KITTY'S KORNER
by Deborah Hansen
Holiday preparations are so much fun! When we think of running our cat grooming business during the holidays, we think of red and green nail caps, holiday-themed toys, pictures with Santa and so much more. hile holiday promotions that reward our loyal clients are great fun, the reality is that we also get a wave of pelted kitties. Great ideas for holiday promotions can be a percentage off of seasonal–colored nail caps, a free toy with groom, or a picture with Santa or in a seasonal setting. Rewarding your regular clients for another year of loyalty is a great idea, especially around the holidays. My favorite holiday tradition is to wait until my slow period in January and handwrite cards to wish my clients a happy and prosperous New Year. I usually offer a free nail trim and brush–out to clients I have not seen in a while to encourage them
48
Groomer to Groomer • Vol 40 Ed 10 • October 2021
to come in for grooming. Sending the cards out in January keeps them from being lost in the other holiday mail the family may receive. Holidays are a big time for in– home entertaining. The reality is that many families look at their cat and realize “Fluffy” looks more like a mushroom than a “Fluffy.” They do not want to be embarrassed when company comes over for holiday celebrations so they start calling around to find someone to groom her. There are many difficulties with a client like this. While we want to help Fluffy—and every other cat in her situation—we may not have time in our schedule to accept a new and time–consuming kitty. Many groomers have been telling their regular
GroomertoGroomer.com
clients since the end of summer to schedule their holiday appointments now so they can be sure to accommodate them. Many groomers simply do not have time for another cat on their schedule after Thanksgiving. If we do book an appointment for Fluffy, it will probably be a long, tedious and high–stress groom. Many of us have made the mistake of adding a cat like Fluffy to our holiday schedule and then regretted it. While we want to help pelted cats, there is a lot to consider before adding a pelt removal to the holiday schedule. When Fluffy’s owner calls to schedule an appointment, you can gather a lot of information over the phone. I like to ask if Fluffy has hard lumps in her fur. I try to use