Introducing Cat Grooming to the Professional Groomer Heidi Anderton is principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming. She is an experienced industry expert and is a founder member of the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA). Grooming cats for over 30 years, Heidi holds two separate cat grooming qualifications and is based in London.
Heidi Anderton and her team love grooming their feline clients
Are you thinking about adding a cat grooming service to your business? I couldn’t get enough groomers to start cat grooming, because there is such a huge call for it. We groom about 12-15 cats per week over a two-day period and all my team love grooming the cats. I think we will soon be increasing this to three days. The cats are groomed in a separate room from the dogs and having cats and dogs in on the same days makes for a very full on day, but we love it. Our students are always amused and bemused by the cat grooming, especially when they can hear a loud meowing from a cat next 34 | Total Grooming Magazine
door and expect us to come walking into the dog salon cut to shreds; it never happens…...and I will explain why. It’s a myth that cat grooming is difficult and that cats go crazy during grooming or bathing. It’s no different in terms of behaviour to dog grooming. 95% of dogs will enjoy or tolerate the grooming jobs they require. In the same way 95% of the cats will enjoy or at least tolerate the grooming service.
Why is there a call for cat grooming? Contrary to common belief, cats cannot always clean and wash themselves. With thick coated short haired breeds,
semi-long- and long-haired breeds, they need additional help. As well as older cats, cats with health issues, overweight cats and sometimes even lazy cats, they need assistance maintaining the coat. Cats will generally be anaesthetised for this once per year, but of course we know the risks are high with this course of action, and it can be avoided. My vet sends all cats to me now for coat care. I have groomed 13-year-old cats and older who have been sedated all their lives for coat removal and in fact, they have just sat there and enjoyed the attention and the grooming; never actually needing the sedation in the first place.
