Arya's grooming and lifelong trauma

I think I made a big mistake with Arya, my little princess. I had intended to give her a Lion Cut, but things didn’t go as planned. Now, she looks completely different, and I’m pretty sure she feels embarrassed and scared. She's also probably cold because of how much fur was taken off. I just wanted her to look cute and fresh, but instead, she seems uncomfortable and unsure.

A cat's fur is its pride, its identity. Removing it is like taking off their clothes, leaving them exposed. But my intention was never to upset Arya. I wanted to improve her comfort and wellbeing. Her grooming and haircut had been long overdue, but with my hectic weekday schedule, I couldn’t find time to take her to the vet clinic. It had been weighing on me for a while.

Let’s rewind to a few hours before this picture:

"Huzaifaaaaaa!" my mom called from the kitchen, as Arya meowed for food. "You've been putting off taking Arya for a haircut! It's been two months now. Today’s Sunday—no more excuses!" I already had a lot on my plate: taking my bike to the mechanic, picking up my dad's medicine, and a football match at 9 pm. Despite this, I knew I couldn’t avoid my mother any longer. I glanced at Arya and realized she really did deserve a good grooming session. Her fur had grown too long, and it was time to do something about it.

I picked her up and put her inside the cage.

Finallyyy

I think she'd realized what's about to happen to her.

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I placed Arya in the passenger seat, fitting for the little princess she is, and drove her to the vet. Like most cats, she’s absolutely terrified of vet clinics, and for good reason—no one enjoys getting injections in their hips. Thankfully, that wasn’t why we were there this time.

Fortunately for me, the groomer was available immediately, so there was no waiting. Unfortunately for Arya, this wasn’t great news. With every passing second, I could see her trust in me fading a little more.

Initially, I planned to have Arya completely shaved, but then I remembered seeing a Lion Cut online recently. Curious to try it out, I decided to give it a go with Arya. She’s a very shy and gentle cat, never causing much trouble, so the grooming session went smoothly.

The haircut was finished, and her nails were trimmed as well. Next up was her bath, but luckily for Arya, the groomer wasn’t available that day. What did that mean? No bath for her? ❌ I would bathe her at home? ✅

I took her home and bathed her. This is her new look.

You guys be the judge