New Persian owner

Right before christmas I gave myself a present and bought a silver black persian. His name is Ziggy, and he is quite the cuddler. My question is, with all that long hair, is it necessary to have them shaved yearly. I really had no intentions of doing it, but had a person tell me it was necessary. Help!!!

Shannon

First let me say congratulations for choosing a beautiful cat and having wonderful taste!

It is not necessary at all to have your cat shaved once a year. I have 5 persians and never shave them. And in fact some breeders believe that the fur has a chance of not growing back as nice. I can't imagine why it would be necessary. Maybe if someone is negligent in grooming the cat is the only reason I can think of.

I bathe and groom my cats frequently. Jake is a Red persian and I bathe him about every 2-3 weeks. Red's tend to get greasy quickly. Peaches, Hallie, Henrietta and Carmella don't get dirty or greasy easily so I bathe them about once a month, sometimes 2 months. When I bathe them regularly, they are less prone to mats in the fur. I have a page on my website on grooming. I've gotten a lot of advise from Mary at Petmar Persians and Jean from Steeplechase persians! It also helps to blow dry your cat after bathing it. I run a comb through their fur daily. I don't spend tons of time. Just a quick run through behind their ears, & under their chin. Then I just run a soft brush through them quickly. I don't spend more then 2 minutes on each cat but if I keep up on it, that's all they need!

You're welcome to check out the grooming page on my website. You'll find a button for it at the bottom of my homepage. There are step by step instructions for bathing and blow drying.
Feel free to PM me anytime!

Oh yes! I forgot to mention the eyes! Make sure to wipe them at least once a day. Twice a day if he tears alot. You can use warm water and a soft makeup sponge/pad or you can buy products to wash the eyes with. I use Eye Envy on my light colored Persians. It's a little pricey but lasts a long time and works great for removing and preventing stains!

Tammie
www.purrfectpurrsians.net

Congratulations on your new kitty!

I'm glad you got some good grooming advice - I think Persians are proud of their fur, and I hate to see them shaved if it's not needed.

If you get a chance, I'd love to see some pictures of your Ziggy in the Fur Pictures Only forum.

Originally posted by tuxedokitties
Congratulations on your new kitty!

I'm glad you got some good grooming advice - I think Persians are proud of their fur, and I hate to see them shaved if it's not needed.

If you get a chance, I'd love to see some pictures of your Ziggy in the Fur Pictures Only forum.

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I think you may be right! All you have to do is look at the picture of Jake after his bath on my grooming page! He looks like he's showing off!

Hello Shannon congrats on a new persian.

I think shaving is great, especially during the summer it keeps them cool and their fur will grow back even more beautifully afterwards. Daily grooming is essential but a shave yearly is a good idea in my books. Can we see some pics of your new kitty?

Good luck!!

My baby has a cottony coat and it is supposed to be harder to care for than others...but i never have a problem...i comb him with a greyhound type comb ...once a day...
and i bathe him once a week...because he tends to get greasy...
I dont feel there is a need to shave at all...and grooming can be a wonderful bonding time for you and the cat...
also dont forget to wipe eyes once a day if he tears...
Good luck...i know you will just love your new baby...i have fallen head over heels for this breed
Lorien

Originally posted by himmymommy
My baby has a cottony coat and it is supposed to be harder to care for than others...but i never have a problem...i comb him with a greyhound type comb ...once a day...
and i bathe him once a week...because he tends to get greasy...
I dont feel there is a need to shave at all...and grooming can be a wonderful bonding time for you and the cat...
also dont forget to wipe eyes once a day if he tears...
Good luck...i know you will just love your new baby...i have fallen head over heels for this breed

Lorien

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Himmymommy, have you tired using Goop on your kitties coat before bathing him? It helps to degrease them and stay that way a little longer. Jake get's very greasy too and has that cottony coat. You can also use a mixture of corn starch and baby powder in between baths and that will fluff up the coat and help absorb some of the grease. A lot of breeders use those little tricks and you might be able to stretch out the time in between baths! Especially using the Goop. I only have to bathe Jake every 2-3 weeks now.

I agree with you completely! I love bath time with my kitties. Especially after when I wrap them up in a couple of towels and just cuddle them like a baby for awhile between bathing and blow drying!

I think shaving is a good idea if you live in a hot climate. This summer we had exceptional heat (it got up to about 38 degrees C), and my persians, especially Fifi who has a very thick coat were suffering with the heat, but those temperatures are so rare here that I don't bother with shaving as a rule.

Some people may like to shave their cats (much to my chagrin!) But it certainly isn't necessary.

No i havent used the goop...a breeder told me to use Dawn dishsoap and i tryed that but he stil seems greasey
Ill try it and let you know how it does
Lorien

I use Joy dishwashing liquid too. The directions are on my website on the grooming page. But all you do is rub a container of Goop into their dry fur, then start rubbing then down and adding a bit of water. Rinse, then wash with dishwashing liquid and rinse again. Then wash with kitty's regular shampoo and rinse. Do a final rinse with white vinegar in your water. About 2 tablespoons in a sink of water. This helps restore the pH balance so the skin doesn't get irritated. It sounds like a lot but it really doesn't take long.

Thanx
Lorien

Hey I checked out your website and Carmella and Hallie are 2 of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen! I love those multicolored cats!

Thanks!