TRIMMING A CAT'S FUR

[cjk]

Our vet shaved a spot on our cat to give him a shot or test or something (I don't really remember what it was). He pulled out a trimmer similar to something I would use to cut my own hair only a bit smaller.

If I were in your shoes, I think I would get a beard and mustache trimmer because they are smaller and narrower. If you use a people sized trimmer, the results might not be all that acceptable on something as small as a cat. I would also get the quietest one you can find as to not spook the cat. If it's fairly silent, I think the cat would adjust to it more quickly.

My experience with rechargeable clippers is that the battery life sucks. Depending on how skittish the cat is, you may not have enough of a charge to finish the job. If you can find something with a cord, I'd buy that.

[tubatooter1940]

My long haired cat leaves poof balls everywhere if we don't do something.
We never considered cutting his hair but a thorough comb-out really helps. Most loose hair is on his tail. I lay him on an outside picnic table and drag up a garbage can. I comb him with the fine toothed comb until either he or I lose patience.
Charlie loves being combed as long as I don't do it too long.
He looks a lot better after I comb him, too.

[MaryAnn]

I bought a very expensive (you don't want to know) special cat-hair trimmer a couple summers ago because my cat leaves poof-balls on the rug but only after they have spent considerable time in her stomach. This goes on all summer and she ends up with visible ribs. I ended up never using the trimmer because I found that yogurt every day (her, not me) took care of most of the barf-ball problem.

But...I find one of those small, hip-pocket black combs that men often carry, does a great job on getting the hair off if she doesn't bite me first. You have to be careful that you're not pulling out hair that is still rooted. Both cats "reacted" when I pulled out hair that was still rooted, and I considered them blameless, because, well, they are cats, and teeth and claws are all they have to fight back with.

If you opt for scissors, remember that the reason why hair stylist people cut with the tips is because you look where you're cutting, and if you cut with the middle of the blades, you are not watching the tip, and some "interesting things" can get cut by the tips while you are watching the center of the blades. Just ask my ex-husband about my trimming his mustache before I learned about that particular technique. He still has both lips, but it was, uh, "nip and tuck" there once. Fortunately he does not bite, unlike my cats.

MA

[lgb&dtuba]

[tubaguy9]

Wow...I can't help but laugh at the cat picture lgb&dtuba posted...

[poomshanka]

Does anyone have experience with trimming thick, fine, long cat hair? What make/model (hopefully a currently-made model) do you use? How do I maintain/sharpen a good set of trimmers?

I have looked a trimmers online in the past...I just get confused. How much do a *really* need to pay? Can I buy a $20 trimmer and toss it after 3-4 uses?

I use this one on our animals:

http://www.osterpro.com/productCat.aspx ... 5&pid=1210

I tried going the el cheapo route several times, but finally just decided to step up to the big leagues. I found an Oster A5 rig for sale at a local pet store for around $100. You should be able to find them on eBay for less. I've more than made that back not only in groomer's fees, but moreso in time and hassle saved using something that's the real deal. I can't tell you how much nicer it is working with something that's fast and functional. The thing that's different with these clippers is that in order to adjust the depth of the cut, you have to get different blades. Both blades move back-n-forth at the same time, as opposed to one being stationary while the other one moves. Because of this, you can't get those little clip-on hair depth guides. Hope that makes sense.

For regular maintenance, I'll second the earlier poster's recommendation for the Furminator. Actually works pretty well!

...Dave

[poomshanka]

Thanks Dave.

I DID buy a Furminator (on their recommendation). The poofy cat DOES look much better (and sheds less) after Furmination.

Thank-you, as well, for a recommendation of a quality clippers...and yes, I completely understand why a guide cannot be attached to a quickly-reciprocating object.

No problem! One point I'd clarify is that the Oster A5 isn't just built better, it's built different. The mechanism works in a much different fashion than the garden-variety Target/Walmart specials. I went through three or four of those, and while they might be OK for little touch-up things like trimming between toes or fine detail work, when you need to clear-cut swaths of fur, they just don't make it through. I've never shorn a sheep before, but I'd imagine the Oster functions in a similar fashion. Those things seem to whip through with ease.

...D

[Rick Denney]

If cats could speak English, the words this one would be saying would not be printable.

Rick "imagining considerable blood loss" Denney

[windshieldbug]

I'm willing to muddle through all of the subsequent cat-hater jokes if I can get one or two good suggestions...

[OldsRecording]

I'm willing to muddle through all of the subsequent cat-hater jokes if I can get one or two good suggestions...

1736.jpg

This works even better.