How to Trim a Pet

There are a number of pets that can have their hair trimmed, such as long-haired cats, dogs and rabbits. You can take your pets to a grooming salon or give the animal a trim at home--as long as you use the correct equipment. Longer-haired pets can benefit from a haircut because a long coat can become knotted and can carry dirt. These can be uncomfortable for the animal. Owners may have their pets trimmed before entering them in shows.

Things You'll Need

  • Rubber-tipped wire brush
  • Soft brush
  • Comb
  • Scissors
  • Clipper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Groom the animal by brushing through the hair with a rubber-tipped wire brush or comb. Gently brush out any knots or tangles in the hair. Always move the brush in the natural direction that the coat grows. Long-haired cats usually need more attention paid to the armpits and stomach areas as these can often become matted. Long-haired rabbits tend to become matted around the tail area.

    • 2

      Remove stubborn knots with a pair of scissors. Be extremely careful to avoid cutting the skin.

    • 3

      Decide on an overall length for the pet's coat. Owners usually keep it between 1 and 2 inches long. Use scissors to trim the hair equally. Carefully trim around the face to ensure that the animal can see and eat without any hair getting in the way. You sometimes need to cut the hair at an angle around the face to ensure that the hair is even.

    • 4

      Use a specialized pet clipper to get a closer cut when trimming cats and dogs. These are available online and in pet stores. Cats and dogs that have short hair styles (such as the lion-hair cut becoming popular with long-haired cat owners) still need to groom the pet regularly using a soft brush.