NCGIA National Cat Groomers

Set and Define

Do you wonder how to get those leg and neck lines just right when doing a lion cut?  It is a common struggle amongst groomers.  I've seen some generally nice looking lion cuts done by others in the past, but they are missing the mark on the lines at the leg and neck edges. The end result is a messy over all finish - not so good for the groomer as the work looks sloppy and unprofessional.

As we near the end of our first year here at the cat grooming school, I have learned that the set and define technique for creating nice lines is one of the things we end up going over repeatedly.  Why?  Probably because it's hard.  But also because it is a strange way of doing things for those that have been dog groomers all along.

To simplify the process and break it down into a workable plan that is easier to remember, I've tagged it the "set and define" process.  The demonstration and explanation of "set and define" is making it easier for the students to grasp this concept and then learn  to perform it to purr-fection.

 

demonstration of lines at foreleg, rear leg, neck, and tail pom


How do you set and define those lines?

Set - Shave with the growth of hair at the leg or tail line, using the edge of the clipper blade (#10) to set the placement of the line.

Define - Turn clipper around and shave against the growth of hair, cutting a perfectly smooth edge between the shaved area and the area that is not shaved. The goal would be to have smooth shaved skin that meets up neatly with non-cut hair. No "in-betweens" allowed as they will obscure the line and make the over all finish look messy.

Want to see this in action? Enroll in the school. We do a LOT of "setting and defining" on all sorts of cats. And we keep doing it until it's done right! After all, cats deserve quality grooming too!

 

Buy a Day - try the cat grooming school for a day

For those who only have a limited time to get away or who want to taste and see what the school is all about..........the BUY A DAY Program!

Buy one or more days of attendance at the National Cat Groomers School during next few months, as space is available.

Dates: see the school calendar here
 

Cost: $250 per day
Exam Cost (optional): $65 per exam, $45 per retake
CPR/First Aid Cost: $100 (applicable only if attending on the day CPR is offered)

Required Tools**:
Air Muzzle
Clipper w/ #10 blade
Greyhound comb
Face comb
Nail trimmers
4” blunt tip scissors (curved preferred)

Select any day/days of your choosing according to the attached schedule. Some days include lecture/class time while others consist mainly of hands-on instruction and practice.

Optional written exams are planned throughout the session, as per the schedule. Optional practical exams are incorporated into the hands-on grooming portion of the course as each student progresses at their own individual rate and masters a particular grooming element.

To register, please contact the school via email or phone. Payment is required up-front and is non-refundable. Registration must be done at least two days in advance of selected day/days of attendance to ensure that enough cats are provided for hands-on work. All cats are provided by the school.

Space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Classes are open to anyone over the age of 17, regardless of previous grooming experience.

**All required tools are available for purchase at the school for those students who do not already have these items or wish to purchase new ones.

Class Schedule Week 1- 

Monday ---   Intro and Cat Grooming Basics lecture, Breeds & Colors lecture and assignment

Tuesday---   Temperament & Handling lecture, Feline Health lecture, Business Development & Growth lecture

Wednesday---   Pet CPR/First Aid Class, Groom demo by instructor, Student hands-on grooming (1 cat each)

Thursday---   Student hands-on grooming (3 cats each)

Friday---    Student hands-on grooming (2 cats each), Breed presentations, Temperament & Handling Skills Written Exam

Class Schedule Week 2- 

Monday---   Breeds & Colors Written Exam, Feline Health homework assignment, Student hands-on grooming (2 cats each)

Tuesday---   Web marketing lecture, Student hands-on grooming (3 cats each)

Wednesday---   Student hands-on grooming (3-4 cats each)

Thursday---   Feline Health presentations, Health & Anatomy Written Exam, Student hands-on grooming (3 cats each)

Friday---    Business Growth & Marketing lecture, Business Management Written Exam, Catered Graduation Lunch/Certificate Presentations

 

$$ Profitability $$

There are three objectives that are at the top of my list when it comes to cat grooming: safety, quality, and profitability.

Safety – that means when the groom is complete, both the cat and I live to tell about it. It is no secret that cat grooming is dangerous. Between a mouthful of very sharp teeth and eighteen dagger-like nails, a cat can inflict a great deal of harm in a relatively short period of time. A scratch or bite can land me in the hospital, unable to work. It is possible for a cat to cause irrevocable damage that lasts a lifetime.

On the other side is the cat’s safety. Cats can die of stress. The mere act of being lifted off the cushy sofa, shoved into a carrier, and enduring a 20-minute car ride creates some stress for most cats. Added to the stress of the grooming process itself, a cat is likely to find some part of the whole “day at the spa” somewhat hard to take. Severe matting, age, health issues, and other factors only make matters worse.

