KITTY'S KORNER
by Deborah Hansen
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Too
for my
SETTING FELINE LEG LINES
38
Groomer to Groomer • Vol 39 Ed 11 • November 2020
GroomertoGroomer.com
any cat owners want their cats shaved; however, they do not want their cats to look like they are wearing a pair of fashion boots. This can be a real challenge for many groomers and grooming business owners. While we know the position of the leg line is important, we are not always able to explain the importance of the leg line position to our clients. Understanding why the leg line is positioned where it is will not only assist you in educating your clients, but will help to establish you as a professional and increase the likelihood of that client returning to you in the future. The position of the front leg line is important because it preserves the whiskers on the rear of the feline’s front leg. These carpal whiskers are important when it comes to the function of the paw. When a cat catches and holds onto something such as a toy, human or prey, the carpal whiskers trigger the nerve which sends a signal to the brain about the exact location and movement of the item the cat has in their paw. By simply showing these whiskers to the client, they will instantly understand why the front legs cannot be shaved all the way down to the paw. Most cat owners understand the importance of not altering whiskers; however, if the cat owner is not aware of the importance of not cutting or removing whiskers, this is an excellent opportunity to educate the client. Spending a little time discussing whiskers goes a long way to establishing you as the expert in your field. But what about the back legs? The problem with shaving past the hocks on the shank of a feline is that the nerves, tendons and blood vessels run closer to the skin than in other parts of the body. Oftentimes the skin is indented