Mancat Monday

Evan quite enjoys being the star of our blog on Mancat Monday. At the same time, though, he can't help but be a tad bit disgruntled that it's, well, Monday.

Evan wishes you all a bright and sunny day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip is a bit of a grooming reminder. While it is of course more than okay to regularly trim nails, brush, or even lightly trim your cat's or dog's coat, keep in mind that shaving them in the summer can have negative effects. Just as our cats and dogs need their coat to stay warm in the winter, they also need it to remain cool in the summer. This is because cat and dog coats not only insulate warmth in the winter, but that furry coat also insulates cool air in the summer.

That's not all, though. Remember our discussion on sunburn yesterday? Well, shaving our furry cats and dogs can cause their skin to be more exposed to the sun, which of course can result in sunburn during these hot, sunny months. Sunburn, as we said yesterday, can lead to painful skin issues as well as potential skin cancer, and no one wants that.

So, though it might sound reasonable to shave your furbaby down to the skin to help them stay cool in the summer, that is actually not the best of ideas. Let them keep their coats this summer, so that they can insulate cool air and have some protection against those sunny rays. Regularly brushing and trimming up that coat is more than fine, but it's best not to take their coat away altogether. Of course, if you have questions on this topic of grooming and coat and skin care in the summer, do discuss it with your veterinarian.