Stress in a cat after a haircut: why does the animal behave strangely and cannot lie down?

Hygienic, high-quality care for pets is called grooming.
The complex of care measures includes combing out excess undercoat, haircut (sometimes shaving), bathing, cleaning the ears and plaque from the teeth, trimming and sealing the tips of the claws. Compared to dogs, cats require less maintenance to keep them hygienically clean. Many veterinarians believe that cats do not need partial or complete hair trimming, since such a procedure can cause more harm than good. And they recommend cutting your pet’s hair only when necessary.

Why shouldn't you cut cats?

Cats do not need a haircut: their fur creates a protective function, regulating body temperature and saving the paw pads from various injuries. These animals “wash themselves” by licking themselves and their relatives; combing itself with claws, thereby preventing the formation of tangles.

If the owner believes that his pet is suffering from the summer heat, then there is no need to rush into cutting it. It is enough to provide the cat with a cool place, for example in the bathroom, under an air conditioner, and you should also make sure that there are several bowls of water in the house.

Reasons why it is not advisable to cut your cat's hair

The opinions of veterinarians vary, but on some points they are unanimous:

1. 
   The process of shearing is a strong shock and stress for the animal. As a result, a decrease in the body's immune defense may occur.

2. Due to frequent haircuts, the coat becomes thinner, which contributes to the formation of tangles more frequently.
3. Constant haircuts can change the color, structure of the coat and undercoat. It becomes dull and brittle.
4. The cat's skin becomes drier, often causes itching and leads to scratching, which will then have to be treated for a long time.

Veterinarians strongly do not recommend cutting cats with short-haired breeds or those with medium-length hair:

• Burmese,
• Maine Coon,
• Norwegian forest cats,
• redgolls,
• Siberian cats,
• Turkish Angoras.

Their fur has a special structure and differs significantly from other species: it consists of two layers and has different hair lengths. A hairless cat can easily become overheated or hypothermic.

Grooming at home

Bathing. Pets walking outside should undergo this procedure as soon as they become dirty.

For domestic cats, once a month is enough.

1. Cat grooming paste is applied before washing pets.
2. Apply to dry fur of cats and cats in large quantities.
3. Thoroughly treat all areas of the coat with this paste.
4. It should not be applied to wet wool.
5. She removes dirt from the pet. There are a few minutes left.
6. Then you need to wash it off with warm water.

When is a cat's haircut necessary?

There are situations when a four-legged friend really needs to cut his fur coat. Let's look at the main ones:

1. 
   When a cat has a large number of mats of different sizes. Combing the animal in such cases may not always give results, since the tangles very quickly form dense wool balls, which are easier to cut out. In addition to being unsightly, tangles cause discomfort and health problems for your pet. By tightening the skin, they interfere with blood flow and cause itching. After all, by their nature, cats are very clean; they will try to get rid of the formed tangles on their own, scratching and gnawing out the lumps. But this is dangerous for the pet - he may accidentally swallow a hairball, which can block the passage in the digestive tract or cause severe vomiting.

2. Skin disease. It can be recognized by the appearance of weeping ulcers on the skin. The thick coat will make it difficult to treat with medications and will not provide adequate ventilation.
3. Long molting. It can be caused by various reasons from skin problems to metabolic disorders. It is worth consulting a doctor in a timely manner.
4. One of the family members has a wool allergy. But this method of getting rid of wool in the house is ineffective. After cutting, the amount of hair will decrease in volume, but if a person has an acute allergic reaction to wool, then the number of hairs on the pet’s body does not matter. We will have to look for other ways to combat allergies.

There are some cats that physically cannot take care of themselves. This is mainly due to age. Their fur will look dirty and unkempt, so it's best to keep it trimmed.

How to reduce unpleasant consequences to a minimum?

To alleviate the stressful state, you need to try to gradually reconcile the animal with the procedures performed. The main method is psychological:

• rid the cat of contact with unpleasant objects - nail clippers, scissors, hair clippers;
• distract with treats, new toys, favorite activities;
• during and after the manipulations, constantly talk and stroke;
• Do not laugh or focus on the appearance of the trimmed cat.

