Longhair Breeders/Owners - quick question

I've always wondered about this - maybe you all can explain the logic?

You love your longhairs (given) but many times its too much work in grooming, etc. and in the summer its too "hot" for your longhairs so you shave them.

If its more grooming and too hot in summer - why in the heck do you own longhairs?

I had one longhair (a turk. angora) - was the first and last LH I will own - I don't have time for the grooming; I'll stick to shorthairs. I will admit to LH's being very pretty, but if you don't like the grooming/care, then why own them?

Ok, i don't own a long haired cat, but i can see the reason behind getting them shaved, because it's too hot for them i would imagine?.

To me it's the same as humans with long hair. Why do they put it up off their necks in the summer?, to keep cool.

We can remove layers of clothing when were hot, the cats can't remove their coats, so their owners give them a helping hand

I'm lucky - Birman coats don't mat, so grooming is more for the cats' pleasure and to get rid of dead hair. I do get a lot of shedding, but that's what vacuums and lint rollers are for.

I've never bothered to shave the boys - I keep the house pretty cool, but then, we're in Texas and so AC is pretty much required. I could see shaving them though if we were in a region that only got hot for a short while and so open windows or what-not were more the norm. You wouldn't want them to over heat for just that short while I guess.

I'm also lucky with my Turkish Van. Even though Vans are long hairs, they're really semi-long hair cats. His coat has only one layer, giving it a texture like rabbit fur. He sheds a fair amount of that coat during the summer, so I imagine he's much cooler than our more densly-coated short hair cats!

Butting in because my purebred is a shorthair:

Ferris is a moggie, and he's a feral rescue. He's a total fluffmonster, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. I never knew he'd grow to need a shave and and a haircut, but because he is the way he is, I do what I have to do to help him be his happiest.

He won't allow me to groom his belly or tail, but he loves to be Zoomgroomed, so his matts are not caused by any laziness on my part.

Ginger's a fluffball, too, and I comb her quite regularly. Belly and all. I didn't choose to own her, she chose me, so I learned to groom properly.

Now I have to learn how to groom a shorthair.

SH's are a breeze, you will find its soooo much easier. Besides Bengals are like Ocicats - an occsional combing during shedding season, but mostly just petting them takes care of their "grooming"

I know I answered this once before, but, here goes

I did not choose longhairs, I was chosen by them.
Honestly, as stunning as I think longhairs are, I would never 'choose' to own one.

Ivory's coat is like Pam's boys' coats, no guard hairs, no matting.
Spaz was a special case and was only supposed to be a foster.

She gets shaved because she is getting older now and will not tolerate us grooming her and doesn't do the job properly for herself anymore.
As she's a Wegie, she really didn't require much grooming in her younger years so it wasn't an issue.

Tobie has the best hair. I get away with combing him once every other day, and it has never matted when I forgot for a few days. I don't shave it because I show him, but when his show career is over, I might try it once to see if he seems to feel better. He does get hot and he has sweaty paws whenever he snuggles up on a blanket or with other cats.

Good question GK, I've often wondered about that myself...

I can understand sanitary trimming around the butt area and trimming for senior catizens who are unable to groom themselves properly but a full lion cut annually goes over my head.

I live in a hot and humid country and my Dumdum sports a full coat. Yes, it's definately more work then my Shorthairs but personally, it's worth looking at any LH/semi LH cat in full splendour... and worst thing of all about lion cuts is that it takes at least 4-6 months for the coat to grow back in!

Originally Posted by Abymummy

I live in a hot and humid country and my Dumdum sports a full coat.

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No humidity here but very hot.

I don't believe it's necessary to shave them, my sister's RB moggie had a very long thick coat. He'd be outside in full sun middle of summer, temps over 100F laying in the sun or running with other cats.

They naturally shed more in the summer to cool themselves.

I wouldn't know where to start with a longhaired cat, and I wouldn't choose to have one. My boys are nice and easy, they sit on lap, I stroke, grooming complete. I have a zoom groom which Sonic enjoys but when I try to use it on Radar he turns into jaws which is hilarious. I can't imagine having to sit a cat down every day to comb it, I think that would drive me nuts

I'm also lucky with my Turkish Van. Even though Vans are long hairs, they're really semi-long hair cats. His coat has only one layer, giving it a texture like rabbit fur. He sheds a fair amount of that coat during the summer, so I imagine he's much cooler than our more densly-coated short hair cats!

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That is so strange that your Turkish angora had lots of matting, I have Turkish angora and Van, my angora and vans clean each other and are always bunny soft. Because they don’t have an undercoat, they are actually like a medium hair, and I don’t know why but they take good care of their coat,I never have to brush them, but I do sometimes, because it’s a way for me to show affection and it helps them with sheading, when I do do a brushing in the summer, I remove so much hair. I could never own a cat with an undercoat. I would hate to pull on it and make them unhappy. I guess we all love something about our breeds.

but you said “but if you don't like the grooming/care, then why own them?” that a good question, I don’t know why anyone would own a cat they didn’t like grooming. If I see my kitties looking messy I’m right on them, I love touching a long hair cat, I love the softness of my kitties. And sticking my face in it. I like to trim the fur under their bellies and trim their fuzzy bums, so they don’t get anything sticking to it. Lol but I have allergies and I have seen no difference in my allergies from long to short. So I go with the ones I love the most.
I have shaved my cats once to try and help with allergies and it didn’t work, I didn’t see any difference. and I missed the fur so much, so now I don’t see a point in taking such a beautiful fur coat off. They will shed it off in the summer, but still have it. And it don’t get too hot in our summers here, but they do shed like mad.

