I'm still wondering if cats aren't like dogs where their coats are designed to both warm AND cool their bodies. I cringe when I see people shaving dogs like Golden Retrievers. They're just messing up those types of dogs' ability to self-cool in the summer. I really wonder if cats aren't the same.
I dunno. Maybe different coated cats have different requirements the way different-coated dogs do, but I'd NEVER shave Barkly. You sure don't see shaved cats in cat shows. Plus, it's harder to clean up after them if you've just got short hairs to clean up--the longer the hair, the easier it is to see and less likely it is to completely embed itself into carpets, etc. I've heard too many people say that they thought their dog would quit shedding if they shaved it, but it didn't work.
If a dog is a shedding dog, then it's going to shed no matter the length of the coat, and I'm sure cats have to be the same too. At least I've never heard of a non-shedding cat unless they're naturally naked.