Badkitty Cat Grooming (In Home Grooming Only)

A conversation MUST be had to determine the needs of your kitty. All factors are taken into consideration. Typically my first grooming is a "soup to nuts" all-around grooming. The idea is to wipe the slate clean and get the cat in perfect condition. Typically this is the most expensive grooming a customer might experience with me. Going forward… If they keep up on their kitties grooming on a regular or semi regular basis… the price typically will be less… Obviously because there will be less work. On occasion… For whatever reason… Kitty may be sensitive to the process of being groomed and sometimes I find it best to stop at a certain point… I will only charge for what work I have done… And come back another time. I always have the kitties best interests at heart❤️ There has been occasions where I have started a grooming and decided part way through that it would be best to stop for kitty’s safety and that kitty should be seen by the vet as I had strong concerns for their health and didn't feel it would be appropriate for me to continue. Here is an excerpt from a great article I read and it describes what I do as well!! “Q How do you keep cats calm during the grooming process? A This is not an easy question to answer! If there was one magic technique or hold, then everyone would be successful at cat grooming. There is so much to take into consideration when working with each cat. I ask a lot of questions about their background, environment at home, age, health status, breed and even the color of their coat. I take all of this information—a bit like being a detective—and use it to help me predict how the cat will react to each stage of the groom. Then during the appointment, I have to interpret their behavior and adapt along the way. Knowing what technique, tool or product to use depends on a lot of factors; that is why education and training are so important in this field. Cats can become stressed very easily and aren’t easily talked down once that happens. So, it is my job to adjust each groom to prevent any escalating behaviors. This also affects the recommendations I make for grooming schedules; not every service fits every cat.”

I have 26 years actual on-the-job experience. I am a member in good standing as a Feline Master Groomer from the National Cat Groomers Association. I have shown my own cats in competition in CFA and CFF. Not only Pedegree Persians… But also 2 domestic shorthair that I adopted from the shelter. Requirements were for them to look their very best and be in top condition to win. I received many accolades and won many ribbons. Proper grooming is key🔑 I never have nor do I ever do dogs. My experience over the past 26 years is exclusively with cats. I have groomed many different breeds, coat conditions and yes ..."Catittudes"...LOL

No two cats are the same. Each cat is priced on their individual needs. There is an “average” base price for services but many factors go in to the quote to groom your cat. A conversation MUST be had. Factors like… Age, coat condition, health, size, “Catitude”(😆) Are all factored into the price. Ultimately though… I will charge less than having to take your cat to be groomed by the vet. With a regular grooming schedule… The cost typically will always be less. On rare occasions...I arrive to find kitty is unable to be groomed (usually due to aggression) I may ask that medication be provided by a vet to calm the kitty for the in-home grooming.

I had always wanted a Persian and acquired one from a breeder in 1998... a chinchilla silver. Although this kitty was not exactly "show quality"… But rather "pet quality" I got some experience showing him in competition in the CFA and CFF cat show circuit. After a weekend of showing him in eight different rings at one particular cat show… in the last ring of the day... he actually won first place over 14 other cats. The judge of the ring was actually the president of the cat club. She spoke to the crowd and said… "I want the breeders to ask the owner of this pet quality Persian what she does to make this cat so beautiful… Because…THIS is how a Persian should be presented!! This is my number one cat"!!!... and she held him up over her head. Needless to say with no formal training , Other than what the breeder had shown me for pointers, I was honored and proud… But it also occurred to me that this might be something I could share with others as there are so few cat groomers. I grew up with dogs… Pomeranians, Huskies, German Shepherds… But once I had my first cat… They became the love of my life! I love them much as I love my own kitties and I feel they all like to be clean and beautiful❤️

I have worked with a wide variety of customers from professionals, veterinarians, assisted living facility's  to the Humane Society offering free grooming services when a specialty groom would best help a kitty to be adopted. I also work one day a month at a local assisted living facility trimming nails and doing basic comb outs at a reduced cost. My clients range from the newly adopted...13 week old kittens....to a $4000 Pedigree Persian😎 I also have a high volume of senior/elderly cats . The oldest of which was 27 years old!!! The elderly tend to not groom them self as well as they used to and need a little extra TLC to keep them happy and healthy. The stress of traveling to a groomer is very dangerous for elderly cats!! Veterinarians also will typically not sedate older cats as the risk is too high. It is very dangerous grooming an elderly cat. Their skin is so paper thin, that an extreme amount of caution needs to be used and then ONLY the proper “Cat Specific” blades MUST BE USED!! I have a 99.9 % success rate in grooming these particular cases😇 

The Humane Society had a Persian that was severely matted I needed to get it ready for adoption as soon as possible as it was getting more stressed out being at the shelter. I could tell that the cat was beautiful so rather than shave it down completely… Although it looked a little odd… I only shaved out the large patches of matts but I groom the rest of the cat to perfection so that people could see how beautiful that cat would be once the shaved parts grew in. Update- This sweet kitty did get adopted and they gave the new owner my card. I got a chance to see Kitty in his new home and gave him another (groomng). He's a very lucky and happy kitty right now😄

Dog groomers do wonderful work… But many…truly do not do cats. I jokingly say... “You wouldn't want a foot surgeon doing your brain surgery would you? They are both Doctors...right”?🤔 I use specialty shampoos/conditioners, that work best for each specific cat and coat condition. I also use “cat specific” clippers when performing any clipper work. (These tools are not inexpensive😰). ***WARNING *** If somebody is racing to get the job from you without qualifying what work needs to be done…BE VERY SUSPICIOUS 😒!!! Ask LOTS OF QUESTIONS!!! Thoroughly read their bio! You should be able to see holes in their story based on what they write or even just based on the pictures. Read the reviews! There are some people out there just trying to make a buck and they’re not qualified to do this job!!! CATS ARE “NOT“ DOGS... and thus MUST ONLY be handled by a competent groomer...💪 EXPERIENCED with cats!***

Is your kitty healthy enough to be groomed??? When is the last time your cat was seen by a vet. Some cats develop underlying health problems over time, (such as heart murmurs), that only a vet can alert you to. Without this knowledge... you might be putting your kitty at risk by having a grooming. A vet check (or recent vet check) before grooming is always STRONGLY advised!!! Ask the groomer you’re interviewing… How many cats they groom in a week, or a month? Ask them if they predominately groom dogs or cats? This will tell you where their level of expertise lays. Always remember that even if you do find a groomer that is less expensive... sometimes…That means… You get what you pay for 😏 Do you want Kitty to be groomed at a discount price? Or do you want to pay for quality? I repeat... ***WARNING *** If somebody is racing to get the job from you without qualifying what work needs to be done…BE VERY SUSPICIOUS 😒!!! Ask LOTS OF QUESTIONS!!! Thoroughly read their bio! You should be able to see holes in their story based on what they write or even just based on the pictures. Read the reviews! There are some people out there just trying to make a buck and they’re not qualified to do this job!!! CATS ARE “NOT“ DOGS... and thus MUST ONLY be handled by a competent groomer...💪