KITTY'S KORNER
by Deborah Hansen
HOW AGGRESSIVE IS TOO AGGRESIVE?
W
hen a cat comes flying at your face, you dodge it, and it leaves a trail of nail scrapes down the door you were standing in front of, it is probably too aggressive for you to groom. When a cat has you trapped in your work area, it is probably too aggressive for you to groom. When a vet will only see the cat in a trap cage, it is probably too aggressive for you to groom. New and experienced groomers alike struggle with knowing if a cat is too aggressive to groom. But like with any groom, the benefits must outweigh the risks. When comparing benefits to risks, many times we are talking about elderly cats that have thin and baggy skin and need pelt removals. Sometimes we are talking about cats that are
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Groomer to Groomer • Vol 41 Ed 2 • February 2022
prone to stress during the grooming process. When presenting the benefits and the risks of a groom to a client, we are usually telling the client we are worried about their cat’s life and safety, and that we believe one option is better than the other. When we are talking about benefits and risks of grooming an aggressive cat, we are talking about our health and safety as the groomer. The first step in trying to figure out if a cat is too aggressive for you to groom is by accurately assessing if the cat in front of you is aggressive. There are several methods to determine the temperament of a cat. While the cats that are growling and hissing are obviously aggressive, an aggressive cat can also present as self-assured and confident.
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Many measure aggressive cats on a scale with the cats that are all vocalizations on the low end and the cats that will charge unprovoked at any human on the high end. Keep in mind that aggressive cats tend to escalate in aggressive behavior during the grooming process. Next you need to accurately assess your skill level: How long have you been grooming? What is your experience with cats? Have you had cat grooming training? How many cat grooms have you successfully completed? How confident are you with your cat grooming skills? This all goes into assessing your individual skill level. Training by an organization that specializes exclusively in grooming felines is invaluable if you want to groom these highlyaggressive kitties.