"Just" a Shorthair Cat

One of things I hear all the time is, "I have just a shorthair cat. What grooming could they need!" Now, I could tell you all day long about why short haired cats need to have a little help taking care of their skin and hair. And of course, recently there was this post about common problems people have with their shorthaired kitties. But then I found a series of pictures of a very pretty little Snowshoe that came to me for some much needed help.

beginnings of a 'turtle shell'

(matted hair on the back that resembles - you guess it - a hard shell)

look at those clumps!

not an attractive look - or feel

Now, this looks pretty ugly. She has clumps of dead hair tangled into her coat and cemented in place with naturally occurring body oils and saliva, plus everyday dust and debris to really hold it all together. When she licks herself, she pushes loose, shedding hair along her body, adding fresh material to the clumps, making them larger. 

No matter how often she licks at herself, this cat will never be able to remove those clumps - she'll only be able to make them larger, tighter and harder. At some point, many cats will scratch or bite at themselves and can sometimes rip the mats out of their skin. This is painful and leaves angry red patches of hairless skin. Not pleasant for kitty! Although some cats will just suffer quietly, unable or unwilling to pull their hair out. 

45 minutes later...

Happily for this cat, the clumps were rather loosely attached to the living coat, which made removal much, much easier. In fact, she didn't mind having them removed at all. After they were off she twitched her back a bit, as if luxuriating in the sudden freedom she had. 

sleek and smooth,

all the clumps, dead hair and excess oils removed

leaving a plush, healthy coat 

one last look

I wish you could feel the difference!

New Year's Day

Ok, I missed a Christmas post. I'm sorry! The combination of some personal loss plus the fact that I couldn't get anyone to pose with my little Christmas tree, rounded out with being really super tired...well, not a great combo for doing anything extra, ya know?

Anyway, I have a little story for you. New Year's Day. My house hasn't been cleaned in weeks. My husband calls me downstairs. Apparently I have to neaten up the living room. Especially the sofa. Like, right now.

It's untidy, sure, but it can wait, right?

do you see it???

How about now?

Kitty paws!

Yup, little Crack paws! She was snuggled up under the blanket and sleeping it off. Obviously she had a wild New Year's Eve! Love my little cat. I hope you all are lovin' your little cats, too! I'm looking forward to a new year of grooming - and loving - your cats too!

Holiday Crack

Crack and I would like you wish you all a very

Happy Hanukkah!

Ok, to be honest, Crack should be wearing a soft e-collar. She can't really see anything, but that doesn't stop her from going and doing whatever she wants. The fact that she's unaware of her surroundings is meaningless. As always, Crack is just barreling through life. 

Remember, safety first! 

Always be sure to blindfold your cat before lighting candles

WHOA! I want what's over THERE!

Having just walked THROUGH the menorah

Crack pauses to reflect on...something

maybe her toasty tummy

Oh hai, you guise! Happy Hanukkah!

I guess the only thing left to do this weekend  is take some pictures of her under (or in) the Christmas tree! I didn't intend to do a Hanukkah kitty photo session, but Crack had other ideas. She's been 'helping' us all week. It's a race to see if the candles can burn down before she sets herself on fire. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding!) Surprisingly, she's left the Christmas tree, ornaments and all, completely alone. Cats, who can figure them out?!

Short Hair Cats

One thing that often surprises people is the number of short haired cats I groom. In fact, many people are surprised that short haired cats get groomed at all. I mean...what could possibly be done to a cat with a short coat?

Well, Mr Toes-type grooming aside, there's lots to be done with short hair cats! Many of the problems that long haired cats have are also problems short haired cats have. Don't believe me? Think about it...

greasy, grungy hair that feels gross and smells worse

clumps of hair and dandruff

excess shedding, dingy coat and flakes

excess shedding, dandruff and a funky odor

mats and excess shedding

You've probably  noticed by now that excess shedding, dandruff, mats of all sizes, oily or grody feeling hair and odor are the main problems with short hair cats. Is this nasty critter lounging on your sofa right now? Sleeping on your bed? Batting you in the face with litter box paws and raptor talon claws?