Understanding feline temperaments coupled with knowledge of proper handling skills, goes a long way in preventing harm to both a groomer and the cat. In addition, nifty tools such as the Air Muzzle™ will make cat bites a thing of the past. Watching for stress signs, such as panting, will alert a groomer when to stop a groom and seek veterinary care or notify an owner. Safety for both the groomer and the cat should always be at the top of a cat groomer’s priority list.

Quality – I want to always give my clients the WOW factor. That means when I present them with their freshly groomed kitty, their response needs to be, “Wow! She’s never looked so good!” It’s really not hard to accomplish this, given the fact that many groomers do not present a WOW factor to their clients. This means that cat owners have grown accustomed to less-than-stellar grooms. They settle for less because they think that is all they can get.

Of course, this bothers me greatly. My mission of late has been changing the grooming industry so that cats get equal treatment with dogs. No more substandard grooms for cats! If you are one of those groomers settling for inferior results when you groom cats, then shame on you! There is a way to produce WOW results each and every time you groom a cat. If you want those customers coming back for more, you have to give them exceptional quality. While you may be the only cat groomer around at the moment, this won’t last for long. You see, we’ve got armies of newly educated cat groomers graduating from our school each month, heading back to where they came from to get as many cat-owning clients as they possibly can. Once a cat owner discovers the WOW factor, they will no longer settle for anything less.

Profitability – Let’s face it, even though we love working with animals, we are in the biz to actually make money. For me personally, I have overhead costs to cover each month AND I want to collect a paycheck at the end of the week just like everybody else. The more efficiently we operate within the salon, the more our bottom line increases.

If you don’t know what you are averaging per hour on the business revenue, you need to find out. Next, figure out what you, personally, are making per hour. Some groomers are shocked to learn that they are making less than minimum wage when they get down to the bottom line. A job at McDonalds flipping hamburgers would generate a higher paycheck. And flipping hamburgers is a job without risk of being mauled by an angry animal.

The more efficiently you work, the more animals you can groom in a day, and the more money you make. It is that simple. Working efficiently as a cat groomer means using the best equipment, tools, and products that are available, as well as perfecting handling skills so that the time spent on an individual cat is down to a minimum.

Safety, quality, and profitability work together to ensure a successful business venture. Are you as successful as you would like to be?

 

Turn your trash into a treasure. Become a CFMG!

 

PS.  Don't forget about the Dirty Cat Hair Project!  All that dirty cat hair that you throw in the trashcan..........sell it!  For $113/lb.  In an average Saturday we collect about 4 lbs of dirty cat hair.  That is an additional $452 on top of our grooming revenue.  Imagine!

 

And they say cats hate water......

 

Cold Weather Options

Winter is upon us.  For much of the world that means some rather cold temperatures. Clients who normally opt for the lion cut for their feline during the warmer months may be looking for some cold weather alternatives.  Usually their goal is to cut down on shedding as much as possible.  Along with shedding comes the all-to-annoying hair ball.  Getting rid of both problems is a top priority for many cat owners, whether they live with a long hair or short hair cat.

Any groomer should be able to offer their clients some alternatives to the lion cut when the temperatures dip into the freezing zone.  Even if a cat is indoor-only, it will appreciate having some coat left on it during those colder spells. The Comb Cut is a great winter-time option.  Leaving the coat anywhere from 1/2" to 1" in length gives kitty a bit warmth while still providing the owner with some way of meeting their less-shed, fewer-hair balls objective.

Because the Comb Cut should be done after the bath and blow dry, a groomer can and should charge more for this style.  It essentially require the groomer doing two grooms in one.  First a full coat groom, giving kitty a thorough degreasing bath, show-quality blow dry, and finishing comb out.  A sanitary clip and/or belly shave can also be given, depending upon client preference and the condition of the cat.  Then, at the end of the full coat groom, a comb cut is performed, leaving the cat with some coat, similar to the regrowth length some 2-3 months after a standard lion cut.

A Comb Cut is best performed using some type of suction (Clipper Vac/Taxi Vac) attached to the clipper that has a #30 blade and a snap on comb.  We prefer the Wahl Stainless Steel snap-ons over the plastic varieties simply because they glide through cat hair so effortlessly (provided it is properly cleaned and prepped).  The finish is thick and plush and rather eye-catching on many breeds of cats, even the DLHs.

If shedding is a major issue, follow up with a de-shedding treatment at the very end of the groom.  This adds yet one more service which increases the groom cost AND satisfies the customer's desire to cut down on shedding and subsequent hair balls.  A win, win, win for groomer, cat and customer!

For more details and step-by-step instructions on the Comb Cut and more grooming styles for cats, check out the Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia.

