Elevate Your Grooming
Shorthaired Lion Cut
by Blake Hernandez
Before and After
Blue uppercase letter C dropcapat grooming is not for everyone. They have thinner skin, sharper teeth, longer nails, faster strikes and are seemingly unpredictable. This cat required its first shave due to a skin reaction which the owners wanted to make sure was not affecting places other than her muzzle.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's belly area by striping upward and downward
Fig 1) When shaving cats, I always start with their belly. If I come to find out that their temperament is not going to make it through a groom, I’d rather have a stripe down the belly than the back. On this cat, I’m using a #9 in reverse for the entire groom.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's base tail area
Fig 2) Starting at the base of the tail, I begin shaving the body of the cat.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's base tail area while the cat's head is tucked in between the arm/side of the person's body
Fig 3) So that the cat feels secure and does not look for an escape, I keep her head tucked between my arm and the side of my body.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's base tail area from the point of hock as the person is applying pressure to the knee of the cat holding it in an extended position
Fig 4) Using my hand to apply pressure to the knee, I hold it in an extended position. Then I can clip the cat in reverse from the point of hock.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's leg area while being extended out as the skin is taunt
Fig 5) I use this as an opportunity to clip the whole way around the leg while it’s extended and the skin is taut.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's back shoulder blades area leaving a crisp line
Fig 6) The back of the cat’s shoulder blades is my anatomical marker where I will stop clipping. But I am not blending; I am stopping starkly and leaving a crisp line.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand rubbing a black cat's back shoulder blades area revealing the shaved sharp and crisp line of the trimmed pattern
Fig 7) These steps are all done before the bath to minimize drying time with a cat. Here you can see the sharp and crisp line of the shave pattern.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's end point tail area
Fig 8) I would have liked to shave further up the tail, but the cat had a previous break that had healed and I didn’t want to further expose that.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand using a blue haircut blade clipper in reverse to shave off a black cat's body area going in small sections while stretching the skin tight to clean up clipper work
Fig 9) Now that the cat is bathed and dried, I go in small sections while stretching the skin tight to clean up my clipper work.
Close-up photograph perspective of a person's hand holding a black cat's rear head area showing the final trimmed cut pattern line when the remaining fur is pushed back
Fig 10) This is what the pattern line looks like when you push back the remaining fur.
Never promise more than you can deliver with cat grooming. And never groom a cat that is more scared than you are confident. Remember these rules and you should have great success building your cat clientele!
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