What are your thoughts on giving a long haired cat a hair cut while its hot?

[PanannyPanoo]

I have a fluff ball of a cat. She is so hot in this weather and after seeing my neighbours normally fluffy dog with a haircut wondered if it would be a good idea for her.

She loves being brushed, so don't think she would mind the actual process. But the pictures I have googled are all american and seem to be done for the look rather than comfort, so I'm not sure if it is a 'thing' in the UK.

I have consulted with my two dlh cats, Basil and Sybil, and they both think it's a really really bad idea.

I thought about a teddy bear cut for my floof balls. But decided against it. Their groomer just stripped their under coats. Fatty was immediately much happier. And they both looked more comfortable.

A teddy bear cut just takes some of the length off. It doesn't shave completely. I don't like lion cuts unless done for medical reasons. I can recommend an very good mobile groomer if you are in the Midlands.

Basil and Sybil are such brilliant names!!

I can't find anyone who will do anything other than a sodding lion cut, so instead I've bought a furminator and a top coat stripper. Took a huge amount of fluff off the cat last night until she growled at me and will groom her nightly while this heat goes on.

I used to do this on our now sadly departed long haired boy. The first time was when he went to the vets for a dental during a hot spell and I asked them to take some fur off while he was under. After a few days of doing almost nothing due to being too hot, he came home from the vets and ran round the garden like a kitten.

After that I bought dog clippers and just took some off his back and sides when he started to get lethargic during hot spells. It took a few goes to make a significant dent in his fur, and it wasn't a stylish cut, but he certainly seemed more comfortable for it.

Not sure but I'd love to see before and after photos

Our fluff ball has regular teddy bear cuts because it's so hot here (not UK), and he is so much happier once the weight has gone from him

I have one long haired cat and I’d be too scared, she would kill me then eat me.

I did a lion cut on one last year

Probably about time to do it again now. Much kinder and more comfortable for them IMO.

Is their fur like a double coated dog's in which case clipping is supposed to make them hotter.
No idea. Our old girl would've separated our faces and our arms from our torsos if we had tried that!

I was considering it, my cat looks miserable

Thank you so much for your thoughts. Particularly Basil and Sybils!
Taisie Rainbows (named by a 5 and 2 year old. 3 years and a year of speech therapy later I am wondering if they actually ment Daisy).
Is booked in for a trim next week. I will let you know her thoughts on her first salon experience!
As you can see from the pic she sent exactly highly strung.
I am semi confident she won't kill and eat me.

Isn't not sent!

Even my incredibly placid and docile Persians get very cross with the groomer when their back legs are touched. I was mortified when she came once and had to put a gauntlet to finish Fatty off!

Angry puss cat!

We have six cats and all short haired but one is particularly fluffy. I furminated her tonight and finished off with a grooming glove. She is now very sleek and less fluffy.

I have never even thought about taking them for hair cuts. I think they've gang up on me and kill me while I'm sleeping if I did.

I have a long haired feral rescue cat who get awful matts so she sees the vet annually to have her fur clipped down to the length of a normal short haired moggy and is much happier for it. Sometimes she looks a little straggly for a while but I figure she would rather than and be cool than knotty and hot.

I think it’s an excellent idea, these longhairs came from Iran or Iraq originally but the coats then were longer and thinner. Now it’s long and thick.

My 18 year old fluff ball has been having a lion cut in summer for the past few years. She doesn't groom much anymore and even with daily brushing it's hard to stay on top of the knots. She seems to much prefer life as a short haired cat and it feels like velvet when it's shorter too.

@Toddlerteaplease
Love the grumpy cat photo

Cat2 freaked out when I tried to shave him. The clippers were horrendously loud. Maybe fine if you have a terrific set of clippers (mine were cheapies). How much does one pay for a salon trim? I suspect not available within 50 miles of here.

My fluffy cat seems fine this year, but we life 5miles from sea.

I pay £80 for both of mine. To be done. The groomer comes to my house. She travels about 60 miles as I'm out of her area. But doesn't charge a travel fee.

You shouldn’t cut them, apparantly the hair keeps them cool. They don’t need it. I live in Australia and my Ragdoll is fine in summer, he has a cool pad but he prefers to lie in the middle of the kitchen floor for everyone to trip over.

Can be easier to manage tangles & burr removal by just shaving them, Althea. Also reduces shedding so reduces other vacuuming needed.

I agree that they don't seem to overheat like you'd expect, given all that fur. The hysteria online about pets in UK hot weather (best one was a diagram saying dogs couldn't be walked if temp > 27... I've walked barefoot on pavement when temps > 32, it's not impossible...) has been confusing to me (grew up in warm place where the animals seemed to cope fine with hot spells).