Cat grooming – national shortage and why owners should be on board with coat care

There has never been a better time to add cats to your grooming business offer, in a way which will enhance and expand your business.

It’s also important in training to note and respect the differences between dogs and cats. The grooming techniques are not the same.

But a skilled groomer can master the art of cat grooming just as they have excelled in the dog grooming profession.

At iPET Network we are all about supporting our students and employees to excel and shine in their chosen specialism and profession, finding new and fun ways to grow their business.

This is why we are ahead of the curve, and offer the UK’s first ever portfolio of cat grooming qualifications, which allow would-be cat groomers and business expanders to offer a gold standard of service.

Cats have a reputation for taking care of their own grooming and disliking water, so why on earth would you want to learn how to groom cats?

Well there are lots of great reasons. Many older cats and those with health conditions are no longer able to keep up with their own grooming routine and so need our help to keep their skin and fur in the best possible condition.

Long haired cats in particular need year round help to keep their fur knot and mat free as well as tidy around the back end and mane areas (especially if they like to dip it in their water or food bowls!).

Cats can come home after an adventure with some strange substances on them like car oil, substances from building sites and bits of twigs and even slugs in their fur which they can’t always deal with themselves or are toxic.

This is especially true if a cat has gone away for a few days on an adventure or gotten lost temporarily.

There are many dog groomers doing a great job with the dogs in their care, but very few specialist cat groomers in the UK. It is estimated that there are 10.8 million pet cats in the UK, with 26% of households having at least 1 cat so the demand is definitely there.

Cats are fascinating animals with completely different behaviour patterns, fur and personalities to dogs so need specialist handling and training. They are by no means small dogs and cannot be treated as such.

Many dog grooming salons are now offering cat only days and there is no better time to train than now. The need for cat only groomers is also increasing due to the increase in the number of pet cats and as our understanding of their needs increases. To read our brand new definitive guide to cat grooming visit the course page at www.ipetnetwork.co.uk

Cats can suffer pain and discomfort when their fur becomes matted or tangled

To help understand the type of grooming necessary for different breeds we can divide them into six different coat types: Hairless -Sphynx Short/smooth – Fine hair with little or no undercoat - Domestic, Burmese, Bengal, Egyptian Mau Curly – Waves, Curles or Ringlets - Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Laperm, Selkirk Rex Semi-long haired – Medium length hair on the body sporting longer hair round the neck and rear legs (often called trousers or pantaloons) with varing amounts of undercoat - Domestic, Main coon, Norweigan Forest cat, Birman, Ragdol, Turkish Van Long haired - Long flowing coat all over the body with varying amounts of undercoat – Persian varieties Short and Dense – Perfuse top coat and undercoat - Scottish fold, British Short hair, Russian, Manx, Exotic Shorthair

A cat grooms itself using that amazingly rough toungue, from lions and other big cats to domestic cats who live in the comfort of our own homes, they all work the same way.

The tiny hooks called papillae are made of Keratin, these hooks give the cat’s tongue that scratchy sandpaper feel and they can penetrate deep through the fur layers and down to the skin pulling out all that dead hair and dander, keeping the coat free from infestations and build ups. This may be true of most short haired varieties of cats, but cats with longer and thicker coats will struggle to penetrate the coat and they will need a helping hand from their owner.

Other factors which affect a cat not being able to groom itself can range from behavioural choices, to health issues, age and obesity. This is one of the most common factors as the cat is restricted from reaching those necessary areas. They will often try very hard to remove the debris but effectively they push the dead coat further backwards to the hips and base of tail where it accumulates into a build up of knots and mats....

Assisting a cat with grooming stimulates and cleanses the skin and promotes good blood circulation which affects the whole body. The skin is the largest organ in the body and protects the body from elements and organisms and helps to regulate the body temperature. It is a sensory organ and can heal itself. The skin contains the hair follicles and sebaceous glands, which secretes sebum (oil) into the hair follicles to lubricate the skin and hair. If you look after your cat’s skin and hair they in turn will look after your cat.

There are lots of reasons to help cats look after their skin and coat, making the cat much healthier and happier overall.

Regular grooming promotes good health by: • Stimulating the skin and promoting good blood circulation • Aerating the coat ensuring healthy growth • Brushing away cast and loose hairs, dander, and grass seeds • Avoiding knots and mats from forming

Heidi Anderton

• Creating a good bonding time – reducing stress for you and your cat • Increases the joy of being handled for your pet • Increasing the chance for a few treats and rewards for your cat • A good time for a health check and to getting to know your cat better • A time to inspect for any parasites in coat, skin, or ears! • Minimising additional vet and grooming fees

Some owners will get help from a professional groomer and may bring their cat for a pampurring on a monthly basis, usually for a wet or dry bath and groom through which will keep the coat in tip top condition, in additiion to regular grooming at home. These are very happy cats.

Not grooming a cat regularly can cause: • A dull or greasy coat and itchy skin • Knots and matts in the coat which are uncomfortable • Lots of loose hairs and dander in the coat • Grass seeds which can enter the cat’s skin and cause internal damage • Cats can get stressed and aggressive when grooming time comes around if they aren’t used to it • Parasites and fungus can live unnoticed in your pet’s coat and ears causing infections, pain, and distress • Increases your vet and grooming fees

Heidi Anderton’s salon, Absolutely Animals, specialises in cat grooming, commented: “These cats are often not very happy and may not like to be touched. I always recommend a new regular grooming regime for them once I have managed the initial appointment. Every cat and its owner are different and so individual plans are required. One size doesn’t fit all, and prevention is better than cure, which avoids many problems from arising or escalating.