You have rex, do you put sweaters on them to add some heat? I guess shaving long haird so they are not hot, and putting sweaters on so they are not cold, would be the same thing. The news was telling us that it is important to keep a rex cat warm. Maybe it’s a Canadian thing. lol

Nope - the rexes had full coats to start and if they got cold in winter, they would just snuggle under the covers. So I never had to put any kind of sweaters on them.

My curiousity was due more to people kinda complaining in the Care/Grooming section on how to groom their longhairs, or the LH's didn't want to be groomed and they were frustrated. If you are gonna complain about grooming, then don't pick out a longhair cat

My Turkish Angora didn't fight with grooming - he was easy - didn't mat. But he hated nail clipping - far more then any of my other cats. But personally I just got tired of having to do a lot of combing. When you have rexes/SH's you really get spoiled by the little grooming. I don't have the patience to groom every day

Somalis do not matt. The only extra work I put into grooming is for shows. I think our show routine consists of more shampoos for degreasing and it takes longer to blow dry. I spend about an hour per Somali. I do not shave them I have no need to. I absolutely love longhaired cats and I will probably never get another shorthair. Imo longhairs (minus the persian) shed way less than shorthairs. My oldest cat is a domestic shorthair and she sheds the worst in my house.

Originally Posted by kitytize

Somalis do not matt.

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Mosi's fur doesn't matt and all he needs is a weekly brush to get rid of dead hair, a bit more often when he's moulting. And that's mainily to prevent him swallowing too much fur and getting furballs. He looks after it pretty well himself. My previous SL moggy had the same kind of fur and he didn't matt either. I don't think I could cope with a persian coat that needs daily grooming. I would never shave a LH cat unless I lived in an extremely hot climate and the cat was obviously suffering due to the heat.

I was very lucky with Alley. She had superlong hair on her underside but her fur was very soft and never matted once in the 9 years of her life. I brushed her occasionally for enjoyment, but it wasn't necessary.

My new boy Riley has long'ish hair but it seems to be the same texture and thickness as Alley's so I don't expect to have any problems with him either. I would never shave him. He's too beautiful as is

It was a family decision when we consiously searching for the "right breed" for us and our family. The Ragdoll while considered a LH in shows, "should" be a medium length cat, showing a shorter coat in summer, with more length in winter. While I do KNOW there are Ragdolls that do not have the correct coat, but in general, and in most cases for me, my Ragdolls do not need groomed, except as showing affection, OR, if one needs a show bath and grooming.
I also don't feel most choose LH over SH or vice versa, unless they are wanting a certain look, but in our case it was breed traits that we wanted.
I don't believe any dog or cat NEEDS to be shaved unless neglected and matted, most dogs and cats have an undercoat that insulates them in the heat or the cold. I have (had) 2 Old English Sheepdogs, they both were long hair dogs, and I kept them in full length coat until I broke my wrist, and I did have to shave Annabelle, Jack had passed due to brain tumor. I didn't choose this breed for looks either, believe me, the grooming on an OES is a FULL-TIME job, but the traits in this breed for me, are exactly what we want.
In the case of Ragdolls, I like trying to make sure pet owners understand that a Ragdoll does shed, but typically doesn't matt and only needs minimal once a week grooming, but there are exceptions, as there are in any breed.

I also get the kittens used to bathing from an early age, which helps with show baths, we get the water nice and warm for their body temperature and it goes easy. Our oldest Ragdoll, gets in the shower with us or sits at the side of the bath hanging his feet in, if one is in having a bath. So, I don't feel I chose LH over SH but chose traits of a certain breed.

If I could have a Devon Rex or Bengal, (as an altered pet) with my Ragdolls, and I knew he/she would be happy, I would have a SH. I am in love with the looks and a lot of what I have read about the Devons. CJ loves the Bengals, as do I, I also think they are a beautiful cat. Ashlan wants an Exotic SH, and Joey just wants another Ragdoll. I guess I am worried that if I get 1 as a pet, they are all going to want one as a pet, and we don't need that many, we can admire them all at the shows.

I love all cats purebred and not, but I as most are biased to my own breed. I try to explain traits of our breed, but I think some take these traits to the extreme, and so I try and play devils advocate and explain that Ragdolls are cats, and have unique traits to the breed, but there are always exceptions.

Miyu, your Turkish kitties are adorable! I love the markings on Chokabo
My family also has a lot of allergy problems (nothing some zyrtec won't fix. . .) and we've all found that our Van's fur gives us the fewest problems while our DSH's fur is an allergen haven! I would think the undercoat has something to do with it. More stuff gets trapped in it and such. . .

Pudge is a mediumhair, single-coated. She's never matted. I've never gone out actively seeking a cat, but if I did, I'd adopt another mediumhair/single-coated longhair.

All heat does is make her lose her winter coat faster, and does not seem to cause her any more discomfort than it does my shorthair (typhus).

In fact, she seems to have less, probably because Typhus is very plush.

My only LH cat is not a purebred, but anyway...like some others said, I didn't choose her. She chose me and it had nothing to do with her hair.

I think she's technically a semi-LH How do you make the distinction? I'm curious.

Her hair doesn't matt. It's super soft and I get less hair off of her with the furminator than my short hairs and medium hairs. I comb her in the interest of less shedding, not as a necessity.