Please don't shave your cat!

Cats are highly evolved and their fur does a good job of keeping them warm in winter and cool in summer.  Shaving a cat disrupts its ability to regulate its body temperature and will make him or her unhappy and uncomfortable, in addition to the considerable stress of the shaving itself.

Andy

PS. They don't need bathing either. Ever.

Never ever? I just bought some cat shampoo and plan to give my Sacred Birman a yearly wash.

The one, exceptional reason for which you may need to bathe a cat is when it's fur has become somehow heavily soiled or covered in something poisonous, in which case you wouldn't want the cat to ingest it by self-grooming.  Even then, it is better for you and the cat to use a brush and dry (i.e. powder) shampoo.

Dry shampoo is better for your cat because dousing in water is immensely stressful for them, and better for you because the combination of stress, panic and strong sense of betrayal felt by your cat when you douse him/her in water will lead him/her to escape by climbing up your face with his/her claws out.

If your cat isn't cleaning itself properly and sufficiently this often suggests a medical condition (such as a skin disorder) and you should consult a vet.

Andy

PS. I'm jealous of you having a Sacred Birman - they're very cute.

Yes my Sacred Birman is very cute :-)

Years ago I used to have a half Main Coon and I bathed her 3 times a year. Needless to say she did not like it... But she made do with that.

Our Sacred Birman, aged 2, came to us 4 months ago, smelling of smoke for weeks, because apparently the breeder smoked a lot indoors. Now she does not smell of smoke anymore but I find her coat a bit unclean to the touch. She'll get over the bath I'm sure ;-)

I have an angora cat and at the end of May every year I take him to the vet to have him shaved because he really suffers in summer and it also gives him a break from regurgitating his hairballs for a couple of months, at the same time check his teeth and cuts his nails. According to my vet its not dangerous to have a cat groomed. I drop him off in the morning and pick him up at the end of the day.

Any number of people will be happy to take your money to shave your cat, or put nail polish on your hamster or give your parrot a massage.  It's certainly not dangerous, but it's not necessary either.

Angora's, if I'm not mistaken, originate from Egypt and Turkey, both of which are hotter than here.

The hairball problem could be caused by not brushing him often enough. Angoras need a thorough brushing 2 or 3 times a week to remove dropped hair.

Andy

Well Andy, cats, like people, have their moods and like us, they adapt to their environments. 

Sheena

That was kind of my point.

Hey all you cat lovers!

I'm suddenly worried about my cat as she does not seem to tolerate summer heat well. She lies prostrate all day long, has a forlorn look in her eyes and acts as if in a coma.

I decided against giving her a bath because when I came back from holiday I found her super well groomed, so thought a bath would be an unnecessary shock to her, as Andy said above (although she climbs in the bathtub by herself and watches during half a minute the water run when I turn the tap on). 

So she does not like water, and she does not like ventilated air to keep cool. 

What would you do to keep a long-haired cat cool during this heatwave?

She's very cute!

I think that the lying around all day with a distant look on her face is normal cat behaviour, as long as she's not appearing agitated, drooling or panting (which are cat-heatstroke danger signs, and time to go to the vet).

I assume that she's lying outstretched with her paw-pads showing?  This a relaxing position, not a sleeping position (cats only sleep fully when curled up), and their paw-pads are the only part of them that sweat, so they keep them out in the air to regulate their temperature. They also appear to groom more in the heat, but they are actually damping their fur to help cooling.  Some (not all) cats appreciate help with this, which you can do by stroking them with a damp cloth.  I've also heard that some cats like to lie on damp cloths, but I've never seen it myself.

Andy

Thanks, she's her normal cat-self again, thank goodness.

She alternates between deep sleep, curled up and paws tucked in, and lying all paws outstretched, looking as long as a rabbit. At a guess, I'd say she tolerates heat better than us humans. True that she grooms a lot these days, and I'll also try to stroke her with a damp towel. 

You seem to be very knowledgeable in cats and cat behaviour, Andy!

I'm glad she's OK.

I grew up with lots of cats and I've always loved and admired them.  They are one of the most highly eveolved creatures on the planet, and the closest you can get to having a wild animal in your home. And, of course, they're very funny.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/paws/awkward-cat-sleeping-positions