Posted on by Spiffy Kitty House Call Cat Grooming

Giving a cat a bath in a tub. Wash, dry, strut.

I see Belle every week. We share a bond of trust.

I trust her not to hurt me with her kitty weapons (teeth and claws). She trusts me not to hurt her, even when I do things she doesn’t like (claw trims!).

Cats all over the world are shedding gobs of dead fur, as the days lengthen and summer approaches.  That means it’s BATH TIME!  Whoo hoo!

I bathed Belle in her parent’s great big tub, using the gentlest cat shampoo I could find.  Then I towel dried Belle, giving her a vigorous massage at the same time.  Next, she rested in the Drying Spa, where I served a snack of Fancy Feast. Finally, she had her “blow out” with my high-velocity dryer.  The dryer gets rid of left-over dead fur. Believe me, even after a bath there’s dead fur hanging on by a thread.  (The fur is now nestled in my throat.)

Gettingreadyforbath
Almost bath time.
Checkingoutdryingspa
Checking out the drying spa.
Tailintub
Into the warm, soapy water Belle goes, tail first.
Towelingoffwethead
On my lap, rub down & massage with thick, fluffy towels.
Dryingspawithsnack
In the roomy drying spa with Fancy Feast snack.
Walkingaroundafterbath
Strutting around, proud to be fresh and cleanPostbathstroll
I’m so pretty, oh so pretty . . . 

Posted on by Spiffy Kitty House Call Cat Grooming

Cornell University Vet Med School Promotes Cat Grooming

“Grooming is also a preventive health measure. Regular brushing or combing gives you a close-up view of the cat’s skin and coat condition, allowing you to spot the early signs of disease…Brushing or combing the coat helps remove fur before the cat swallows it, reducing the incidence of hairballs, a plus in any owner’s book.”  (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Feline Health Center.)

I offer weekly brushing and combing appointments. If you’re too busy to brush your cat, call a groomer.

 

Posted on by Spiffy Kitty House Call Cat Grooming

Soft Paws for cats: Pro and Con

Applying tiny plastic covers to cat claws isn’t the easiest thing to do.

I prefer simply trimming the claws, but sometimes that’s not enough.

Soft Paws need to be re-applied every 4-6 weeks. Try the brightly colored Soft Paws, because you can easily see if they’ve come off.

Good candidates for Soft Paws claw covers:

The elderly, people with health conditions causing thin skin or bleeding problems, small children, cats with health conditions causing thin skin/bleeding problem/chronic itching/OCD issues, aggressive cats, households with antique furniture, cats that bat their owner’s eyeballs, cats that get stuck to the rug.

Soft paws are bad for:

Outdoor cats, cats owned by people that can’t maintain a 4-6 week Soft Paw schedule, some OCD nail biters.*

*Thanks to cat groomer Beth Cornell Rex for this description of who should and shouldn’t use Soft Paws.

soft paws