# hairy feet



## SilentKermitt (Jan 30, 2004)

Yep, my kitty has hairy feet. Ok, what I mean is that I think she will end up being a longhaired cat, so she has long hair on the bottom of her feet between her pads. She obviously has to walk on it, and ive seen her slip while walking/running on the kitchen floor. She has almost fallen off the tub ledge also. I was wondering that if she lets me, could I trim this hair on the bottom of her feet? Or is that hair something they need kinda like there wiskers, where it would through them for a loop if they didnt have it?? 

Also I like kitty feet, they are so cute. But hers look all messy.


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

Don't know why you couldn't trim that hair...if she lets you! I've had to do it for cats who got kitty litter matted in that long between-toe fur. I don't think the *hair* has any special sensory properties like whiskers do, although their claws and paws are very sensitive. There are cells at the base of the claws just like the ones at the bottom of the whiskers. How 'bout that!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## felinefanatic (Feb 8, 2004)

*toe hair*

my Ludo has really long crimped toe hair. I like it, its cute, he HATES me playing with it tho LOL
The hair is not necessary to the cat and can be trimmed with no problems, infact your cat will have better grip if you cut it all off. 
If you have problems, ask your vet to shave it off for you. 
When I do longhaired cat-clips at work ( at a clinic ) I usually shave the toe hair off, it makes it look neater.

I would love to shave Ludo all over but his heart condition would mean he would die of fright when he hears those clipper blades !! So I have to cut it by hand, it takes me several days and looks hideous , but its better than a stinking hot matted coat. !!
I wouldnt go to me if I were a hairdresser ! :lol:


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## shlanon (Oct 16, 2003)

My Stormy has long hair growing between the pads of her feet also. I try to trim it with scissors but she is sensitive about me touching her feet (especially her back ones) so sometimes it gets trimmed, other times not. It works best to do it when she's sleepy and doesn't realize what I'm doing. That fur really is kind of cute though!


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## SilentKermitt (Jan 30, 2004)

Thanks all for responding... I did see DrJean's post on sunday, and did try to clip some of the feet hairs of my cat. I tried this while she was trying to sleep on my lap, but she wasnt tired enought to NOT try to eat the scissors. So it didnt really work. I have a vet appointment comming up soon, so ill see if they can do it and/or have any tips to make it easier. 

I was also wondering about shaving cats. I had mentioned to a friend that it would be neat to shave my cat, to see more definatly how her tortie pattern looks. (she's shaved on her belly from being fixed and it just looks different from when she had the long fur there.) but my friend said that you shouldnt shave cats cause they dont have a cooling system and its there fur that helps keep them cool in the summer...??? is this true?


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## fillerbunny (Feb 4, 2004)

Be forewarned that if you shave her, the hair may grow back differently in some places. Nicky's (shorthair) legs, neck, and back were shaved about a year ago for bloodwork, MRIs, and a spinal tap.. the patches on his front legs grew back noticeably wavy and crimped-looking, and the spot on his back above the tail grew back *much* longer and it now parts over his tail. His ruff still looks pretty much the same as it did before they shaved it.

He also absolutely hated being shaved, lol.

His mother's a tortie, and her entire underside was shaved for her spay/C-section, and I can definitely see what you mean.. she got very sick of my attempting to roll her over and check out those patterns.. they didn't look anything like what I'd have expected.


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## drjean (Jan 6, 2004)

It's true that long-haired cats actually use their fur as insulation against heat as well as cold. 

However, I shave all 4 of my longhairs in the summer, and they LOVE it. (Not all cats are appreciative!) They adapt very quickly to their new situation, and *seem* (from my point of view) to feel a lot cooler and a whole lot happier. I am happier too, because then my floors aren't knee deep in cat hair, as it appears to be the rest of the year!

However, most of the time, the rationale for shaving is that they get too matted. This often happens when the winter coat sheds out in the spring. If they don't let you comb them well enough, the winter hair gets all mixed up with the new coat and mats. 

If you live in a hot climate, it might be worth experimenting with a shave when it gets warm in the spring, and see how she reacts. As I said, not all cats seem thrilled with the process, but most of them seem to enjoy the results.

Cheers,
Dr. Jean


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## kittygirl04 (Jul 8, 2003)

Yoda and Sophie have long fur growing on the bottom of their paws. It doesn't seem to bother Sophie, but I've seen Yoda bite at hers--like it bothers her. I would love to take Sophie to get shaved because the fur on her rear is matted and she won't let me brush her there. I keep trying to get it a little at a time, but she usually gets mad and hides from me. I've heard that it's not good to remove the matted fur with scissors because of the chance of cutting the cat. I know Sophie would freak out if she had to get her rear shaved! :shock:


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