Cats are expert groomers, but sometimes, even the fussiest ones need a little help.
While stylish cat haircuts are trendy, they do serve a practical purpose too. If your cat is struggling to keep up their usual grooming standards, or shedding excessively, it may be time to consider a haircut.
Let’s take a look at the most common cat hairstyles and what they’ll do for your fur buddy.
Lion Cut
No surprises here, a lion cut will make your cat resemble a miniature lion. The body gets a close shave, while the fur on the cat’s head, shoulders, tip of its tail, and legs, are left longer.
A lion cut will help cats whose fur is prone to matting. It will also reduce the amount of hair that your cat sheds. Two solid reasons to consider a lion cut for your cat.
Comb Cut
A comb cut is similar to but longer than a lion cut. Hair on the cat’s head, legs, and shoulders is left long. The back hair isn’t shaved but trimmed slightly shorter.
This cut also reduces shedding and matting. Your cat gets to keep the soft, long, fur on its back.
Panther Cut
A panther cut is a sleek cut, that shaves off most of a cat’s fur, only leaving fur on the head and legs, and occasionally, the end of the tail. This is a preferred cut for cats whose fur is especially prone to matting, particularly in the neck area.
Kitten Clip
This is for long-haired cats. A kitten clip takes cuts their fur to the same length as a short-haired cat. Apart from making them look two years younger, this is a preventative cut to reducing matting and shedding for a few months.
Sanitary Clip
A sanitary haircut is those cats who aren’t managing to keep themselves clean due to their age or being overweight. A sanitary clip doesn’t affect the appearance of the cat but is a purely functional trim to avoid excrement getting stuck in their fur.
Belly Shave AKA The Peekaboo
In some cats, the belly is the area that is most prone to matting and collecting debris. For these cats, a belly shave makes a big difference, without changing their appearance much. The short belly fur blends into the length of the longer fur and makes the cat look as if it has a full coat.
Stripped, Shaved, or Clipped
For cats with extremely matted fur, the answer is a close to the body, full shave. This is one of the best anti-matting haircuts.
Partial Haircut
One way of neatening up a cat’s appearance is a partial haircut, where their inner thighs, armpits, chin, and sanitary area are clipped. The cat’s back, side, and tail aren’t touched.
Why Does a Cat’s Fur Mat?
Cat’s are usually good groomers but sometimes their grooming habits fail them. Overweight cats struggle to reach all the areas they should clean. Cat’s with long hair have a tough job trying to keep well-groomed.
For older cats, it’s a combination of struggling to reach places and running out of the energy to bother trying. Sometimes a cat is just a lazy groomer. Not keeping their fur clean leads to matted clumps that are hard to get rid of and that’s where cat haircuts come in.
Hair, Hair, Everywhere! How to Stop Shedding
You’re about to leave the house and you look down to see yourself wearing more cat hair than the cat itself. Getting the hair off can take a while! How to stop a cat shedding is a question most cat owners would love an answer for.
Unfortunately, shedding is a natural process that you can’t stop completely. Some cats shed more than others, but they all do it. There are ways to minimize the amount your cat sheds.
Step 1. Food Check
Check what’s in your cat’s food. For healthy skin, your cat needs omega 3 or omega 6 fatty acids. When their skin is healthy, they’ll shed less. If you need to, you can buy supplements containing the omegas that you can add to your cat’s food.
Step 2. Bathtime!
Bath your cat once a month. This will remove dirt and excess hair. Many cats aren’t big water fans. If yours isn’t, you can use cat bath wipes as they contain natural conditioners and proteins. If that is going to earn you a few scratches, you can try a spray-on waterless cat shampoo. Once you’ve sprayed it on, you simply massage it into her coat and use a clean towel to wipe it off.
Step 3. Brushing Helps#
To control shedding, brush your cat’s fur every day. Go gently, using a comb or de-shedding tool. Brushing removes loose hair before it ends up all over your furniture and clothes.
Step 4. Visit Your Vet
Your cat’s fur and the condition of her skin is an indicator of her state of health. Regular checkups at the vet will help you pick up on diseases or illnesses that may be affecting your cat’s coat. Catching things early goes a long way towards being able to treat them successfully.
Step 5. Skin Check
Take note of any hair loss, fleas, ticks, parasites, or infections on your cat’s skin. Anything strange going on with her fur or skin should be investigated and sorted out.
Who Should Do the Deed?
You know your cat well and they trust you, but it’s still better to let a certified groomer tackle the job of giving your cat a haircut. While they are busy with cat grooming, they will also check for:
- Flea infestations
- Dermatological problems
- Weight loss or gain
- Nails that are too long
A certified groomer will also clean your cat’s ears, sort out any soiled fur, and trim their nails. If a medical bath is needed, your groomer will take care of it.
Cat Haircuts 101
Giving your cat haircuts that are stylish does so much more for them than just make them look cool. It helps them with grooming and hygiene, and it saves you hours of brushing off shed hairs. That is a complete win!
If you’re looking for more cool cat info, check out all the interesting things in our cat section.