how to sites listed on the web,


    Pet grooming for beginners http://www.thepetcenter.com/groom/gr.html
    fredg's Avatar
    fredg Posts: 4,926, Reputation: 674
    Ultra Member
     
    #3

    Jan 16, 2006, 09:15 AM
    Cat
    Hi,
    I have never tried to shave a cat's hair, but when you have it done, do they give the cat any type of medication? For nerve relaxing?
    As another said, be careful of getting too close, not causing scratching of the skin, and be careful of the hot razor burning the skin.
    I cut my dog's hair, with scissors, about every 4 months or so. Use to have it done Professionally, but it just simply costs too much, and they sometimes don't care about razor burns!
    She doesn't like a razor; especially around the head!
    Good luck and give it a try.
    shawnie6874's Avatar
    shawnie6874 Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #4

    Jan 16, 2006, 10:28 AM
    I am just curious... what is the purpose of shaving a cat? I am pretty sure my cats would scratch my eyes out if I ever tried to shave them LOL.
    Doug Crf's Avatar
    Doug Crf Posts: 38, Reputation: 2
    Junior Member
     
    #5

    Jan 16, 2006, 01:26 PM
    We did shave our cat for the first time
    We did it and he did not really mind it at all.Me and my wife went and bought the clippers last night and did the shaving this morning.The cat was pretty good except the clipper's did not really work that good.I guess may be we need to spend a little more than 75.00 buck's on clipper's.
    We had to keep going back and forth and the clippers were barely shaving any hair at all.He has really long and soft hair.I have never seen a cat get shaved before but I would think the hair should come off a little eiser than that.Where I bought the clippers they told me we could take the clippers back if they do not work good so I guess we are going to take a chance and speend more money on more expensive clippers or first I might try to go by a grooming shop or two and try to sneek a peek and see how the hair comes off a long hair cat.I tried to ask our cat if we were doing it right but he would not answer us.For those
    CAN ANY ONE TELL ME IF THE HAIR SHOULD COME OFF WITH A FEW STROKES INSTEAD OF LIKE TEN OR MORE STROKES?
    AND ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO GET SOME REALLY EXPENSIVE CLIPPERS?

    Thank's Doug and Elizabeth
    koriani's Avatar
    koriani Posts: 132, Reputation: 8
    Junior Member
     
    #6

    Jan 16, 2006, 01:36 PM
    Hello,

    We shave cats almost on a daily basis at our clinic. Normally, we sedate them as most cats don't take well to the noise of the clippers or to being held down.

    I have a diabetic cat that I shave about twice a year. Oster makes the best clippers I've used and yes, you will have to fork over more money for them. They are worth it especially if you intend to do it yourselves from now on.

    Several years ago, I had a cat that would allow me to shave him without anesthesia but my current cat had a cow! It's great that you can do it at home without a problem.

    On whether the hair comes out easily depends on several factors:

    1. The cat's hair type
    2. How oily the skin/hair is
    3. Sharpness of the blades

    One or two swipes does it for my cat (I use size 10 blades without guides or size 40 for bad mats) but I've shaved cats where the hair just doesn't seem to come off easily. It's like shaving through molassas!

    If you're cat's hair is difficult even with the better Oster clippers/blades, it could be the diabetes making the skin/hair too oily. You may just have to live with it.

    On the chance your cat decides he doesn't like his home haircuts, you can ask your vet for a mild sedative such as Acepromazine or Valium. Since most grooming places don't have a veterinarian on hand to dole out anesthesia, they depend on light sedation such as these for hard-to-deal-with cats/dogs.
    tirheu's Avatar
    tirheu Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #7

    May 3, 2007, 06:40 AM
    You can shave your cat yourself, its not really a risk to the cat. Be gental and go slow until you get the hang of it. My sister and I both have long haired cats and come summer time there are so unhappy with all that fur. So we bought a shaver for about ten bucks and shave then in the spring and throughout the summer. Now that we have been doing it for a while it's a lot of fun, and the cats are not that angry until they get a good look at themselves... :0
    RobertaJKV's Avatar
    RobertaJKV Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #8