If there are no results from psychological assistance, you should visit a veterinarian and get the necessary medications. The list of possible medications is presented:

• Pheromones - aerosols of synthetic origin. After spraying the substance, animals experience an emotional uplift and a feeling of security and safety.
• Antidepressants - prescribed by a veterinarian when a pet falls into a state of deep depression. Therapy is carried out with Valium, Diazepam.

In addition to medications, the doctor may recommend wearing a special collar soaked in pheromones and a complex of essential oils. It allows the animal to quickly get out of a stressful state and stop constantly licking itself.

Cats do not always react aggressively to hairdresser's manipulations. Indifference to procedures is observed in sterilized animals. Their psyche is more resistant to external stimuli, their behavior is characterized by calmness and pronounced laziness.

Experts point out that changing the appearance of furry pets cannot occur only at the whim of the owner; the procedure requires good reasons. The desire to create a fashionable “hairstyle” can cause a long-term quarrel between the animal and the owner, cause hidden anger in the pet and provoke a long cold war.

Grooming a cat is more hygienic than aesthetic. Caring for your pet's fur can minimize the risk of skin diseases. During the warm season, a cat may suffer from the heat, in which case grooming is a great way to help your pet cope with overheating. But the most common reason why owners decide to cut their pet's hair is because of mats. After all, they can harm the cat’s health. When tangles form, the skin tightens and this can cause the animal to experience discomfort and even pain. Also, tangles are dangerous because in the places where they form, heat exchange is disrupted, which can cause the proliferation of bacteria and microbes. Cats are very clean animals. They lick themselves regularly and eat a lot of fur in the process of licking, which can negatively affect their digestion. This is also an argument in favor of a haircut.

Types of haircuts for cats

A special hygienic haircut is carried out no more than twice a year, so as not to damage the structure of the coat and skin. If the cat must participate in an exhibition, the last haircut is done no later than six months before the event.

Trimming is usually done with a special clipper, leaving a hair length of approximately 3-3.5 millimeters. After this procedure, the animal’s skin becomes soft and velvety to the touch.

It is not advisable to cut your cat’s hair on your own, since a high-quality result will require many special tools:

• different types of hairdressing scissors,
• hair clipper,
• set of combs

It is forbidden to cut cats completely, that is, bald. This will disrupt the heat exchange process and can soon cause serious skin irritation.

Therefore, when grooming an animal, it is necessary to leave at least a minimum length of hair to protect it from sunburn or hypothermia.

Description and photo

Sometimes, for stylish reasons, show cats are given a model look by experimenting with types of trimming. There are many options for such haircuts now, but let’s look at the most popular ones:

• "Puma" - short hair on the body, and the head looks like a lion's mane;
• “Dragon” is a curly haircut in which hairs are left along the line of the spine, and various figures or symbols are cut from them;
• “Golfies” - hair is removed only on the upper part of the paws.

Diagnostics

You can decide what to do if a kitten or adult cat is trembling only after determining the causes of the tremor. In most cases, it is impossible to do this yourself at home. However, you need to carefully monitor the animal’s behavior in order to answer the following questions for your veterinarian:

• frequency of repetitions and duration of attacks during the day;
• the presence of accompanying symptoms;
• events preceding the onset of tremor;
• dates of the last deworming and vaccination.

It is also necessary to remember whether the cat was bitten by a tick during the year.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the following studies may be prescribed:

• general and clinical blood test;
• Analysis of urine;
• fecal analysis for the presence of helminths;
• radiography of the head, spine, chest and abdominal cavity;
• MRI or CT scan of the brain;
• myelography – to detect spinal tumors and intervertebral disc pathologies;
• electromyography.

A cerebrospinal fluid tap may be taken to confirm encephalitis.

How to trim or shave a pet?

