If your cat is shedding too much hair, then you might have to take good care of his grooming. Once in a life, you would have thought about whether you can shave your cat with human clippers or not.
I also had the same question in my mind. Well, in today’s article, I will be sharing what you can do if you have to share your feline with human clippers or not.
I have also provided tips that you can use to bring your cat to a calm state. Moreover, how the pet clipper is better than a human clipper for your furry friend.
Let’s jump into the article you will get to see the different types of patterns that you can apply to your cat.
Can You Shave a Cat With Human Clippers?
Let me get it straight, the human clippers are designed to trim human hair and you may find difficulties in trimming your cat’s hair. You might know that almost all the cats have soft hair, it can get stuck in the human clippers.
The human clippers are not designed to go through such dense hair as all the cats have. I would say you can use the human clippers, the point is you will get what you desired output. It makes more noise & vibrations, this might make your cat threatened.
If you are trimming your cat’s hair with human clippers, then you should be careful because their hair is so soft & it might get jammed in the clippers. This might be very stressful for both of you.
Why Are Pet Clippers Better?
I would say those pet clippers are better than human clippers if you want to shave your furry feline. Why you should know that the pet clippers have relatively thick blades, these pet clippers are made to work for longer hours. They provide less noise & vibration so your cat will not be stressed or feel anxious.
Reasons for Grooming Your Cat
There might be many reasons that you have to shave your cat for. You should make sure that it is for the right cause, before you do it yourself you should confirm it from a veterinarian. If your cat is experiencing any kind of allergies or skin infections, you should consult with your veterinarian.
Different Types of Patterns
Belly Shave
There are different types of cats in the world, also they have different types of coats as well. Usually, the owners with long hairy cats do this to prevent shedding and matting on their cat’s stomachs. If you are shaving your cat’s belly then you won’t notice if your cat is walking around.
Sanitary Shave
These cuts are done by the owners who have overweight cats. These cuts are recommended by the vets, as these cuts help to keep the cats stay cleaner. I would suggest you ask a professional pet groomer to carry out this task for you.
Combo Cut Strips
These cuts should be only performed by professionals, they don’t shave all of the furr. They know how much should be stripped away. I would say professional experience is much required in this type of trimming because you will barely notice that your cat has got a haircut.
Lion Cut
This haircut has this name because the hair on the cat’s hair is completely removed, only leaving the head & paws & tail covered. These only look cute but they might be dangerous for your cats, as they cannot regulate their body temperature.
Consider Taking Your Cat to a Professional Groomer
If you are shaving your cat’s fur with a human clipper then it might be a stressful experience for both of you. Before starting the process, I would recommend you book an appointment with a professional groomer.
They might suggest you the right equipment for grooming, there are different types of trimmers available on the market. You can trim your cat furr instead of shaving it completely. It will be a very simple process for both you & your furry friend.
How to Shave Your Cat With Human Clippers
If you have decided to shave your cat by yourself then check out here I have provided you with a few tips that you can follow to make the process simple & easy for both of you.
1. Necessary materials
You’ll need some equipment to shave your cats and some treats to calm your cat. Check out the list to know more.
- Clippers
- Rubber gloves
- Sharpened clippers blades
- Towel
- Brush
- Treats
If you have a person to help you then it will make your work easier, So I would suggest you start the process when you have another pair of hands.
2. Trim your cat’s nails
If you are grooming your cat then you should start with the nails, as it is one of the important that you should do if you are doing the complete grooming. It also helps your kitty to stay clean & tidy, it minimizes the potential damage in the long run for them.
3. Acclimatize your cat to the clippers
If you are shaving your cat for the first time then your cat might take time to get used to the clipper. You have to perform a few minutes of sessions with your cat, You have to allow your cat to get used to the noise & vibrations of the clippers. After a few sessions, you can start shaving the fur from your cat’s body.
4. Clean your cat’s fur
Before you start shaving your cat you should clean the hair & remove any tangled hair. You will have to remove dirt & debris if your cat goes outside. I would say all the cats keep their hygiene as their priority but still should give her a brush & try to remove all the shredded hair.
5. Start shaving your cat
As I mentioned above that you need a pair of hands to start up with, the reason is the cat’s skin is quite loose. You will need to stretch it to prevent the clipper blades from catching & scratch.
You need to start the shaving in the direction of the hair, then start from the opposite direction to shave the cat’s body completely.
6. Regularly check the clipper temperature
The clippers get too hot while running, it is very uncomfortable against your cat’s skin & you may give them a burning tattoo. You will have to check the temperature of the blade every few minutes. If you find that clippers are too hot, then, you should take a break & let them cool down.
One tip if you lubricate the clipper blades with oil then it will help them to keep operating at their best. In fact, it will reduce the overheating problem, and reduce the noise & vibrations.
7. Do not shave your cat’s paws or face
You should not shave your cat’s face or paws as it is one of the sensitive parts. If your clippers slip then it might damage your cat if you are working on these areas.
8. Bathe your cat
Once you complete with shaving thing then you should give a bath to your feline. It will remove all the irritating trimmed hairs that are present on a cat’s body. It will also relax your cat from stress & anxiety, from the clippers.
FAQs
Can I use human nail clippers on my cat?
No, you should not use the human nail clipper on your cat’s nail. The cats have nerves present in their nails, there is more chance to cut the nerves with the human nail clipper.
You cannot leave the nail like that it will grow & curling in the paws. It will hurt your cat a lot. You have to but the cat pet nail clipper to cut your cat’s nails.
What happens if you shave a cat?
If you shave your cat completely then it might be risky as they cannot control their body temperature, and they are more likely to overheat. If your cats go out then they might get a sunburn which might lead them to skin cancer.
Does cat fur grow back after shaving?
If you have a long coat cat then it might take 4 to 6 months to regrow their hair to full length. If you just trimmed the hair then you may see the completely grown hair within 2-3 months after shaving.
Should you shave your cat’s paws?
If you own a long coat cat then you should trim the paw hair, as it might initiate skin infections if you let it grow too much. You will have to keep an eye on the matted area of the cat’s paws as they are exposed to the solid & dirt directly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although you can use human clippers on certain cats if used carefully, it is still recommended to use a cat hair clipper. I hope you found the answers to your questions about using the human clippers on a cat’s fur…
If you still want to use human clippers, then you should check out the section and tips I’ve provided on how to shave your cat with human clippers.
Is it still difficult to find any issues with shaving your furry friend with human clippers? Don’t worry, please leave us a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible to help you. If you did the work yourself, please let us know. We would be happy to hear from you.
References:
- Does your cat need a summer shave — VetMed
- Different techniques for grooming cats — PubMed
- Loving care for older cats — Cornell