Cat Grooming

Jennifer and some of her staff are knowledgeable cat groomers with decades of experience. Jennifer is a member of the Professional Cat Groomers Association of America and has trained under national leaders in cat grooming. Jennifer was a long-time Himalayan cat breeder as well and has become a go-to cat groomer – one of the few on the North Shore.

Cat grooming is entirely different than dog grooming and requires a specialized approach. Their coat and skin is nothing like that of a dog, needing unique tools, techniques, and products.

But more than anything, cat grooming is about managing the environment of the groom to minimize stress on the cat. Dogs can be trained to stand on grooming tables. Cats have to be gently, delicately, carefully managed. When cats decide they do not want to be groomed, the groom is over.

Quiet is best – early in the day at Love Fur Dogs  – before the shop is filled with dogs. All cats are groomed at 8 a.m. sharp. 8:15 is not workable – dogs begin arriving. If you cannot bring your cat to us at that time, sadly we are not the cat groomers for you. We want the cats to have those first critical bathing minutes by themselves in a quiet shop. We can even meet you at 7:45! We bathe them in warm, closed-in, safe-feeling bucket. We wrap them in swaddling “burrito” wrapped towels. And we know all the best products and tools, such as very expensive specially designed super fine tooth combs that get cat undercoat out from even the dense areas on their legs and rears like nothing else made. We use the finest shampoos and conditioners specially suited to their thin skin and thick coats.

We also can make local house calls to trim their nails, as many cats find travel to the shop stressful.

All cats must be picked up within two hours or less of their drop off, in keeping with national standards and best practices for the care of a cat in a commercial setting. We do not have litter boxes and we do not subject cats to the stress of a shop filled with dogs. All cats must be booked at 8 am and picked up by about 9:30-10 a.m.

We now REQUIRE that you bring your cat to us in a TOP-opening carrier, such as the one pictured below, rather than the traditional door-on-one-end-of-the-crate model. Getting the cat easily out of the crate makes the whole process start off so much better. You must bring the cat to us in a carrier, not by hand loose, and it must unload at the top.

Long-haired cat breeds are not usually able to groom themselves thoroughly.  They mat and tangle easily and retain dirt and debris more readily. Few owners are able to effectively groom them as thoroughly as we can. We require that they be groomed professionally every two to three months or so. We will not take on a long-haired cat as a client unless they set up regular appointments of no more than 2-3 month intervals, so that they can stay as mat and tangle free as possible. If you are not willing to bring your long-haired cat for grooming every 2-3 months, we are sadly not the cat groomer for you.

Declawing cats has now been more fully understood – we now know that it will disable a cat for life and is not recommended as a humane option. We carry glue-on gel nail caps that can protect your furniture. And we can clip their nails whenever you call for a mere $10. Frequent nail trims work well to protect your home.

Love Fur Dogs is known for the ways we cater to special needs. We know all cats do not like to be groomed.  We know how to work with their special behavioral concerns.

Cats also thrive with our special spa and microbubble treatments. We have even saved more than one family from the after-effects of a skunk spray attack upon an escaped cat! We look forward to being your cat groomer!