FAQs

This is a common misconception. Cats don't groom themselves, they lick themselves.  When your cat licks itself, they are covering themselves in saliva and dander at the same time ingesting anything soiling their fur and any shedding hair that gets caught in their spikey tongues. This does nothing to relieve them of tangles, matts, dandruff, skin conditions, and unsanitary germs and bacteria that can be present on paws and the hindquarters.  Instead, your cat transfers dander and saliva on to the surfaces in your home and it is this that people are allergic to not their fur.

Matts often comprise of clumps of dead hair, dead skin cells, outdoor residues, and any other kind of dirt your cat has rubbed against. Once a small tangle or matt forms, it grows very quickly and can form a pelt. Pelts are formed when matting starts to join together over a long period of time.  Matts left in a cat’s coat only grow tighter restricting their movement causing discomfort or pain and possible open sores. The only real defence against tangles and matts is regular grooming done by a professional cat exclusive groomer who truly knows what they are doing.

We strongly believe in humanity over vanity and as such we would limit the amount of time spent trying to detangle a matt.   Heavy/extensive de-matting can be stressful, uncomfortable, and painful for your cat.  Matts can be very difficult to remove and because it’s primarily a mass of dead hair, it can’t be brushed out and we therefore may need to shave your cat.

Matting is completely preventable and we’re always happy to help you find the correct grooming schedule for your cat and show you how to maintain your cat’s coat at home in between appointments so your cat always looks their best.

Contrary to popular belief, not all cats hate water, and many do not mind being bathed. We use special techniques to introduce a cat to the bathing process each time and offer them plenty of reassurance.  Following their bath, cats are wrapped in a fluffy clean towel and dried by hand (not put in a cage or drying box).  This is the most efficient drying process and produces the highest quality groom.

Absolutely!  As cats age they can lose their ability to groom themselves if they are suffering from arthritis and their skin becomes loose and wrinkly making it more difficult to clip (if clipping is required).  We provide the safest, most stress-free environment for your cat to make them feel comfortable, however, sometimes it is better to groom your cat in two sessions to avoid undue stress to them.

We provide grooming services to kittens from the age of 3 months, and they must be fully vaccinated.

It is very rare that we are unable to groom a cat.  A cat can be difficult for many reasons, fear, aggression, or simply inexperience.  Unlike dogs cats have a certain window of tolerance to being handled and it has to be on their terms!  Because of the specialised handling techniques that we use it is usually possible that we will be able to safely groom a difficult cat, but from time to time we come across a cat that cannot tolerate being groomed.

We never give cats any medication as part of the grooming process, only a trained veterinarian can do this.  In reality, very few cats truly do need any sort of sedative in order to be groomed. We handle each cat in such a way that the need for sedation is rarely needed.  If we do think your cat would best be served by receiving medication as they are badly matted and are too stressed on the grooming table, we will refer you to your veterinarian as this will be the most humane way to groom them comfortably. 

It can hurt your cat to NOT be groomed. Cats that are not groomed can be prone to serious matting problems, skin conditions, painful ingrown nails, and a variety of other problems that, if left unattended, can cause much discomfort and even irreversible damage. A cat that is groomed regularly will not suffer from such problems. Because the groomer is handling the cat on a regular basis and looking over every inch of its body during each visit, health issues that may arise can be found early on, and the likelihood of effective intervention is increased.

We typically allow 2 hours for your first appointment for one cat if a full groom is being provided.  This allows time for the cat to become comfortable and allows for any breaks needed without the groom having to be rushed.   If your cat is severely matted or has challenging behaviour, the groom time may take longer.  Following our initial assessment of your cat, we will be able to advise what time to pick them up. Once we have worked with your cat, we will be able to provide you with a more accurate time span for future appointments.

This does generally depend on your cat’s coat and is hard to judge having seen them for the first time.  We would recommend that most long-haired cats are on a 6-8 week maintenance schedule and short-haired cats a 2-3 month maintenance schedule.  We will however, review the frequency and amend it at the next appointment if necessary.  If your cat’s coat for example is still getting matted, we will recommend a shorter interval between grooms. Equally if their coat is in good condition we will suggest extending to a longer interval.  There are other factors to take into consideration such as the cat’s age and temperament where shorter but more frequent sessions may be required to allow them time to learn that grooming is not painful and/or to avoid your cat becoming too stressed.