There is nothing complicated in grooming a cat if you follow the rules and sequence of actions:

1. Nail trimming. The claws are trimmed with special tweezers, having been disinfected in advance. When you lightly press the paw pads, the hidden claws will extend. The owner will need to trim only the very ends.
2. To begin with, you may need an assistant - he will hold the animal, preventing it from running away. Some cats react aggressively to the appearance of grooming tools. For the safety of the owner and the pet itself, it is worth putting a special plastic collar on the animal that does not allow it to bite.

3. 
   The cat is laid on its side, its paws are fixed. To cut, you need a machine or scissors. The machine will help avoid damage to the skin, but can be frightening with its buzzing.

4. First, the hair is removed from the sides, and then moved to the back and belly. You need to remove hair as it grows, and in the opposite direction. Hair that remains long after cutting with a clipper can be trimmed with nail scissors. There must be a tassel on the tail.
5. At the end of the procedure, the pet must be bathed with a special shampoo for cats, and then dried with a towel. If your pet is not afraid of a hair dryer, it can also be used for drying. But veterinarians still recommend going to a professional groomer. Because he is a competent and qualified specialist. He will do the haircut quickly and without any damage.

When performing a haircut of any shape, there are certain rules:

• in order not to damage the mustache and hair in the ears, the hair on the head, muzzle and in the auricle is not cut;
• “socks” are left on the lower part of the legs;
• the hairs of the front legs under the elbow and from the hind legs under the jumping joint are not removed;
• the hair is left at the end of the tail (a section at least 3 cm long must be left uncut).

Reviews

Reviews of cat grooming in salons vary.

• Some people stopped grooming cats after several unsuccessful attempts.
• After all, this is a lot of stress for a pet.
• Especially when a stranger in an unfamiliar room touches you.
• You can inject them with a muscle relaxant. But it is prohibited for sick and old cats. Yes, and it has many downsides.

Many people groom their cats at home themselves. They buy a special tool and use it to cut hair.

If a cat goes to exhibitions and photo shoots, then he can’t go anywhere without a professional haircut. The owners find experienced groomers who can find an approach to the pet. It's hard to find experienced professional makeup artists.

Benefits and harms

Like any grooming procedure, cat trimming has its positive and negative properties. Let's look at them in detail.

Pros:

1. 
   Relief from heat and health problems. There is a very common stereotype that representatives of long-haired breeds suffer from heat, especially during the hot season.

2. It is necessary to cut a cat if for some reason (for example, due to age) it cannot care for its fur, and you do not have the opportunity to constantly care for it. All this can soon lead to a visit to the veterinarian, and in worst cases, to surgery.
3. Caring for a cat can also save the lives of owners who suffer from allergies or asthma. It will help eliminate the factor leading to suffocation and exacerbation of the disease.

Minuses:

1. Many cats have a negative attitude towards haircuts. It, like bathing, causes discomfort and stress for the cat. After this, the pet may be depressed, and due to resentment, it may even become offended and ignore the owner. Particularly proud pets can leave a “surprise” in their owner’s slippers in retaliation for an attack on their fur coat.
2. After cutting, the cats' hairs become a little smaller. Even the color of the animal may become lighter. If the coat is shortened too much, the animal will feel unwell and may experience dryness and loss of elasticity.
3. There are cases when in some areas of the skin the hair does not grow back after cutting. This means that alopecia appears. This is caused by hypothermia and improper hair growth. This condition is mainly characteristic of dogs, but there have been cases when it also occurred in cats. If baldness began to appear even before the cut, do not try to solve the problem: here you need to contact a veterinarian.

Combing

To make the combing process go faster, you need to apply a special spray to the pet's fur to help comb it.

1. In order to comb your pet you must have a special brush.
2. There is also a special glove for grooming cats, which makes the combing process faster. It is convenient to cut hair with it.
3. You hold your pet with one hand and comb it with the other. It should be combed in the direction of hair growth.
4. The glove itself is made of fabric, and the part that combs is made of silicone with bristles. She doesn't just comb, she also massages the pet.
5. Cats love this procedure. Doesn't hurt when combing.

Cats with long hair are brushed more often than cats with short hair. When cats are shedding, it is recommended to brush them every day.