Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot! Part 2

It occurred to me the other day that I should have named these posts FELINE Hot, Hot, Hot. Too bad I'm only witty in hindsight! Oh well. Let's get right to the cat grooming, shall we?

Probably the most iconic feline grooming style is the Lion Clip. The body is taken very short, leaving a mane, long legs and either the tail is left natural or clipped short, expect for a puff at the very end. Our little domestic kitties do look a little like little lions! It's a cute clip, although it can be shocking for the owner to see the first time. 

Rwar!

As with most things, there are some distinct pros and cons to the Lion Clip. Lion Clips are an excellent no-to-low maintenance style. I recommend a regular schedule of every 12 weeks. If your cat gets greasy, flaky, itchy or just kinda funky, a good bath and blow dry in between is always encouraged. Since the coat is so short, an 'in between' bath is quick and often at a lower price, as there's just not nearly as much to wash and dry. (This may depend on your groomer, and be aware some do have minimum charges, especially housecall or mobile.) A Lion Clip can be done more frequently, it's entirely up to the owner and feline!

This style is the ultimate in keeping shedding to a minimum. Of course, the cat will continue to shed, but the hairs will be super short. 

There are some cats that I believe don't like having a lot of hair. My own cat, Sara, is one. She hates having hair! And when it gets about 1/2 inch long, she will start pulling it out. She clearly is uncomfortable and annoyed. Even with regular baths to prevent mats, tangles, fleas and itchies, she just doesn't like the hair. When I clip her, she is like a whole new cat. She's super affectionate, incredibly playful, wants to interact, wants to hang out...actually, she gets pretty annoying! Many of my clients report the same change in behavior. Their kitties are suddenly wanting to be pet, wanting to be with them, wanting to cuddle. How great is that?!

Mischief LOVES her Lion Clip

Her owner tells me for the first time in the 10+ years they've owned her 

she's friendly and affectionate

To keep her new purrsonality, Mischief gets a clip every 8-10 weeks

Lion Clips are also an easy way to prevent mats. The shorter the hair, the less likely it is to tangle. It's not impossible, so pay attention to your cat! Short hair can mat, felt and pelt if the conditions are right. 

If the matting has already gotten out of control, a Lion Clip is NECESSARY to remove it. After enough matting is in the coat, it becomes CRUEL and INHUMANE to try and comb them out. I capitalize these words, because they're important. Mats hurt. Removing them can hurt. It's not fair to cause a cat pain because of neglect. It's also not fair to cause even more pain because the owner "likes it fluffy" or doesn't want it clipped. 

OUCH

The only way to fix this is a Lion Clip!

(See how pink and irritated the skin is? Ouch.

His fluff will grow back

He's feeling a lot better, but you can still see how painful the matting was

For cats that have issues with hairballs, a Lion Clip is a good way to prevent them. Besides finding glops of hairy puke on your floor (bed, stairs, sofa...) or having to listen to a cat retch, hairballs can also do considerable internal damage. Sometimes it becomes necessary to remove lodged hairballs from the intestinal tract. This requires surgery and is expensive! If hairballs are a reoccurring problem, they can cause internal scarring, making it more likely for problems in the future. This is a scary, expensive road to go down, and can be avoided by a simple shave! 

No more hairballs for KC

And let's face it, Lion Clips can be fun! Some people simply like the look. And that's okay! I've read plenty of articles shaming people for wanting to have their kitties clipped. And I really don't understand it. I think your cat is your cat, and if you like it in a Lion Clip, more power to you! Enjoy your cat. 

One way to add some flair is a fun tail design. Harry sports a ribbon tail. It takes a few extra minutes, but it looks really cool! I've found if an owner is unsure how they'll like the look, doing something special with the tail can change their minds. It distracts them from how different their cats looks and gives them something to focus on.

Harry's snazzy Ribbon Tail

If your cat is inclined, and your groomer able, you can have some fun with your Lion Clip. Recently, I clipped an Elder Sign onto Sara's back. Why? I guess I was feeling a little unsafe. It was quick and easy to do and fun to look at later. Especially a few days later when my husband had his gaming night. It's important to have a theme and stick with it!

Elder Sign

(just ignore the orange...leftovers from another creative clip)

Finally, there's heat and fleas. If your cat has a thick coat, even regular baths and comb outs might not be enough to keep him comfortable when it gets hot and humid. An indoor cat can benefit from a Lion Clip to help him stay cool in the summer. Harry (shown above) gets a Lion Clip each summer to beat the heat! 

