We have to shave the fur from my cat in the summer. It's not as important as you think. Her fur is so long and thick she overheats in the summer and it's obvious she struggles. When we shave her she becomes much more lively and friendly (and looks like a lion lol). It's not like they're wild cats with no way to protect themselves from frostbite, especially in June... I just feel like this need to be said because this post is hilarious and y'all are worrying way to much -_-

When we had a pair of longhairs, we'd take them for a shave every June just as the hot weather was starting. They loved it, they'd come back bouncing around and full of energy. If we didn't, they'd spend the whole summer lying on the concrete basement floor in our house, because we didn't have air conditioning.

What about hairless cats? And if your answer is that is from bad breeding practices then so are pretty much all dog and cat breeds

I worked at a dog groomers that occasionally would take in long haired cats for shaving. They are usually done for several reasons. Cat's fur is matted, Cat has flea infestation, cat is shedding long fur everywhere (usually around springtime), or the cat spends most of it's time outdoors (in the south..kitties not only have to deal with 90+ degree temps in the summer, but high amounts of humidity.) We've shaved down a few cats in our time. But we would have offered a second shaving if the wife was infuriated about it.

Most likely this cat is kept indoors at room temp. It should be fine.

Thank you that's what I was going to say. What's wrong with people? There's a reason cat only groomers don't actually exist, they groom themselves.

It is common for cats with long hair to have it all shaved off occasionally, it removes any knots or even dreadlocks.

This is true, but a long hair breed doesn't have a proper purpose and actually benefits from grooming. On the other hand there is also hairless cats, which were bred that way for humans and they definitely need more ways to stay warm than your average cat.

That was my first thought. Now they have to dress him up, so really not funny at all. This is a topic that generates a huge amount of controversy among pet owners, groomers, veterinarians, and other animal care workers etc. There a good reasons why it should not be done: insulation for the body, protecting them against sunburn and skin cancer, and there are better alternatives to shaving your pet. We have 4 cats, one of them has long hair and it keeps him also cool during hot summers and he knows when he needs shade, so it really isn’t necessary to shave them, just make sure there is extra water and a possibility to go in the shade. Grooming on the other hand is different, some cats need help because their fur gets so tangled.

Animal cruelty in sight, as you said, cats need their hair for thermoregulation... They hail from warm and arid climates...

Oliver probably could not care less -- he's a cat!