SCAREDY CUT Silent Pet Grooming Kit for Dog, Cat and All Pet Grooming - A Quiet Alternative to Electric Clippers for Sensitive Pets (Right-Handed Pink)

I just received the Scaredy-cut clippers yesterday (Wed, June 5th) and immediately set to work on my Maine Coon cat for about an hour; a challenge when your cat has 3-inch hair and a thick undercoat!BOTTOM LINE: I loved the idea (as did she) but didn't like the scissors itself very much. They seemed dull. I watched three demo videos on the how-to's so I know I was following the instructions as best as I could. And I tried the cuts using the longest 1" head on the clippers, meaning I had less hair per chop, so that should have made it even easier.I took very small tufts of fur to cut each time, yet it still typically took me 3-4 chops with the Scaredy-cut scissors to cut through the fur. When I used our older barber scissors with her fur, it cut through the fur and undercoat like butter; one cut easily did the job each time. This confirmed to me that these Scaredy-Cut scissors need to be sharper. It could be that my pair of Scardey-Cut scissors are just defective or that these scissors are not meant to be used on long-haired cats with thick undercoats... but since the most-helpful review and the company owner, Matthew, both have Maine Coons, and use Scaredy Cut with great success, I suspect the problem is either with how I'm cutting or this particular pair of scissors I'm using.Again, I think the idea is awesome as my Maine Coon is very skittish when it comes to noises, so electric clippers were out. And she purred the entire time, thinking she was getting a lengthy massage!I *AM* impressed by the company's quick and thoughtful responses to customer concerns. Thank you for that, Matthew.-TerryPS: to be fair to the company, if I find I am cutting her hair wrongly with the scissors or that the scissors are merely defective and another pair fixes the problem, I will immediately come here and edit this review and up the star rating. I WANT this company to succeed!__________________________________________________EDIT: Amazing. Within hours of posting this review, Matthew of Scaredy Cut had contacted me AND mailed me a replacement pair of scissors to try out. Now *that* is some impressive customer service!**************************************************EDIT 22 March 2013: I've now had these scissors 9 months and used them to trim my Maine Coon's hair 3 times. Each time it gets a little easier and I'm faster at it. The secret is to have scissors that are tight (I had to have mine replaced) and to take my time. Cut small tufts at first and not too deep. Make more than one pass. Follow the video. It works. I cut her hair today down to the undercoat and evened out the fur and brushed her in less than an hour (this is on a VERY LARGE 14 lbs female cat!) ... and she looks pretty good. And that is taking her fur from 3 inches down to about 1/2 inch (except for her head, cowl and tail, which I didn't touch).BOTTOM LINE: They work and get the job done and my cat purrs the entire time.I will add that the scissors could be sharper, hence why the rating is only 4 star. They aren't barber-quality scissors and the thumb hole is too small for me. So I take my time and give my thumb a rest. But this is a LOT cheaper than taking the cat to a groomer, if she'd even allow it, which I doubt. My wish is this idea but with thin barber-quality scissors like we use to cut human hair, but that would seriously raise the price as such scissors are expensive. So for the money, THESE ARE GREAT! And EVERY email or inquiry is answered quickly. They bend over backwards to make you happy. Seriously!________________________________________Nov 26, 2014 EDIT:The company upgraded the scissors and asked me to try them out... Wow. MUCH sharper! These scissors, service and idea get 5 STARS from me now. A breeze to cut my Maine Coon's incredibly long hair and dense undercoat. I highly recommend these scissors to anyone who wants to trim their cat or dog's hair. The scissors work. My cat would *never* put up with electric clippers so this idea has been a savior for me. Thanks.

Let me start by saying that I've groomed my own dogs for two years (two miniature schnauzers), so I'm definitely not a beginner. The standard schnauzer cut has a short trim (10 blade) on the body and privates, and longer fur on the legs and stomach. I've used both large corded trimmers and my favorite small battery trimmer, and there's no way that these scissors could cut hair that short. Regardless, I didn't purchase them to cut my schnauzer's bodies, but I thought it may be important information to others.I purchased these scissors to do the legs of my schnauzers. I typically like to keep them long, yet shorter than most schnauzers since my dogs are very active and it's a hassle to pick sticks out of their fur 5 times a day. I was looking for something to help me trim their legs to a standard length and keep the length relatively even. Typically, schnauzer legs are cut with scissors by a skilled groomer into the perfect length of round fluffy legs. I'm not a professional groomer so I struggle to maintain an even length. After using the Scaredy Cut scissors, I WAS left with the even length fur in most places, and it did look less choppy than when I do it myself with scissors. The scaredy cut, however, shouldn't be your only grooming tool because I still had to use my rounded grooming scissors to trim pieces that the scaredy cut couldn't get. In particular, the scaredy cut is quite useless around the feet as well as where the legs meet the body. It's just not possible to get into those small areas with the large awkward tip of the scissors.I can see where this would be a valuable tool if your dog fears the loud noise of a buzzing trimmer. My dog was just as off-put by the constant snapping of the scissors together and didn't sit as still as he does for the trimmer. My biggest problem with these scissors was that they were incredibly dull (on first use) compared to any other grooming scissors I've used. I used them as directed and still had to "chop" multiple times on the same few pieces of fur to get a clean cut. The company did, however, send me a new pair to try out since my first pair was so incredibly dull. The new pair seems to be sharper but I have yet to use it for a full groom to really put it to the test.Overall these scissors take significantly longer than any other grooming tool and are quite expensive for what they are (which is dull). If this was an attachment I could add to my existing scissors I'd be overjoyed, but I won't make my dog stand for hours while I hack away at the same little patch of fur. If you wanted to use these to do your whole dog it would take an incredibly long time. A full groom for my dogs typically takes 30 minutes and includes fur trim everywhere (including face, both sides of ears, in between toes, and shortening the legs, beard, and eyebrows). I took 45 minutes just to trim three legs of my dog with the Scaredy Cut (I did the 4th leg with scissors since he was getting impatient and I was getting frustrated.My opinion: think carefully about why you are getting this product. If you need something that will trim a very fearful dog, get the scaredy cut! If you are the one afraid of the electric trimmers and hurting your dog, it's more likely that practice and treats are all you need to be a great at-home groomer and for your dog to be calm and confident. Groomers usually have an easier time grooming your dog because they are calm and confident. Remember, if you are nervous, your dog will be too! This advice goes for both using the scaredy cut, and training your dog to accept regular grooming.