Sometimes a Lion Clip is recommended if fleas are a problem. The only real reason for this is that it makes it easier for the owner to see the fleas, which could otherwise hide in a long or thick coat. Fleas feed on your cat's blood, so clipping off their coat won't get rid of them. Fleas can happily live on a shaved cat. A Lion Clip will only make them more visible. If your kitty has fleas, consult with your vet and local CFMG for advice. A combination of medication, grooming, preventatives and major housecleaning are in order!

Fleas...so many fleas!

This has gotten a bit longer than expected, so I'll wrap up Lion Clips with some of the cons soon. 

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot? Part 1

Here in Maryland, as in most parts of the country, it's about a billion degrees. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but the Weather Channel tells me that it's 93 degrees and 52% humidity and it feels like 103! Toasty!


A comb clip helps Hank stay cool as a cucumber and Hairball free.
Look at his smug kitty face, he knows it!

It's very important to make sure all living beings, cats, dogs, horses, humans, bunnies, etc, etc, etc, have access to live saving things like Shelter and Fresh Water. These hot days can easily take the lives of our beloved friends and family, no matter how many legs they have. Check out these tips from Pet Finder and the ASPCA.



I'm blanking on this cat's name, but he's the perfect example for today's post. There are a variety of ways professional grooming can help keep your cat cool. Over the next week or so, I'm going to share with you 3 major ways to help keep your cat comfortable and happy during these hot summer days.

Let's start with the Comb Clip. Comb Clips are an all over haircut in which a skilled cat groomer can leave the hair up to about an inch all over. Think of it as a teddy clip, or kitten clip. This is perfect for someone that doesn't want to have their cat in full coat, but also doesn't want the "naked" look of a full Lion Clip. Most Comb Clips I do are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch which tends to look the nicest. It's plush and fuzzy with little maintenance required.

Now, the one drawback of the Comb Clip is that it tends to live little lines in the coat, like corduroy. Because cats can not be scissored smooth like dogs, the groomer and owner need to accept that the coat will not immediately look perfectly smooth. Luckily, unlike dogs, with cats those lines soften in a week or so and everything smooths out quickly. As a perfectionist, this is hard for me to accept! I do my best to clip carefully and prevent those lines, but they happen. Depending on the coat type, a shorter or longer length will reduce lines, but it takes a bit of playing around to find the sweet spot. Hank, shown above sports a 3/4" Comb Clip year round.



Back to our mystery cat, whom I think I'll nickname Tom. Tom has a super thick, plush coat. You can see he's got some dandruff plus a lot of loose, shedding hairs sitting on top. He's also toting around dead hair packed in his coat, among the live, healthy hair. Tom is HOT. Cat's need to have all that dead undercoat removed to keep their coat functioning as it should. Hair is an insulator, and helps cool the animal, but only if air can move freely. Not possible with packed or dead hair sitting there.

Tom is an indoor/outdoor cat. His owner is friends and neighbors with one of my regular clients, and finally decided to take the plunge and get him professionally groomed. (See how I can remember his story and talking with his owner, but can not remember his name? Frustrating!) She hoped it would help him stay cool and comfortable this summer.



After his bath and blow dry, he's what we have. That dead coat has been combed out. Man, his coat is plush! This picture was hard to take, because Tom was loving his grooming! Middle aged cat, never groomed before, and he loved every minute of it!


He spent most of the time rubbing against me, purring and blinking happily at me. 
What a wonderful cat! Such a pleasure to work with.




After his 3/4" clip. Doesn't he look just like a stuffed toy? I think this was the perfect length for him. It blended well with the shorter hair on his thighs and shoulders. Tom seemed pretty happy with his new look and his owner loved it. I even got a hug!

Now, besides the aesthetic appeal of the Comb Clip, the benefits are many. First, this is a much easier coat to maintain than a full, natural coat. That means minimal work at home, reducing the need means the owner and cat can enjoy their at home grooming sessions, rather than see them as a necessary struggle.

Secondly, this is the ideal clip for a cat that goes outside. A full coat easily tangles and mats. Plus it tends to catch every dead leaf, burrs, mulch, and other gross outdoor things. If objects do catch in a Comb Clip, they are much easier to remove.

The Comb Clip offers protection from the sun, preventing sunburn. Believe it or not, cats can sunburn! They can also get skin cancer. While there are pet sunscreens, they're not safe for cats, because they'll lick it and ingest it. Never use human sunscreen on kitties!

The Comb Clip allows the coat to function properly as an insulator, keeping kitty cool.

I wish I had gotten a few more pictures of Tom. He's a pretty cool cat and I really enjoyed grooming him. I know I'll see him again, and that makes me happy. I'll see if I can't look in my records and find his real name!

Who's The Kitty?

