"Shave my cat's feet, too"

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Huh?

Now, I have always left boots/booties on cats, that is the way I learned, I've never seen it any different. The owner wants them shaved too. My understanding is that the bones are too little, making it nearly impossible to shave the boots.

I'd like some opinions----it's like when you started cooking meals for yourself the first time, you just do it like your mother taught you, and how her mother taught her! I've not been told "why," and hadn't thought about it, to be honest.

I will give her what she gets, the cat will get booties, but I will scissor them well. But no shaving. But my question is why do we leave boots in the first place? The hair wont come off?

Tammy in Utah

[Helly]

I don't shave cat's feet because I'm rather fond of my face, hair, and eyeballs. I tell all cat owners the same thing; I'll do what kitty allows. When kitty says we're done, we're done. And the average cat doesn't have the patience to sit there and have it's feet shaved. So I don't do them.

[Gracy Rose]

cat feet

I do shave their pads, because cats need that hair removed because it gets so yucky with litter. I don't shave the paw itself. I do the pads immediately and then the nails, vet wrap them for safety and go from there.

[Raggs]

I've shaved cats feet before... No big deal really. I just hold their leg the same place I hold dogs legs to straighten them out and shave away. But I'm with Helly also, if a cat says it's thru, doesn't matter where I am with the cut, the cat is thru.

[pugnacious]

I do the entire leg and paws the same length as the body and scissor the pads short. Now, I am going to try the vet wrap on their paws suggestion -- that sounds great!! Does it work for their mouth, too?!

[plushpuppy]

I've shaved them but also agree that when kitty says stop that's it.. I too value all of my body parts

[hairdevil]

when I use to groom cats at the vet hospital, they were sedated anyway. I would go all the way down the leg just like on a dog..no different..some liked the boots some didn't. gosh, I've never groomed a cat that was awake! no thank you! LOL

[pamperedpups]

Edited.

[jovi]

I leave booties also, I learned at school that way. Most of the cats I shave the owners want a lion cut anyway-real short body 7F ag or 10 w the grain- with the mane- poof at end of tail so the boots look cute. I find it hard to make the feet smooth like the body. But I do trim the hair off the pads.

[Aussheplady]

I prefer to leave the boots and scissor them and blend well. I have groomed cats where the owner insisted on having the legs fully shaved and the cats were much more difficult (they are pretty touchy about their feet and tail being messed with) and in the end, I thought they looked much worse than leaving the boots. I haven't offered nor agreed to shaving cat's legs in many years and have only had 1 client go elsewhere because of it in over 15 years. There are very few of us that will even groom a cat without sedation. If the owners can not accept my advice regarding their cat's groom, they are more than welcome to look elsewhere, where cats are concerned, I only groom them for the benefit of the cat, not the owners. Cat grooming is much more risk to being bitten and being bitten by a cat can easily end your career if things go wrong. I know of one groomer that lost her finger due to infection from a cat bite-and she started antibiotics within hours of the bite. I nearly lost my own finger due to a cat bite, I was on antibiotics within the hour and had to be on a rotation of types of antibiotics for 3 months before the infection was gone. Where dogs are concerned, my priority is to the owner provided their request does not put their pet in any harm. Where cats are concerned, my priority is to myself and any fellow workers, then to the cat and finally the owner.

[gitl]

Feet

I agree with Helly. I never even thought about shaving feet and none of my clients have ever asked me to. It's a miracle I can get halfway down a leg!

[rapuzzled]

Well, I don't shave cats myself, but I believe that my boss shaves the feet. I don't think that most mind the feet shaved, well I mean they mind it about as much as the rest of the groom, lol. I think that she just stretches out the leg. In fact, I think that most cats that she does she shaves the foot, most people dont want the booties left.

[fuzziepeanut]

I also have to agree with Helly. I'd do the pads if it was requested or the kitty needed it but have all ways said NO to doing the legs. It doesn't seem worth the risk & I don't think it would come out looking very nice, but thats just me.

[sheilabgroomer]

I have shaved the legs on a couple of cats, but ONLY because the owners specifically requested AND the kitty let me. I didn't care for it though. I didn't think it looked good and I was so paranoid of those skinny kitty legs!!! Yikes, I will take scissoring any day of the week...lol

[rapuzzled]

That's so funny that everyone prefers longer legs on kitties, because I think that they look much better with them the same length as the body, lol. (that being said I mean with a 3, or 5 or 7, not a 10, then they are a little too skinny)