FAQ’s
Do cats really need to be groomed? Ive always heard they groom themselves.
Can you just shave my cat and not give him/her a bath?
Unless there is a medical or behavioral reason for a cat not to get a bath, I do not do haircuts on cats without a bath. The main reason being that cats will not get the full benefit of being groomed without having a bath and blow dry, even if I am cutting their hair. Washing and removing excess oils is extremely beneficial for cats and helps to reduce the likelihood of matting and excess dandruff. Clean hair will also cut much easier, making grooming safer and resulting in a better haircut.
Are there any risk to having my cat groomed?
Like most things with life, there is always some risk. For cat grooming, much of the risk is to the groomer and assistants, not the cats. Of course, anytime you work with sharp objects such as clipper blades and scissors, there is always a risk of a pet squirming or jumping and a cut or nick to happen.
The other risk for cats is stress. Many cats are not extremely used to grooming or being handled a lot, so the process can be a little scary at first. We do many things to reduce that stress. The first being the fact that we are a mobile groomer so your cat only has to spend a minimal time away from home and are in an environment where they are the only animal. Next, we use Feliway, a synthetic feline pheromone to promote calm and a sense of well being in your pet. Finally, while in our care, the groomer and assistants pay very close attention to how your pet is dealing with the groom and have different tools and techniques to keep them calm and reduce the stress such as a “happy hoodie” which is a wrap that goes over the cats head to reduce the amount of noise they hear, the “Catty Shack Vac” which is a special dryer that allows cats to walk around in small area while being dried instead of being held and for those who like to be held, we have assistants who are happy to do that too.
Should your pet ever become extremely stressed to the point that we are concerned they may injure themselves or that the stress is at a dangerous level, we will absolutely immediately stop the groom. Your cats health and happiness is always our primary concern.
Do you groom dogs?
I am not fully trained in dog grooming and do not do any haircuts or scissor work. I can however, do nail trims, express anal glands, and do baths and brush outs for short haired breeds. If I am going to work with a dog, I tend to schedule them at the end of the day or dedicate a whole day to working with dogs in order to keep the reduced stress atmosphere for cats. Even if they don’t see them, cats will know if a dog was around so I like to allow for time for the truck to air out and have the feline pheromones be the primary scent again.
What do the letters CVT and CFMG mean after your name?
CVT stands for Certified Veterinary Technician. I have been a certified veterinary technician since 2003, which means I graduated from an American Veterinary Medical Association accredited program, passed a National Board exam and attend continuing education meetings every year to maintain my license. In addition to grooming, I still work as a technician part time to keep up those skills and keep up to date on the latest in veterinary medicine. Even thought I am a vet tech and have medical knowledge, it does NOT mean I can diagnose or treat any medical issues.
CFMG stands for Certified Feline Master Groomer. It is a certification I received from the National Cat Groomers Institute of America. To become certified, I had to pass written exams and practical exams (grooming of cats) and prove that I can properly and SAFELY groom cats. There are currently only about 400 CFMG’s worldwide.
