No, not that kind of Taco...
Taco is one of our cats. Neal found him at a Taco Bell restaurant over 10 years ago - hence, the name Taco. We also have a Tucker who was tucked under a car, a Captain D who was found at a Captain D's restaurant, and a C.C. who was our carport cat for a while. We're very creative with our pets' names. Anyway, back to Taco...
Taco used to be a pretty docile, easy-going fellow, but as he's aged, he's grown a bit ornery....especially in the grooming department. Because he is a long-haired cat, he is prone to getting mats and knots in his fur if not properly groomed. Usually, cats take care of their own grooming needs until they get too old and lazy, or physically unable, to do such a task. It is at that time when human intervention becomes necessary. Taco, however, is not so keen on the human intervention part, especially when there is a grooming tool in hand. We had to resort to short, daily grooming sessions where he might allow three strokes with the brush before he flew out of the room. Try as we might, we just could not keep up with the massive mats that lurked within his long, black hair. And Taco was no help. And the screams that came from him when we tried to hold him down were chilling. I was afraid the neighbors would think we were sacrificing cats. So, we did what all good cat parents would do and we made an appointment at the vet to have him SHAVED. For the safety of all involved, a mild sedative was used.
Ladies and Gents, I present to you the transformation of a Taco...
Before...
Taco is one of our cats. Neal found him at a Taco Bell restaurant over 10 years ago - hence, the name Taco. We also have a Tucker who was tucked under a car, a Captain D who was found at a Captain D's restaurant, and a C.C. who was our carport cat for a while. We're very creative with our pets' names. Anyway, back to Taco...
Taco used to be a pretty docile, easy-going fellow, but as he's aged, he's grown a bit ornery....especially in the grooming department. Because he is a long-haired cat, he is prone to getting mats and knots in his fur if not properly groomed. Usually, cats take care of their own grooming needs until they get too old and lazy, or physically unable, to do such a task. It is at that time when human intervention becomes necessary. Taco, however, is not so keen on the human intervention part, especially when there is a grooming tool in hand. We had to resort to short, daily grooming sessions where he might allow three strokes with the brush before he flew out of the room. Try as we might, we just could not keep up with the massive mats that lurked within his long, black hair. And Taco was no help. And the screams that came from him when we tried to hold him down were chilling. I was afraid the neighbors would think we were sacrificing cats. So, we did what all good cat parents would do and we made an appointment at the vet to have him SHAVED. For the safety of all involved, a mild sedative was used.
Ladies and Gents, I present to you the transformation of a Taco...
Before...
After...
They gave him what is called a "lion's cut", leaving his head, legs and tail with hair, but shaving the rest of his body. And, I do mean "the rest". You can see flesh where the sun don't shine and everywhere in between! While it may not be the most attractive sight to see, it accomplished the mission of ridding him of mats and sparing us any lost limbs. I actually think Taco is happy with his new do. He struts around here now like a king...the Lion King! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
*Edited to add: the bald spots on his forearms are not a part of the lion cut. They are where he was shaved to insert IV catheters to give him fluids, due to his age. We took advantage of his comatose state and had the vet give him a dental, too.
5 comments:
I had a long hair cat once that got knots in her fur and did not like to be brushed. She got so bad, we had to cut the knots out - a little at a time. I never thought of taking her to be shaved - that is definitely the easier way to solve the problem. I'm sure Taco feels much better now.
OMG he looks like a cartoon kitty! And he looks really, really mad too!
SWB - shaving is definitely the way to go. Taco would not sit still long enough for us to even cut the mats out and if he had, I fear he would have looked like a botched science experiment!
LWD - is that comment from Jim or Rene??? He does look a bit like a cartoon kitty, doesn't he? He actually seems very, very happy with the new hair style, I just don't think he is fond of having his picture taken. You know how tired cartoon characters get with all the limelight!
That kitty needs a sweater....
My cat has what the vet calls behavioral issues (OCD). She got a rash on her tummy and pulled the fur out to scratch. Once the rash went away, she decided that pulling the fur out was nice. I now have a 17 year old cat with a bare stomach...all the time.
Susie, we have a cat with a bald tummy too, due to obsessive grooming. Guess it could be worse....
I don't think Taco would tolerate a sweater. He seems to be enjoying his new haircut and struts around her demanding to be petted.
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