After the full coat groom, getting ready to start the comb cut.

The final comb cut

After the full coat groom, getting ready to begin a comb cut.

After the comb cut.

Cats Groom Themselves?

When people find out that I am a cat groomer, their typical response is “But I thought cats groomed themselves.” I love it when I hear that! For many years my rebuttal to both groomers and cat owners alike has been that cats do not groom themselves. Rather, they LICK themselves. There is a big difference. After all, if I got up in the morning and licked myself from head to toe would anyone want to give me a hug? I didn’t think so. Yet so many cat owners are petting, snuggling with, and sleeping with their beloved felines who are covered in some serious saliva.

 

GC, GP Man-atzakat's Call Me Crazy of Bara and GP Fanci FX 2 Sexy of Bara

 

The truth of the matter is that a whole lot of cats are running around this planet dirty, smelly, matted, flea infested, wearing dried fecal matter, covered in saliva, and shedding profusely. Typically their owners have no idea what type of grooming services are available that would rectify these particular problems. It is up to the professional groomer to educate them on what options they have, and what the groomer can do to make life better for both the cat and the owner. How this is done depends greatly upon the amount of knowledge a grooming professional has about cats and their specific grooming needs.

A groomer who tackles felines needs to know, at a minimum, how to recognize the various cat breeds, colors and coat types in order to properly assess what grooming elements are best for a particular cat. In addition, it is important for a groomer to understand feline behavior and know safe and proper handling techniques in order to make the grooming process effective for both cat and groomer.

It is well worth the investment to acquire the needed education to become the best cat groomer around. In these tough economic times, cat grooming is on the rise. Of the estimated 90 million cats in the US, very few groomers are willing to take on the unique task of providing this specialized service. And even fewer groomers are adequately equipped to do the job successfully for any length of time. That means the supply is much lower than the demand, a ratio that definitely favors the grooming industry.

Ask around. Just about everyone you meet has a cat or two (or three!). I would bet the farm that every one of those cats could benefit from some type of professional grooming. If the cat owner doesn’t think so, remind them of the fact that their furry feline they love to cuddle is actually covered in layers of icky saliva. Ask them if they like shedding hair all over the house and all over their clothing. Ask them if their cat smells good. When they say “no,” be prepared to offer them real solutions to their problems. BE the solution to their problems. Capture just a fraction of the 90 million cat market and become THE cat expert where you live!

 

The Brazilian Bikini Wax

Ok, so we really call it a Sanitary Clip.  But if you want to get fancy and class it up a bit, call it the Brazilian.  Whatever its tag, many cats can benefit from a butt buzz.  Since cats don't really groom themselves, we have to help them out a bit with things like this.  Shaving a cat's behind will be one of the most popular services you offer to your cat-owning customers.  Either the cat ends up with a lion cut or it most likely gets a sanitary clip. Both result in a smooth-as-a-baby's-bottom shave around the behind and surrounding region.

Where do the lines go on a sanitary?  This is a question I get asked quite often.  In order to achieve some level of benefit with the whole sanitary thing, it is best to take the lines down the inside plane of both rear legs so that the line stops just short of the ankle.  The inside plane only should be shaved.  Avoid a naked knee or back of the leg (unless a customer requests something of this sort).  The overall goal is make the sanitary worth doing, while at the same time, making it aesthetically pleasing to the eye and as unnoticeable as possible.

 

shaving the inside of the leg for a sanitary clip

 

The sanitary clip should also include removal of the hair around the anal area and about an inch or two up the base of the tail on the under side.  This prevents long hangy "things" from collecting where they shouldn't. After all, the purpose of a sanitary clip is to keep things sanitary.

At the school, we teach an "8 Point Sanitary."  Think 3 point turn in a vehicle.  In other words, 1 swipe up the inside plane of the leg,  then 2 swipes down (3 points total for each leg). That creates the knee line and back of leg line.  After doing this on both rear legs, 6 points will have been made in total.

Next, flip the cat back upright and take one swipe on each side of the anus. 2 more points.  The sanitary should be pretty much done at this point.  All in all, the process takes less than 2 minutes. Cat goes into the bath, then into the dryer.  For the finish any little strays or "fringes" can be taken off and the whole area up touched up as necessary.  Another 2 minutes at the most.

For more description and photos to go with it, check out the Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia.  Or get the dvds.  Or better yet, come to the school so we can give you the skills to master the sanitary clip and more!

 

Love the Clients

Olivia and I groomed for a total of 10.5 hours this weekend before Christmas. It was sheer madness. We knocked out 32 client cats total, plus I threw in my four for good measure. I really wish I had photos to share but there simply was no time to take any.

