Groomed to Purr-fection

The Professional Approach to Getting Cats CLEAN

- Iris Zinck

With all the internet trivia describing cat bathing as a “martial art," it is not surprising to learn that average cat owners typically perceive it that way. What surprised me was discovering what a vast gulf there is between cat fanciers preparing their cherished show cats for weekend show rings and the professional groomers who handle cats of all breeds daily.

Four different professional cat groomers provide insight into how the show-cat owner's approach to creating a beautiful, living work of feline art for the show ring compares with the work a professional groomer typically does to keep a cat clean, well-maintained, healthy, and happy. Given a cat's sensitivity to noise, scent, and touch, the challenges are myriad and significant.

Challenge #1:

Convincing Owners of the Necessity of Grooming

Exhibitors know their cats must be at their best to be successful at a show. But for professional groomers, the first hurdle is persuading cat owners that their cats truly need this service. Certified Master Feline Groomer Sandra Gonyea, of Victor, NY, who has been a groomer for over 50 years, is quick to refute the oft-quoted myth that cats can groom themselves. "Cats don't groom themselves, they LICK themselves!" she says. "No amount of licking can remove mats or tangles, or the excessive oils that cats' skins produce." That's why all cats not just show cats-should have regular grooming specifically for the particular cat, its breed and its living conditions. Sandra adds that clean cats carry lower amounts of the Fel-D-1 enzyme that causes the majority of cat allergies, "so allergy sufferers suffer less around clean cats."