Kitty’s Corner
Setting Healthy Boundaries During
by Deborah Hansen
A
s spring turns to summer and the temperatures begin to
to over an hour, and possibly more in some cases. I do not
rise, the phone starts ringing with customer concerns
recommend working on a cat for longer than 45 minutes to
for pelted kitties. And after a slow start to the year, the
an hour at a time. Difficult pelt removals are best completed
increase in appointment requests can be a positive sign for
during multiple appointments. The physical demands on your
your business and personal finances.
body from a pelt removal can be much greater than those
It is tempting to schedule every cat that you are contacted
from a regular bath and brush or lion cut with no matting.
Emotional Toll
about to groom. But while taking every appointment request can be beneficial for your business and personal finances, it may not be the best option for your physical or mental health.
Physical Toll
of a pelt removal comes into play. Knowing the cat you are grooming had been neglected for months, if not years, to get
Pelted cats are physically demanding due to the strength
into the condition they are in today can bring up a wide range
and endurance the pelt removal process requires. Constant-
of emotions. When we know this is not the first pelt removal
ly making sure the skin is held tight—especially when you
for this kitty, our emotions escalate even more. When you see
cannot see the skin—and chipping away at the hard mats at
one or two pelted kitties, it is easy to convince ourselves we
skin level can lead to hand cramping. If the kitty is impatient
are helping the cats—we are making the cat’s life much better
or aggressive, more of your physical strength and energy is
for the next few months.
required to hold the cat.
As summer approaches and the temperatures begin to
A pelt removal can extend the amount of time spent performing the shaving portion of the lion cut from 10 minutes
28
After you are physically worn down, the emotional aspect
Groomer to Groomer • Vol 41 Ed 6 • June 2022
rise, it is not uncommon to go from one or two pelt removals a month to multiple requests for pelt removals a day.
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