    Aug 14, 2009, 09:54 AM
    My poor cat was miserable as she had fleas so thick they she was chewing herself raw and had licked off all the hair she could reach with her tongue. Then the hairballs, gagging, retching. I thought she was going to keel over and die at times. I took a razor to her, and she just loved it because it was like a tiny massage scratching all her flea bites. Nothing had worked on the flea bites, not even Advantage, shampoos, flea combing, or other remedies. She is just loving it now. IF she gets an itch, she can lick it easily and does not need to chew. Not to mention that we can see fleas and get them off her in an instant without having to chase them. I want to make a note here, following shaving, we could see that she had so many bites in places that it looked like she had bites within a millimeter of each other with many overlapping. Again, needless to say, she is very comfortable now. She is still beautiful too as she was a long-haired calico and her markings are as beautiful as ever and her checkerboard spots remain. Oh, one hint: Wear a garbage bag or some other plastic sheet like you get from a hair cutting place. There was fur all over, not to mention the tiniest pieces that itched like fiberglass can. Good luck all!
    toddk's Avatar
    toddk Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #9

    Dec 19, 2009, 09:56 AM
    We did this for the first time recently and were happy with how it turned out. I had used a vacuum adapter for something similar at work, so I tried it for the cat. A special plate attaches to the clippers, which then attaches to a shopvac. It keeps the clippers much cooler and eliminates almost all the mess. I couldn't believe how much fur was in the shopvac! I used one from hairvac (www.hairvac.com/Upgradeparts.htm). It cost more than the clippers, but it works. (Other brands may be good, too.)
    anpp's Avatar
    anpp Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #10

    May 7, 2012, 05:47 PM
    Call me! I'm an expert shaving pussies!
    paleophlatus's Avatar
    paleophlatus Posts: 459, Reputation: 112
    Full Member
     
    #11

    May 8, 2012, 01:10 AM
    Cat hair is so fine that anything but a really sharp blade set will not cut well. The new blades from Oster are the sharpest, and you may get a second shaving from them, but don't be disappointed if not. Keeping them lubricated will help, but isn't the answer if they will not cut.
    Lubricating also helps keep the blades cool, so that you reduce the clipper burn possibility. It is always best to feel the blades yourself, on your forearm, and wait till they cool before proceeding. Lubrication may also help cutting with blades that are getting dull.

    Resharpened blades, even if professionally done, are less satisfactory than new blades, but lots cheaper. Not every person who sharpens blades can do a satisfactory job... there is an art to sharpening blades that is not readily revealed by those that have mastered it. If you know a groomer, ask who does their blades and what they think of their work. One hint to prolonging the life of new sharp blades is to avoid cutting dirty hair... cat or, especially, dog.

    It seems that as a cat ages, it becomes more prone to developing mats in its coat, especially and particularly Persian breeds. After about 7 or 8 years old, you have to shave them about every 2 or 3 years to get rid of the mats. If not it becomes painful to them as the mats will pull hair until it is actually pulled out, or shaved.
    tsamarij's Avatar
    tsamarij Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #12

    Jul 5, 2012, 06:11 PM
    OMG! If you're not a certified vet or groomer, you DO NOT need to be shaving a cat. I have been grooming for 10yrs & have 6yrs experience with grooming cats. The skin is so thin & delicate underneath all the hair that the blade can cut right through the skin. (& only use a #10blade on your clippers when shaving down a cat BTW.) So when you think you would have been saving money by doing the groom yourself, you would be then paying a vet fee for mending your cat's torn skin. It is a big risk to your cat because of this. They can get stressed from the clipper noises if they are not used to it. Then jumping around can make it harder to hold them steady & easier to cut with the blades. There is a risk to yourself because an upset cat will do whatever it needs to do to defend itself. Whether you are the cat's owner shaving it, that won't matter to them. Please consult a certified groomer or vet for this service. I am so worried reading some of the comments on her about this.

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