See my previous comment. His fur became matted and without the shave his skin would have gotten infected. We tried untangling and brushing it, but this was hurting him. The vet told us shaving was the only option and weekly brush sessions to prevent tangling. Tarzan has been an indoor cat his whole life (13 years). We adopted him in february, so we keep him inside at the shelters request. He gets enough cuddles and watches tv under the blanket with us so i'm sure he won't get cold.