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.