Whilst there are plenty of dog groomers just waiting to take great care of your pooch, few of them will provide any kind of service for your puss. Admittedly, canines remain the most popular pet in the UK, but felines are slowly clawing their way to the top, and deserve their share of pampering, too!
Studies show that dogs are viewed as ‘loving, loyal, social and intelligent’, whereas cats are thought of as ‘independent, intelligent, curious and agile’. Negatives for pooches include being ‘needy, smelly, stupid and high-maintenance’, and pusses are labelled as being ‘selfish, cold, mean and attention-seeking’. Given that felines are believed to be more aloof and capable of taking care of themselves, along with their perceived vanity, people are more likely to leave their furry friends to take hygiene matters into their own paws.
However, cats need help with their preening just as much as dogs! Regular grooming removes dead or loose fur, and distributes skin oils throughout the coat. But we do have to handle them differently. At Purrfect and Pooch, it takes two people to complete a pampering session with your puss.
As you’ll often hear us saying, we work to the speed of the animal, which means we take our cues from them. Felines are notorious for being unpredictable and temperamental, so their personality determines how we handle the entire process. Restraints need to be used correctly, for the safety and protection of everyone involved, and a certain amount of intuition is required to predict a cat’s next move!
The skin of our beloved moggies is extremely thin, and hangs off the muscle in folds so that any injuries are superficial; however, this increases the possibility of tearing, which can easily create a much larger wound. Therefore, we need to stretch the skin whilst clipping, and one hooman simply does not have enough hands!
Perhaps the final reason feline grooming specialists are so rare, is that the slender, sharp fangs of a cat penetrate more deeply into tissues than dog teeth, and are five times more likely to lead to serious infection or damage to ligaments and tendons. With so many risks when it comes to pampering pusses, it certainly takes a special type of person (or two!) to accept the challenge! ❤
~ Tania Marie de Saram
