Clippers for cats: types, models, selection and operation

Grooming animals at home is not easy. For a cat, a carefully performed procedure is painless, but it can be frightened by the noise of a typewriter, and the need to sit quietly drives it into despondency and melancholy. However, if you choose the right clipper for the animal, the procedure will not only become easier and faster, but also give the cat pleasure. And soon she will calmly substitute her fur under the device herself.

Grooming an animal is an important manipulation designed to perform several functions at once. First of all, timely grooming of a long-haired cat makes it easier for the hostess to clean the house. The owners of such cats know that hairs and scraps of wool are present in every room of the apartment, clog up the sink, can be caught in food, and in the morning they have to get such a "present" from their own mouth.

The second reason for the procedure may be participation in an exhibition. In this case, the haircut pursues a decorative task and allows the four-legged participant of the event to show himself in all its glory. In addition, in the hot season, the cat will feel much more comfortable if it is deprived of part of the warm "clothing".

And finally the main purpose of a haircut is to maintain the health of the animal. Not only does the cat swallow hairs when licking its fur coat, which causes intestinal discomfort and can lead to serious consequences, but also tangles form on the coat without timely cutting.They constantly grow and grow into the skin, the animal looks untidy, old, the hair formed into dense lumps hurts him.

A wool clipper can help you avoid all of these problems. The standard device includes a special knife that effectively handles the animal's undercoat.

Wool clippers are classified according to the principle of operation. In general, all devices are divided into mechanical and electrical machines. Electric varieties can also be presented in several variants.

The mechanical apparatus resembles pliers. Its working principle is similar to that of conventional scissors. There is a spring in the center here. It is quite convenient to work with a mechanical typewriter: it does not make any noise and does not frighten the pet. The device allows you to tidy up your pet's fur while he is resting in his usual place. This is a compact device, the operation of which does not require the use of batteries or an electrical network, that is, you can carry it with you and cut the tangles of a cat in a timely manner.

However, before buying a manual apparatus, it is worth considering some of the product's disadvantages. Using a mechanical device requires skill - the first time the owner is unlikely to be able to aesthetically cut the animal's fur. NInsecure actions during the trial procedure can injure the pet, cause him to fear an unfamiliar device, and the next time the animal will be difficult to seat for a grooming.

Generally mechanical option more suitable for a hygienic haircut, rather than aesthetic, since it is difficult to trim the coat beautifully with such a device.

A more popular option is electric trimmers. They can be divided into the following types.

• Vibrating. Used for easy home renovation, not suitable for professional work. They are used for animals with soft hair of medium length, but it is better not to use them for long-haired breeds. This device is low power.

• Pendulum. More powerful hardware. Suitable for grooming cats with coarse hair. It is convenient to use, however, the procedure causes discomfort to the animal. In addition, the device has a high cost. For these reasons, the device is now practically not used.

• Rotary... Used by professional groomers. It is a powerful machine that benefits from ease of movement and functionality. The device includes several attachments that can be rearranged depending on the animal's coat. The disadvantage of the product is the loudness of the work and strong vibration, and this scares the cat and introduces it into a state of shock.

Electric trimmers can be battery operated or mains powered. When using the first option, it is important to check whether there is enough charge for performing one procedure, since a suspended session will aggravate the emotional state of the cat and result in additional stress for her.

For mains powered equipment, you must always have access to an electrical outlet.

After analyzing the reviews of professionals about various models, we can single out the top three among them.

• Brofa 206B2. Experts like the ratio of excellent quality and affordable cost. The equipment is powered by the network. The set includes replaceable blades.Mainly used for animals with medium length coats. The owners note that serviceability is also achieved due to the presence of oil in the set for lubricating the blades. Of the minuses is the need for frequent sharpening of the blades.

• Moser 1245 45W. Quite a powerful professional device. The 45W motor allows you to tidy up cats with thick hair, such as the Persians or the British. After each session, the blades must be lubricated with a special tool. The set includes a special brush for cleaning cutting objects. Replaceable attachments are also offered separately, allowing you to cut cats with hair of different lengths.

