FETCHING FELINES: CATS NEED GROOMING TOO!
February 4, 2024
Some people just have a gift with animals, establishing mutual trust and bonding almost instantly. They communicate with them easily and know exactly what to do to make them feel comfortable, safe, and happy.
That’s Dawa Lama, the cat groomer at Ruby & Jack’s.
As a child Dawa loved animals. He’d play with them, tend to them if they were sick or injured, and once even tried to groom a cat whose coat was oily and matted. Although there weren’t any outward signs the cat was angry, Dawa noticed that the tip of the cat’s tail was twitching, a sure sign that an unfriendly paw swipe was coming, so he backed off.
Dawa explained that it’s a common myth that cats don’t need, or like, grooming, but that’s not true at all. Cats are easy, but the groomer needs to know what he or she is doing, since cats communicate differently than dogs. Cat groomers must be aware of the body language (like the twitching tail.)
The groomer also needs to understand the primary objective: for cats, it’s about cleanliness—the bath, cleaning the eyes and ears, the nail trimming—while for dogs it’s about shaping the coat. There’s one big thing in common, though: grooming is preventative for ANY animal. Since there’s a lot of touching involved, the groomer can often find problems the owner cannot—and that’s even more important for cats since they don’t see the vet as often as dogs do.
While cats don’t need grooming as often as dogs, some breeds, like the Himalayan or Sphinx, have excessively oily coats and need more frequent attention. Cats are also susceptible to allergies, Dawa points out, so make certain your shampoos are appropriate for cats.
“Know your breeds, be sensitive, and go slowly,” Dawa advises groomers. “Cats tend to be a little more protective of their territory and more sensitive to change, whereas dogs will adapt a little easier. Cats don’t like surprises.” Although most of the cats Dawa grooms don’t really have a problem with dogs being present, he still exercises precautions to keep the cats and dogs separated as much as possible during grooming.
Love of height is an instinct for cats because their ancestors climbed trees in the wild. “If I can, I put them in a high cage so they can look down,” says Dawa.
Besides cat grooming, remember that Ruby & Jack’s has a cattery for cat boarding and offers cat sitting services in your home for those times when you just can’t be there.