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Poll: Should Duncan get a lion cut?

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17 comments to Poll: Should Duncan get a lion cut?

  • Everything but the tail. I don’t like that effect. My cat is a Himalayan and I get a modified lion for her, with her tail trimmed a bit, but no skinny/puff effect.

  • I agree with deB. No big pouf on the tail, please.

  • I left a comment in the poll but it didn’t show up here. This is what I said:

    “He’s a dog-cat, not a lion-cat! I say keep the puddin’ head as is!:

  • Rhonda

    Lion cut Only if it won’t traumatize him. He might find it nice to be cool.

  • Arden

    Cats should never be shaved. It’s wrong! Poor Erik was mostly shaved at the Humane Society when we adopted him, and he was so pathetic looking for so long.

    Our neighbours used to shave their short-hair every summer, which was truly bad, since he was an outdoor cat, and really needed his coat to protect him from the elements (such as sun burn!) He also turned into a nasty, squirrel-brain eating cat, and I can’t help think the two were related!

  • Demae

    Just let him be his big furry self. His fur insulates him from the heat and without it he might be prone to sunburn if he goes outside.

    Given how upset he seemed to be going to the boarding place and then his reaction to the GC and his dog, I don’t think he needs the stress of going to the groomer.

  • I agree that he needs his fur and doesn’t need the stress. You don’t say what prompted you to consider a furcut; if it’s that his fur is getting dirty, you can help him with his grooming without giving him a stressful/dangerous-for-you bath. Just wet a washcloth (almost dripping, warm water, no soap) and start stroking/rubbing him with it. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. It feels to him like his mom giving him a bath with her tongue. Then take the money you didn’t spend on the groomer and get some Feliway or some yarn! If you haven’t already, try brushing and/or combing him. Ordinary people combs and brushes work fine; I like the soft baby brushes for their faces.

  • XUP

    I agree with everyone who said leave the poor guy with all his Samson glory. (Also, I saw a gigantic white cat at the OHS today who I thought would be a great pal for Duncan. Really gigantic. Short-haired, but still gigantic. You should check it out.)

  • katiec

    I say shave him if he needs it. I have a big orange Monster cat (called Monster, short for Monty, short for Sebastian Montgomery III) and he just got shaved (not like a lion, always thought of it though) because he had huge matts on his back. But not shaved down to the skin though, more buzzed. I think it’d be interested just to buzz the fur so that its shorter, but not to the skin cuz that can cause problems like sunburn and stuff.

  • The cat in the poll photo looks like some other cat’s head is on his body. It is very disturbing. Duncan is lovely the way he is, so I agree with the rest that if he doesn’t really need to be buzzed, then don’t subject him to the stress/torture/humiliation.

  • Megan

    dont shave him unless you want him to get all pissed and crazy and pee on more stuff.

  • Re

    Duncan is so regal. That lion cut freaks me out. But he is your kitty. I would be concerned about whether the shaving and then the lack of hair would totally freak him out.

  • Melinda

    I agree with Megan. You might send him into a peeing frenzy. Don’t shave him/cut his hair unless there is a real need for it.

  • I figured Duncan would either like how it felt or not. Given that I don’t have AC, I thought he might like it.

    I didn’t think cats were all that aware of their appearance, and therefore not inclined towards humiliation based on changes in how they look, but maybe I’m wrong about that.

    I started reconsidering the trip to the groomer’s when he peed on the bed, simply because I wasn’t sure it was wise to subject him to any more changes right now.

    Of the 74 votes cast so far, 40 said no, 27 said yes, and 7 said it depends.

    Personally I’m curious to see what he looks like under all that fur, but I’m going to go with the majority on this one – no lion cut for Duncan!

  • I’m a day late to this one, but I voted “No – other” also. My reason was already stated by others above: cats are created with all that fur for a reason and don’t need us to shave it off except under the most dire circumstances (e.g., tar, cactus spines, hopeless mats in it). I’m glad you decided to let Duncan keep his coat.

  • Fur actually serves as an insulation both ways. Not only does it keep the animals warm, but cool as well. My neighbour’s furry dog (Newfie) does much better in the sun than my Danes do since they have nothing to protect them from the rays. I also know that people with light coloured animals sometimes have to use sunscreen on their ears and nose to prevent them from getting skin cancer, so it might be best to leave the fur where it is, or consider just a trim or thinning it out.

    I do agree with you about the humiliation. That is, for the most part, an anthropomorphization of the animal. They probably really don’t care how they look. I have yet to find my animals grooming themselves in front of the mirror.

  • DeLaina

    He is used to regulating his body temp with all that hair- dont you think he’d be cold if you got rid of it?