I groom a lot of cats. I guess that's not really surprising to anyone, but it's true! I see lots of kitties throughout the year. Most of them I remember, if not by name, then at least by sight. But every once in awhile I'll go through my pictures and have no idea who I've taken a picture of! I came across a mystery cat today. 

I have no idea who this is. Clearly, we're growing out from a Lion Clip. 

Maybe 3 months or so. 

From dull and scruffy to sleek 'n shiny!

This picture was absolutely stunning on my phone. Too bad it's blurry at a more viewable size! If I squint real hard, it sharpens up. Do me a favor and squint really hard, it's worth it. 

Mystery Cat Contemplates Life, Identity and Catnip: A Still Life. 

Ah, I crack myself up. I hope you've enjoyed this mysterious little cat as much as I have! If this is your kitty, email me and let me know. I like knowing who I've gotten purrs and cuddles from!

Hiatus Over

Oh, hai there! 

I haven't been around much. To be honest, I just didn't feel like it. So much going on, you know? I think I'm ready to come back and share more of those wonderful cats I groom. Stick around, I'll have a new post up within the week, and I hope to be able to start posting every week!

Kindness

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

- Plato

Just Cat Faces

\

Have a great weekend!

And no one ever said "Scat, scat! Go 'way little cat" ever again.

When I was a little girl I had an ancient book called "Scat, Scat" by Sally R. Francis. By ancient, I mean the copywrite is 1936...and I had to convert that from Roman numerals. (Goodreads shows a different book than what I have.) I still have the book and pulled it out just to write this. Anyway, the reason I mention all that is because yesterday I groomed a cat named Scat, and I always think of this book. And there's a story. I mean, there's always a story, right?

Last week this guy calls me and leaves this message: The cat where I work needs to be groomed. It lays on my desk and sheds. It gets cat hair and cat grease and dander all over my papers. It's really gross. I need you to fix it, I'll even pay you. (emphasis mine)

Ok, so that guy was my husband, who clearly has no idea how our JOINT bank account works (it's mine, all mine, bwhahahahaha!) but obviously, the man was desperate to have his desk cat groomed. I agreed, since that's the kind of person I am.

Meet Scat! She's an older Domestic Shorthair.

I've known her since she was a stray kitten living on a small mule farm where we occasionally mule-sat. 

Greasy. Shedding. Look at all that already-shed hair just sitting on her!

Yup, she needs me.

When I picked her up, I was told that "Scat doesn't need to be groomed.

If she's shedding, WE can comb her." Then I was warned that Scat wasn't a sweet little kitty that would just lie there and let me do stuff to her. She'd probably scratch me, bite me and burn down my house. Or something to that effect. 

Scat was a little nervous, so I started just by combing and letting her get used to me.

She had so much come out, I could have made another cat! 

So I did. 

Then Scat Cat got a bath. No panic, no fuss, just bubbles and suds.

Since I wasn't at "work" where my Catty Shack Vac is, I decided to place her inside my cloth and mesh carrier to try and contain some of the hair. I got this idea from another great Canadian CFMG, Sally Staples of West Coast Sassy Cats. Thanks, Sally!

Once most of the hair had blown out and I knew Scat was comfortable being hand dried, I took her out and let her cuddle on my lap to finish drying.

Then I combed her out some more. This is about 3/4 of all coat I removed from Scat both before and after her bath. Not shown is the hair removed during bathtime or blown out during drying. 

If I had more room, I would have done something with the other pile of hair.
(The table shown is 30"x 32")

"Hey, this used to be ON me."

"Now it's not..."

"This is MINE"

Cats are so weird. 

"Don't judge me. I saw what you did with that hair!"

She might look a little grumpy, but mostly she was just tired 

of me trying to get her attention for pictures.

Look at how nice and shiny! No more loose, dead hair just floating on top.

Now she can go back to hanging out on the husband's desk. He's a cat snob and truly enjoys a well groomed cat. (I've created a monster!)

Despite all the warnings, Scat didn't once panic, scratch, bite or try to rip my face off. She wasn't scared or stressed out at all. She enjoyed snuggling with me while I worked and purred and purred. Husband tells me she was very happy to be home and purred loud, lazy happy-cat purrs. 

This was the first time Scat had ever been groomed. She must be...8, 9 years old? She was wonderful and enjoyed her kitty spa day. Typically, I've found that older cats do just as well for first time grooms as younger cats. Sometimes better, since they had more experience with different situations. I know there are groomers out there (and at least one national chain) that will not take first time cats over 2 years old. Now, that might be a good idea for them, but it's simply not true for groomers that specialize in cats, like say, Certified Feline Master Groomers. If you have an older cat that's been turned away before, don't worry! Find a CFMG. Have a happy, clean cat!