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Be Cat Aware
A cat is not a dog. Sounds like a silly statement doesn’t it, but it’s always worth remembering for us groomers, when a cat comes to visit the salon. By Sarah Mackay and Fern Gresty from iPET
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ats have a whole range of special considerations, and that is why last year we launched our portfolio of Ofqual regulated cat grooming qualifications, the first of their kind in the country. We wanted to launch these qualifications so that dog groomers who decide to diversify and offer cat grooming can do so in a safe and welfare-led way. And so that new cat groomers can get a gold-standard of training, which will set them up for success, just as our dog grooming qualifications do. We have worked with numerous cat grooming professionals to develop our qualifications and recently Katie Gwilt has joined Four Paws Groom School as a cat specialist, delivering iPET Network courses. Katie also has her own business as The Kat Lady offering compassionate and highly professional grooms to a multitude of cats in the Liverpool area. For this issue of Total Grooming Katie has put together her five top tips, for when a matted cat arrives at the salon: Katie - the Kat Lady
1. Assess the coat and the extent of the matting
Make sure you use the correct equipment
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Before deciding how to proceed, do a thorough assessment of the matting and how widespread it is. You will need to decide whether a full shave/lion cut is needed, a modified lion cut or spot shaving. Take into account the age and health of the cat before doing lion cuts as the cats welfare and health always comes before how it is going to look at the end. Treat each cat as an individual always.
2. Don’t use scissors! Especially with tight mats. They can change the conformation of the skin underneath and pull it into the mat. This means if you start cutting fur initially, by the time you have cut the entire mat out there is a chance you could have cut a nasty gash in the skin.
3. Go slowly as the cat is likely to be in pain and suffering some degree of discomfort
