Cat Grooming

Why Would I Need a Cat Groomer?

Most cats will self-clean on a daily basis, often spending hours each day licking themselves and other pets / humans in the household, as cats are exceptionally clean animals. It is therefore not unusual to assume that they are looking after themselves properly as their coats may appear to be in tip-tip condition. Unless you are regularly stroking or brushing your cat (and as we know, not all cats like to be touched, except on their terms!), it can come as quite a shock to suddenly find they have developed issues in their fur, ie knots and sometimes matts.  There are a number of reasons why this may be and include:

• long haired cats who struggle to keep on top of their grooming
  
• older cats who are less flexible and unable to clean themselves properly
• cats whose fur has become greasy, which includes short haired cats, causing the hair to stick together forming knots, matts and then pelts
  
• excessive shedding, in particular when starting to lose their winter coat in spring
• kittens weaned from their mothers too early 
• cats who have been / are unwell
• a number of other reasons  

Matts and knots will become very uncomfortable over time. They may start out small but will only get worse if left un-checked. Your cat may try to scratch, lick or chew them out of their fur – often resulting in painful skins sores and furballs which they will try to cough up.  

Quite often, it is at this late stage that the owner will notice something is wrong and a trip to the vet the first point of call. The vet may remove the knots and matts by shaving and prescribing medication for any skin sores. With severe cases, the vet will need to sedate the cat in order to remove a badly matted coat. Sedation is necessary to ensure the vet team are not bitten or scratched from an upset cat, who will also be stressed from the journey and finding him/herself in a strange environment. The owner may ultimately find themselves with a large vet bill of £ hundreds from the vets consultation fee, vets team work, medication and of course sedation & recovery costs  – resulting in upset owner in addition to upset cat!

In addition, owners may find their cats start to shed fur excessively at certain times of year, leaving cat hair over clothes, carpets and furnishings resulting in daily clothes brushing or vacuuming within the home.  

And for those cats who do regularly lick and clean themselves, this can lead to uncomfortable and unpleasant furballs being coughed up.  Severe cases of furballs can require veterinary assistance if they become stuck and a cat cannot cough them up.  

So, how best to help your cat prevent or deal with these issues?

Consider the Services of a Professional Cat Groomer
Firstly – ideally, do not wait until problems have already developed!

If you adopt a cat from a young age, try to get your cat used to being touched all over straight away. This includes not only the body and coat, but eyes, ears, teeth, paws and brush your cats coat every day if possible. This means you will know when your cat is healthy and will help you notice any changes in your cats’ condition.  

If you acquire an older cat, your cat doesn’t like being touched or you lack confidence exploring your cats body yourself, this is where a Professional Cat Groomer can help. By having your cat checked and groomed every 6-8 weeks, this could help reduce issues developing with your cats’ coat. Regular grooming could become a pleasurable experience for your cat and if the cat groomer offers a mobile service and can come to you, this also eliminates the stress of travel for your cat.

Regular grooming also:

• helps reduce furball issues by removing dead hair which, through licking, your cat will digest
• helps reduce the amount of cat hair in your home - so both cat and owner benefits!

 Things To Consider When Selecting a Cat Groomer

It may be harder to find a Professional Cat Groomer than a Professional Dog Groomer, but the skills required for both professions are very different, with both specialists in their own field. Therefore, some useful points to consider when looking for / selecting a Professional Cat Groomer: 

•   Has the Cat Groomer any evidence of formal cat grooming training?
• Are they insured?
• Does the Cat Groomer take a holistic and calm approach in their work?
• Can the Cat Groomer come to my home by offering a mobile service?
• What range of services can the Cat Groomer provide?
• What products will the Cat Groomer use on my cat?
• Do I understand the skills required from a Cat Groomer and how this is reflected in the charges?

And Finally
As with most things in life - prevention is better than cure.  Therefore, consider hiring a cat grooming specialist on a regular basis, build a long and trusting relationship with your Cat Groomer which will be best for your cat and, ultimately, best for your pocket!

To discuss your requirements further, please do not hesitate to contact Pauline Kemp, Master Cat Groomer via pauline@awesomepawspetcare.co.uk or call 07534 441810.