Is Ragdoll Lion Cut A Good Decision?

As the name suggests, a ragdoll lion cut is a haircut that usually cat owners give their cats. It is mostly all hair of a ragdoll cat is shaved off, leaving a few parts like the face, tail, and neck out. This makes them look like a lion, with heavy, long hair on their faces and the rest of the body with short hair.

Ragdoll cats are known for their long-haired coat and their giant size. But with this dense, smooth coat comes a price: maintenance. Like every long-haired cat, ragdoll cats need regular brushing to avoid matting and tangles. Ragdoll cats also shed much during the summer season.

Watching the beautiful hair of a ragdoll shed like that is challenging. Hence many owners switch to a ragdoll lion cut. One thing that must be noted about the ragdoll lion cut is not to perform it alone at home. It is advised to take ragdoll cats to the best shavers and trimmers to make ragdoll lion cut. There are many advantages and disadvantages of ragdoll lion cut. Today’s post is dedicated to the ragdoll lion cat.

What Is A Ragdoll Lion Cut?

Firstly, let us clarify that the Persian ragdoll lion cut is not some hybrid or any other variety of ragdoll cat. It is just a haircut or a style in which your ragdoll cat’s hair can be shaved. There are several justifications for shaving a cat into a ragdoll lion cut. The lion cut is primarily used on ragdoll cats to aid with the excessive summertime shedding and avoid knots.

This trim leaves long hair on the limbs, all over the cat’s head, and a “pompom” on the tail while shaving the torso, abdomen, and chest extremely close to the skin. There are a few variations to the cut, but the actual appearance leaves the cat’s forehead, collar, and most, if not the entirety of its tail, uncut, with skinny fur on its midsection and limbs.

If high-risk regions are not cut, experienced trimmers can customize this look to the client’s tastes. Ragdoll cat skin is sensitive in some areas, such as unnecessary parts of limbs, paws, around the face, and tail. Hence, these parts are always avoided while giving a ragdoll lion cut. The lion cut is usually the best way to prevent matting, allergies, and infections.

Nevertheless, if your ragdoll cat is old or sick, you must avoid shaving your cat’s hair. Some ragdoll cats are also sensitive to changes. Changes in habitat or body could stress some ragdoll cats out. In that case, grooming your cat correctly is your best option instead of a ragdoll lion cut.

Advantages Of A Ragdoll Lion Cut:

There are many reasons why one ragdoll cat owner should prefer a ragdoll lion cut.

Tangles And Shedding

The foremost reason is to avoid knots. Since ragdoll cats have long-haired coats, it is common for them to have tangles in their hair, which is hard to brush, and brushing those tangles can cause a lot of pain to your Ragdoll. In that case, the ragdoll cat’s matted hair is cut, or the whole body is shaved as a lion cut.

Although getting your ragdoll cat a lion cut won’t truly lessen the quantity of fur they shed, the smaller hairs will give the impression that less hair is being tracked throughout the house. And it is easier to clean short hair around the house. 

Heat

Your long-haired cat could struggle to stay calm if you live in a tropical region. Like other pet animals, cats can get life-threatening sunstroke in higher temperatures. Cats with lion cuts have significantly less hair, which helps keep them cooler in the summer. There isn’t any conclusive evidence, though, that shaving or trimming the hair keeps ragdoll cats’ bodies cooler.

Maintenance

Due to their fluffy coat and long hair, it is evident ragdoll cat requires regular brushing. One must brush their coat at least twice a week to avoid knots. They need this essential maintenance. But it might be that the owners do not usually get time to brush their cats. In that case, shaving your ragdoll cat’s hair is always the best option than making it suffer through the pain and infections that tangles and knots cause. Hence they are easy to maintain.

Disadvantages Of Ragdoll Lion Cut

While advantages seem pretty attractive, there are many cons to opting for the lion cut.

Stress

For any animal, stress is a slow killer. Stress due to habitat or changes in living conditions can cause a ragdoll cat’s life. Hence, a ragdoll lion cut is a red flag if your cat is sensitive to even minute changes. Even the thought of going outside could trigger anxiety in your ragdoll cat. Hence, we recommend not to go shaving, but even then, if you do so, please shave your ragdoll cat under the guidance of a professional.

Sunburn

Animals have a natural way of protecting themselves from weather, seasons, and other biological attacks. Messing with such natural techniques will backfire. As in this case, the ragdoll coat hair protects it from the harsh UV rays in winters and summers. Shaving them off makes them more exposed to sunburns. Even though ragdolls are inside cats, you will have to protect your ragdoll cat from sun rays even through the window.

Expensive

Getting a ragdoll lion cut is expensive. Getting the amount itself is costly, along with the maintenance is expensive. Hence if you have decided to go through with the ragdoll lion cut, please be prepared to spend a fortune on the procedure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Final Thoughts:

A ragdoll lion cut is when the cat is shaved everywhere on the body except for parts of the tail, legs, mouth, and neck. Owners generally do it to avoid matting and for ease in maintaining the cat. Nevertheless, giving a haircut to your ragdoll cat will, at no cost, reduce shedding.