Expert: Tomay - 6/3/2006

Question
Hello,
On a recent visit to my vet with my American Longhair (I'm guessing that's what he is) she was sure my cat was at least part Maine Coon. He does have a lot of the markings and characteristics of that breed. He also has quite a lot of hair growing between the pads of his feet. Should this hair be clipped? He is an indoor kitty, so he doesn't get the opportunity to wear this hair off as outdoor cats might. He really hates to have his feet touched! It usually ends up in bandaids for me!! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.


Answer
Hi Mary,
I also have a part Maine Coon kitty...such a love!  And he, too has that long hair in his pads and on between his toes.  I keep it clipped down, mostly because it helps with the tracking  from the litter box.  It is just personal preference whether or not you have it trimmed.  You might check in the area for a groomer who works with cats, and see if you can just pop in for a quick trim.  You can try it yourself ( with someone elses help!) with a basic pair of scissors.  Have the other person scruff him up (like his momma used to carry him when he was a kitten) and then very CAREFULLY clip away the excess hair across his paws.  Just be very careful, as it is easy to skim off parts of his pads when using scissors.  
Hope this has been helpful.
Thank you for your inquiry and your interest in this site!
Tomay