Wouldn't you rather have a cat that is...oh, I don't know...

Shiny!

Soft!

Flake free and shiny!

not shedding!

mat free!

I don't know about you, but I know my cat is going to be sleeping on my sofa, on my bed, on my pillow, on my lap...she's going to be walking around my house. She's going to touch me. And I'm going to want to pet her. I would much rather pet something that's clean, smells good, isn't going to leave dead skin flakes and dead hair on my hands. And I don't want to feel greasy and dirty after I pet my cat. And I know if I sleep on the sofa that she's going to bap my eyeballs when it's breakfast time. For the sake of my eyelids, I want her nails trimmed!

The truth is, short hair cats benefit from regular, professional grooming just as much as their long coated friends. As a cat owner, you'll enjoy the benefit of having a clean, sweet smelling cat that isn't shedding or coughing up hairballs all the time, that doesn't have flaky skin and dandruff, that doesn't smell bad or feel gross to touch. And trust me, you'll spend less time vacuuming and cleaning the house and more time petting and cuddling your cat! 

Don't Try This At Home...

One phrase that strikes fear in the heart of professional groomers all over the world is "home haircut". It sends a chill down our spines, dread in our minds and caution in our eyes as we take our first peek at the pet someone tried to groom themselves. 

Sure, there are many non groomers in the world that do a very nice job grooming their pets. But more often than not, we see pets coming in that looked like they had a run in with a weed whacker. 

'my owners bought a pair of clippers...'

'they thought it would be easy.

It wasn't.'

When grooming cats it's really important to remember two things. One, THEY ARE NOT DOGS. Two, THEY DO NOT CARE. Generally speaking, your cat wants to do whatever it is he wants to do, and that usually isn't sitting quietly while he's brushed or clipped. Especially if you're not familiar with how to do it. Cats move quickly and unpredictably and without warning. That means scissors should never be used on them. I've groomed many cats with owner attempted haircuts that ended with a trip to the vet for stitches. 

'leave this to the professionals'

'Please!'

This cats' owners tried to clip him at home. They found out pretty quick that getting an even clip on a cat is pretty hard! Luckily, neither party was injured during the attempt. Clippers are far safer than scissors, but it's still possible to cut a cat by using the wrong blades, wrong technique or just bad luck. Even the pros (like me!) have had a cat move just the wrong way, at just the wrong time and get a nick. With training, the right tools and experience, we keep this type of accident to the minimum. 

This Year I'm Thankful For...

for soft, snuggly kitties

the sleek and sassy 

the grumpy

torties, calicos and patched tabbies 

(oh my)

the overly enthusiastic

the remarkably relaxed

my wonderful customers

and my very own 

Kitten!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kittens are adorable. They're cute and snuggly and silly and sweet. They make me so happy, but I don't get to groom enough of them, so please, for the sake of my continued happiness, bring me kittens!!!!!!!!!!

oh hai! I'm ADORABLE!

chin scritches for kitten kisses

There's another kitten in the table!

wait. Where'd it go???

checkin' out the Catty Shack Vac

This little cutie got a bubble bath, gentle blow dry, comb through and mini sanitary clip. Of course her nails were trimmed and her ears wiped as well. She also got tons of cuddles. While I put in her the Catty Shack Vac for a few minutes to practice drying, I did *not* turn on the vacuum. You know...just in case. She was a wee little mitten! Mostly she was dried while sitting on my lap, with the dryer on the lowest setting with no diffuser nozzle. The goal for kitten grooms is to get them used to grooming in the most low key and least threatening way possible. This little girl did great! She was curious and feisty, but able to be groomed in less 45 minutes, going slowly and quietly, with lots of mini play or cuddle breaks. That's the way we like it!

grooming's done, let's go explore!