• Wahl 2018-0470. The advantages of this model are its low weight (435 g) and versatility. The set includes tweezers, blade brush, replacement blade. Other attachments can be purchased separately. The machine works at two speeds. Also, from the merits, the duration of operation is noted.

Before you buy your favorite model, use a few recommendations from experts.

• Give preference to appliances with ceramic knives. They heat up less during the procedure.
• Try to avoid devices that are too loud. A cat frightened by a buzzing will pull away and will not let you calmly perform a haircut.
• Choose clippers with interchangeable attachments (for clipping paws, ears, tail) and a simple mechanism of operation. Check how easy it is to turn on and if it has a speed adjustment function.
• If the choice fell on the battery option, then make sure that there is a charging indicator system.
• When choosing an electric trimmer, carefully consider the quality of the wire winding.
• The minimum power of the device is 15 W. The device should cut coarse wool neatly, but not overheat.
• If the equipment is purchased for a large breed cat, then choose a device with a blade width of 3.5 cm. This option will speed up the grooming process.
• For well-fed and fluffy pets, it is recommended to use mains-powered trimmers, as the battery charge may not be enough for one session.
• If the haircut will be performed for decorative purposes and the owner wants to create an interesting hairstyle for his pet, then it is better to choose cars with a large number of speeds.

Before deciding to buy a particular model, take the device in your hand. Evaluate how comfortable it is to hold it and whether it slips out of your hands.

From the first try, any owner is unlikely to cope with the task of grooming a cat. Especially if there is a noisy apparatus that scares the animal. For the first session, it is better to choose a quieter device. Before moving on to the process itself, heed these tips.

• Do not trim the hair around the head, ears, or tips of the paws. The wool in these zones helps the animal to navigate in space, and if you cut out a part of the wool, then the cat will be confused, it will be difficult for her to move around the apartment. Never trim a cat's whiskers.
• Refuse the procedure in winter if the apartment is cold. The animal may catch a cold. In extreme cases, if you have a comfortable typewriter, you can only slightly reduce the length of the coat to prevent the formation of tangles, so that the pet is comfortable.
• The owner, who for the first time faced with an independent haircut of a cat, should prudently set aside several hours for the procedure, since a beginner is unlikely to cope with the task in half an hour.
• It is allowed to divide one procedure for several days. For example, today cut the back, in a couple of days - the front.However, it is worth knowing that this will cause the wool to grow unevenly.

Next, you can move on to the haircut process itself. The session consists of the following stages.

• It is best to do the grooming procedure together with a helper. It's good if the pet is familiar with the partner, then he will not worry. One of the novice groomers should hold the cat, calm him down, cover his ears, and the other should shave the fur directly.
• It is recommended to wear a special collar for an aggressive or scared cat from increased attention. He will not allow the animal to bite.
• Wrap your pet tightly but gently in a blanket and turn on the clipper away from the pet. Let your pet listen to the buzzing sound from a distance for a while to get used to the sound.
• Do not forget to talk affectionately with your pet. It is unlikely that he understands the words, but cats react well to the intonation in the human voice, and by the emotions of the owner they can understand his mood.
• Start in the most tangled areas where the mats have formed. If it is still scary to do it with a typewriter, then you can use ordinary scissors.
• Next, go to the back. Trim the hair from the paws and around the groin area, gradually move the clipper towards the front.
• You can shave the animal along or against the coat. If you need to cut a large number of hairs, it is recommended to drive the clipper against the grain.
• Once the haircut is over, treat your pet to a treat. Let the procedure be remembered by him at least something pleasant.

In general, the essence of the hair clipper and the animal hair clipper is quite similar. If the apartment has a human shaving machine, then as a last resort you can use it if it has the following characteristics:

• high power;
• sharp new blades;
• powered by the mains.

You cannot use a simple hair clipper if you are planning a haircut for a long-haired cat, since the device will not cope with such a volume. But it is quite suitable for removing individual mats from an animal. If you use a human pet hair clipper all the time, it will quickly become unusable: the blades will become dull, the hair will no longer be removed gently, but will be pulled out, which will cause pain to the animal.

How to choose a clipper for cats, see below.