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sapphirephoenix83 · Nov 18, 2007, 03:49 PM

I decided about two months ago to shave my cat, I got tired of the fleas:D . I figured I'd shave him down and get to the vet and get some frontline and by the time his hair grew back the fleas would be gone. Well it didn't work that way, I wasn't able to get to the vet and now he looks scraggly! His hair is growing back, but very slow, he used to have a nice full tail and now it looks like he's got some sort of disease. Do you know how long it might take to grow back?:confused:

Wondergirl · Nov 18, 2007, 04:03 PM

Please don't ever shave a cat again! That's not how you get rid of fleas!

Cats need their fur coat in order to regulate their body temp. They can adjust how their hair lies to get warmer or to "air condition" themselves.

Hair grows in slowly, with different timing for various areas, so he won't look like his old self again for quite a while. In fact, he may never look like his old self again.

I'm really sorry you did this. Please be sure to keep him warm enough until his fur grows back.

tickle · Nov 18, 2007, 04:10 PM

Well, I would say three months for the coat to come back. A client of mine had let her persian cross get scraggly and had stopped combing her coat. In the spring they had her shaved and she looked good, these people make sure there are no fleas with the system that is done every 6 months.

Get a professional to do it next time and save your cat (and you) undue stress and they can advise you about the fleas.

I know cats seem to do just fine but don't assume they are, they need help too and care. Assume they are doing fine.

bushg · Nov 19, 2007, 06:05 AM

This is why I don't believe in shaving cats. Cats have a body temp of 102 so they need more heat than we do. I don't think they should be shaved because 1 the soft hair next to their skin keeps them warm and sheds in the summer time and the outer hairs are hollow which helps in the cooling of the cats. Cats orginated in the desert so they are biologicaly able to with stand heat. If I am wrong please feel free to correct me. This is just info I have picked up here and there, by no means am I a vet, tech or a groomer. *edit* Btw I read that if you shave dogs that have a double coat that the downy fur may not grow back only the outer fur, thereby they are not protected from the elements in the winter. I am supposing that the same could happen with a cat.