It must be summertime, because Zoe got his summer cut on Wednesday. This is how he looked before.
Zoe’s impression of a throw pillow
This is him after the cut.
You can’t see it in the picture, but his coat has grooves that make him look like an unfinished marble statue. You also can’t see it in the picture but he has a big pink belly that rolls out on the floor when he lies down. We’re going to have to put on a treadmill and cut back on the beer.
It’s supposed to get a little cooler next week. At least the ends of his legs and the tip of his tail will be warm.
Absolutely a case of animal abuse! I’m summarily reporting you to the SPCA. Oh, the indignity!
Seeing Zoe like this reminds me when we would get Bonsai a “lion cut.” It always blew our minds to see how low his belly hung down. In his dotage, he had gotten a bit chunky. I think lion cuts are cute, and I’m sure Zoe will appreciate it in the summer.
Scott — Zoe often threatens to report us to the kitty police, but he changes his mind when we tell him they’ll have to put him in foster care.
Robin Andrea — It’s funny but Leah thought Zoe was more affectionate after getting the lion cut. I have no idea why that would be.
Not to say our cats don’t have to watch their waistlines, but I once read that the extra belly skin is normal and is called a primordial flap. The fold of skin and fat serves a couple of purposes. It allows for flexibility and stretch. It protects the cat’s viscera when cats fight, using their strong back legs to rake the opponent’s belly. Some breeds have more prominent flaps than others, and even big cats have them.
Now what’s MY excuse?
Minnie — I have noticed the sagging stomach on big cats I have seen on nature program on TV as well as on some of our other cats. I think Zoe might be carrying a little more than he needs to. On the other hand, he doesn’t look as fat as I expected from how heavy he seems when we pick him up.
Give a cat a bath if you want a forewarning of what it’s going to look like with a summer cut. I admit, I tried the bath once. Just once.
Zoe is going to be so much more comfortable when the hot weather is with us to stay.
Wayne — We haven’t tried giving any of the cats a bath. I think we might need an ambulance standing by if we tried it. I’m sure he will be more comfortable when it warms up. The other two long-haired cats are up for cuts soon.
Mark – ambulance is right. That was right about my transition period between my family having dogs (pre-Glenn), and having and increasingly appreciating cats. I insisted that the cats needed a bath. I have no idea now 35 years later why I thought that, just that it seemed like a really good idea. It wasn’t. I never suggested it again. But they are funny when they’re totally soaked.
On the other hand, with a super-elderly cat of 22 years, with medium long fur, we’re stymied. She’s too frail to grab her and comb out all the mats (heart attack territory), yet she can no longer groom herself as she used to. Oh well.
when I was young my mother had a Siamese cat that she bathed in the kitchen sink.