Kitty’s Corner
House-Call Grooming Concerns
Addressed by Deborah Hansen
By working in the cat’s natural environment, house-call grooming gives me the longest window possible to successfully complete every groom with the least amount of stress for the kitty.
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fter opening my feline exclusive house-call grooming business in 2013, I knew house-call grooming
was the ideal grooming environment for my business. Over the years, I have considered opening a salon or purchasing a mobile unit; however, I always came back to the same question: What is best for the feline? My answer has always been, it is best to keep the kitty in their home environment. I believe the majority of cats become stressed when leaving their house. I also believe that the moment the family begins rounding up the cat is also the moment the kitty sets a timer on their patience, and that will cut into my time to successfully complete the
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Groomer to Groomer • Vol 41 Ed 8 • August 2022
groom. By working in the cat’s natural environment, house-call grooming gives me the longest window possible to successfully complete every groom with the least amount of stress for the kitty. The following addresses some common concerns to help you decide if house-call grooming is right for you: Is the house-call grooming environment right for every cat? House-call grooming is right for shy and compliant kitties, but it is not right for highly aggressive cats. With the super grumpy felines, we need every advantage possible, and an angry cat knows all the hiding places, as well as how to gain the upper hand in their own home.
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Having someone watch me makes me nervous. I get my clients to start talking
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about themselves once I have started the groom. I normally groom in the smallest bathroom in the home, and while it is awkward at first, my clients sit on the toilet and talk to me while I sit on the floor and groom their
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kitty. I find this helps to reduce the awkwardness of the situation. House-call gives the client too much control over the work environment. This is why you must have firm policies in place and not be afraid to enforce them. A client may not touch their cat while I am working. I also carry
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