Should I shave my cat? -serious question-

[Upirium]

I have a cat who has not only a horrible shedding problem but it could possibly lead to matting... You touch her and hair just flies off of her everywhere. It gets everywhere. There's no stopping this really. No, it's not that I have a cat and I should deal with her shedding it's ******** horrible. I mean you touch her and all of the sudden you have fur in your nose and mouth just from it flying off of her.

Last year when this happened she started shedding somehow it caused her to get all matted up, so I had to shave her. I don't want her to get matted up again...

She's really cool about being shaved though. She lays there and purrs the whole time. She also seemed really..at ease with her fur gone for some reason. She's really weird and scared all the time.

Plus it's getting hot and she likes to go outside sometimes. I'm thinking less hair could provide a cooler cat?

[Moth Feathers]

Hair is insulating. Meaning, it not only keeps you warm in the cold but keeps you cool in the warm because it traps cool air underneath it (assuming this is not matted hair, which does neither).

If she sheds that much, I would make sure she is on a good diet (grainfree if possible) and that she's bathed as frequently as she needs it, as well as brushed often to remove a lot of the hair.

I hope you provide a safe environment for her when she goes outside.

[K y o F o o c h a]

We're going to have to shave our cat too. But just be careful about the skin when doing it. Stay away from your cat's face, neck, and ears too, because when you accidentally cut a cat, their skin stretches and they can lose a lot of blood. Get a professional to do it, if possible. xD

[Odysseia Desmona]

A lot of people shave their dogs and cats this time of year, I see no problem with it. Like was mentioned before though, look into a better diet for your cat. So many ingredients in grocery store brand (and some specialty too) can cause issues for animals.

[Henrika]

iDiru

I have a cat who has not only a horrible shedding problem but it could possibly lead to matting... You touch her and hair just flies off of her everywhere. It gets everywhere. There's no stopping this really. No, it's not that I have a cat and I should deal with her shedding it's ******** horrible. I mean you touch her and all of the sudden you have fur in your nose and mouth just from it flying off of her.

Last year when this happened she started shedding somehow it caused her to get all matted up, so I had to shave her. I don't want her to get matted up again...

She's really cool about being shaved though. She lays there and purrs the whole time. She also seemed really..at ease with her fur gone for some reason. She's really weird and scared all the time.

Plus it's getting hot and she likes to go outside sometimes. I'm thinking less hair could provide a cooler cat?

If you shave her and then let her outside, she will probably get sunburnt in the summer. Their fur protects them from getting overheated as well as for insulation.

She really shouldn't be shedding as much as she sounds like she is - what are you feeding her? Also how often you you brush her? Will she let you bathe her? If not you can buy some pet wipes or wipe her down with a damp towel to pick up some excess fur.

[Upirium]

Henrika

iDiru

I have a cat who has not only a horrible shedding problem but it could possibly lead to matting... You touch her and hair just flies off of her everywhere. It gets everywhere. There's no stopping this really. No, it's not that I have a cat and I should deal with her shedding it's ******** horrible. I mean you touch her and all of the sudden you have fur in your nose and mouth just from it flying off of her.

Last year when this happened she started shedding somehow it caused her to get all matted up, so I had to shave her. I don't want her to get matted up again...

She's really cool about being shaved though. She lays there and purrs the whole time. She also seemed really..at ease with her fur gone for some reason. She's really weird and scared all the time.

Plus it's getting hot and she likes to go outside sometimes. I'm thinking less hair could provide a cooler cat?

If you shave her and then let her outside, she will probably get sunburnt in the summer. Their fur protects them from getting overheated as well as for insulation.

She really shouldn't be shedding as much as she sounds like she is - what are you feeding her? Also how often you you brush her? Will she let you bathe her? If not you can buy some pet wipes or wipe her down with a damp towel to pick up some excess fur.

I brush her usually after I bathe her, which I do when I can. But the problem is she's not just my cat and this isn't just my house. My mom doesn't like me to bathe her because it gets hair in the tub.
On that note, she eats Meowmix, because my mom is in charge of the food. But I have two other cats, who eat the same thing and don't have these problems.

The thing is with my mom, I either shave her, or throw her outside. Or leave her in until she gets mad about the shedding again...

[Moth Feathers]

iDiru

On that note, she eats Meowmix, because my mom is in charge of the food. But I have two other cats, who eat the same thing and don't have these problems.

And that is why she is shedding so badly. Meowmix, as you probably are aware, isn't a very good food.

Different animals react differently to their diet. You can't expect all cats to function the same on the same food. Why do you think some people get sick after consuming milk products but other people are fine with it? Some people can eat junk food and stay at a perfectly healthy weight, other people would become overweight if they ate junk food.

People and animals have individual needs. Your other cats may not be sensitive to grains and byproducts, but this cat is. You either can tailor this cat's food (or persuade your mom to) to something that will be much better on her body, or you can deal with the shedding.

[Ameixah7]

You could try the furminator. It's supposed to remove hair from the cat's undercoat and prevent shedding. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040QS3PO/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/175-5231107-7319008?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1C4VK4H4K8TDMGW1FTRG&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_i=B0002AQUSE

If her hair is already tangled/matted then you might have to shave her hair off.

[Shanna66]

yuck, both my cats shed horribly when they were on meow mix. can you ask her to at least change to purina? their naturals is in a green bag and it isnt too expensive but its freaking loads better than meowmix. i alternate between that and one beyonbd when i need to buy cheap food for my cats and they do pretty much just as well as when they are on the wellness, just smelly poops. a $10 bag will last both my cats for over a month.

also i dont see an issue with shaving yur cat, i shave my long hair boy every once in a while becasue he doesnt like to clean his back and will get matts in his armpits so once a year i shave down those areas

[Erin puppy]

I would just brush her everyday....

and change her food.

: (

my roommates cat would shed a ton even with brushing, but I bet she would have had better luck if the cat wasn't eating purina.

[sgnt dookie]

unless you've been professionally trained and have the correct equipment, you shouldn't be grooming cats at home, they are really sensitive.

sounds to me like you don't have much control of this issue either way.
seems like your mothers cat, your mothers choices