“As a groomer, I see all coat types in the salon. I regularly groom cats who are kept in tip top condition by their dedicated owners, including short/ smooth coats. Unfortunately, I also see many cats who would benefit from much more regular coat attention as I often uncover cuts, grazes, infestations, skin issues, embedded grass seeds, etc which could easily be treated early on or totally avoided with regular grooming.

“Coat neglect can affect a cat’s physical health as well as their overall wellbeing, it can cause the undercoat to compact or knot together which affects the ability to control body temperatures and pulls on the skin making it very uncomfortable for the cat. Many cats who suffer from coat neglect avoid being touched and can become unusually aggressive about it. I often find as I remove build-ups of matting the cats are extremly appreciative and thankful, asking to be stroked with an arched back and a happy tail in the air and many purrs.”

All cats will benefit from additional regular coat care. It is part of being a responsible owner and definitely makes a cat very happy, so let’s get cat grooming today.

If you would like to find out more about Absolutely Animals’ ‘Learn to Groom Your own Cat Lessons’ or the iPET cat grooming qualifications please visit www. absolutelyanimals.biz

Heidi Anderton, principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming shares her top tips for improving your business. Heidi is an experienced industry expert and former member of Groom Team England and is a founder member of the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA).

The world keeps turning and so does the grooming industry. Continually developing and evolving; the grooming shows, the qualifications, new opportunities, new groomers, new customers, updated protocols, improved equipment and techniques, the list goes on! This month I am looking at some essential areas which can directly help you to improve your career and business.

No matter how you offer your grooming service one thing is necessary in order for you to provide your customers great value: to make the commitment to continuously learn and study what’s “hot and new” in your field.

If you spend an hour or more a day to learn about and research your field, you will instantly start to set yourself apart from your competition. Those hours begin to add up quickly and before you know it, you’ve entered an elite category.

I want to take this opportunity to mention this elite category as they are often not mentioned in the positive way they should be. This group spend many hours learning to achieve the knowledge and expert skills they pass on to others, they are often the ones who develop new equipment and techniques, which benefits everybody in the industry - often with no monetary reward. There is a space for everyone in this industry, so please, respect those that are in an elite category and those that are working towards it, because if you work hard enough, you will end up in that category too.

On-going tuition ensures you stay at the top of your game

If you want to develop your business skills, grooming skills or learn a new skill to compliment your business, it is important that you get the right advice and enrol on the right courses to help you reach your goals. To choose the right course, it is important that the teacher possesses the knowledge and skills you want to learn. Courses should be accredited with a recognised provider, such as college or private school. Experts in their field also offer their own certificates of competence in certain skills which aren’t so popular, such as show grooming specific breeds or cat grooming. Recommendation and online reviews can be a great source of assurance.

Your grooming association

Heidi Anderton

Keep updated about new trends and industry-wide training

may also be able to advise you of the right places to go and begin your research for the right course.

One of the other most accessible and common platforms for information and learning, currently seems to be Facebook, there are many groups available, local, national and world wide. Pictures, information and networking is abundant here. You will find people who may have already achieved the goals you are looking to reach who may help you or who are also on their pathway to achieving theirs.

One of the quickest ways to set you apart from the competition is to provide your customers with high-quality products, as closely priced to your competitors as possible. Quality is everything when it comes to growing your business. Take the time to plan, organise and deliver top-notch quality products/services in everything you do.

Groomers mostly fall foul of this when they do not charge enough for grooming their client’s dogs. It may seem a good idea at the beginning to undercut your competitors but if you haven’t worked out your business forecast and have not planned for it, essential costs like holidays, tax and pensions, replacing equipment, investing in updating your equipment and learning new techniques, your business will not last and prosper.

Providing value in the lives of your customers is extremely important when thinking about creating lasting business success. If you are not changing or adding value to your customers’ lives, your business will hit “stall mode” very quickly. The stall mode is when you truly believe you are doing everything right and working extremely hard, but the results and success aren’t present to show for it.

Start asking yourself regularly before you take on a new task or release a new product or service, “What is the value for my customers in this product?” If you can’t think of an ample reason as to why your product or service is of value, then chances are you should go back to the drawing board to plan some new ideas.

We have recently launched a new service with an Ultrasound toothbrush, the Cleany Teeth. What I love about this service, is that it has great value for all concerned. Value for the client, the dog, my business and my cashflow. It makes great sense adding this service to my business and the fact that we can make a £45 groom into an £85 groom with a teeth clean. A great service for any pet professional.

I have done a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong over my business career and customer care has sometimes been one of them. Listen, we all make mistakes and some of the best business people fall into this category as well. I see a lot of grooming businesses making this mistake right now and paying more attention to what they think is right rather than to what the customer has to say.

If a customer isn’t satisfied or happy, you have to do everything in your power to make that customer happy. Give them what they want. Even if your customer was the one who was wrong, take the initiative to fix things and correct them immediately. Give the customers options and as much information as you can, so they can make well informed decisions.

When you wake up each morning asking for more ways to better serve current customers, you will dramatically boost your business and success rate. Always think in terms of Great Customer Care.

By implementing these four simple strategies, you can maximise your success rate, increase profit margins and create longevity in a competitive marketplace. Have a great 2022 Heidi Anderton LCGI ICMG www.absolutelyanimals.biz