It was an adjustment to get used to the spread-out school building for salon-style grooming. But the large number of sinks, tables and Catty Shack Vacs was an added bonus. There were times that Olivia and I had four Catty Shack Vacs going at one time, the two of us playing musical stools as we jumped from one Vac to another to work on whatever cat was inside. We did a number of major de-mats on Persians and Himalayans. As the dryers did their jobs, we moved from cat to cat, doing the job of working out some serious mats. We operated as a well-oiled machine!

In between the degreasing baths, quick zip down lion cuts, and fluffing and puffing in the Catty Shack Vacs, we ran up and down the stairs checking cats in and out in rapid succession. Other than the five or six new clients that came in this past weekend, the remaining customers were the “oldie goldies.” They are my favorite clients – the regulars, the ones that truly care for their cats, prebook their appointments, come in every 4-6 weeks, and show up on time. I just LOVE these folks!

Wonderful clients such as these are the ones that make my job so enjoyable. Many of these clients I have gotten to know over the past decade. I have prayed for them when they’ve lost a spouse or family member, or gone through chemo. I have listened to them talk about major events in their lives, seen the arrival of some of their children or grandchildren, and watched their cats grow from young to old.

It wasn’t until I groomed again this past weekend that I realized how much I have missed these kind people. And their cats. Other than the one domestic shorthair that I chased around the bathing room for 10 minutes, the cats were all fairly agreeable. The regulars know the drill so none of it is a big surprise. Even the cat that the owner said was a biter turned out to be fairly compliant and never tried to bite at all.

Before anyone reading this blog is getting some utopic idea of what this is like, I will tell you that I left Saturday smelling of cat pee and anal juice. And I’m sure I had cat poop on my shoe somewhere. We even called my dear, sweet husband in toward the end of the day to be the “clean up on aisle 3” person. If he hadn’t come in to do the really dirty work, Olivia and I might still be there working!

We washed a lot of towels and wiped up pee from tables, floors and Catty Shack Vacs. We used the Air Muzzle a few times, and listened to one cat shriek at us. One of the cats I was grooming had to be put down several times so I could run downstairs to check cats in or out and speak with their owners. Every time I put the cat up and left the room, she cried and cried until I came back. Seems she wanted to be groomed and didn’t like being left alone.

Yes, all of the cats got a bath, even the one that I chased around the bathing room and had to utilize two thick towels to get a hold of again. I have some fresh scratches on my arm from that particular street-smart DSH. She tried her best to take a finger or two, but I quickly remembered that I MUST be faster than the cats if I want to keep my appendages.

Everyone went home feeling fresh and clean, smelling of Catatonic, free of mats, and sporting a buzzed behind. The owners were happy, Olivia and I were still alive, and the credit card machine was humming. Professional cat grooming. I have the fresh wounds to show for it. Even so, I love my customers. It was great to see some of them again.

(sigh......I really, really wish I had photos of some of the grooms we did this past weekend.  It was just too busy and crazy to pull off some photo shoots.  Once the kitties were done, in the carriers they went and out the door before moving on to the next one.....or two.....or three.....)

 

What's a Day of Cat Grooming Like Anyway?

The past twelve years of cat grooming have taught me a few things, to be sure. One of those, is how to operate in the most efficient and productive manner possible. I'm kind of neurotic about efficiency and function anyway. It stresses me to no end to waste things, most of all time. My husband and kids can tell you this is true. I hate clutter, and waste, and inactivity, and most of all inefficiency. Bleh!

I schedule my clients in half hour increments with a two hour turn-around time for individual cats, a three hour turn-around for 2 cats from same household, four hours for 3 cats same household, and so forth.

If we have multiple groomers working, then we schedule each of them a cat for that half hour increment (and sometimes throw in an extra cat here and there). In other words, each groomer has 30 minutes to get their cat checked in, pre-bath work done, bathed, and in the cage dryer before their next cat is in and ready to be started. Of course, in an ideal world, ALL clients are right on time for pick up and drop off and NOTHING interrupts our perfectly scheduled day. But, alas, this is not an ideal world. So we roll with the punches.

To give you an idea of how we operate, here's a glimpse of a busy day of cat grooming .......

9:00am 4 cats are checked in. This means checking the condition of the cats, discussing options with the owner, adding or changing data in Kennel Connection records, tagging each carrier, and putting a sticky note on it with our groom shorthand. Each cat is always assigned a number which goes on its carrier, on its groom sticky note, and on its cage dryer. This allows any groomer to pick up a particular cat at any time and know its name, its groom procedure, if it's a biter or whatever, and what time it goes home.

9:20 Olivia carries the first batch of cats upstairs to begin grooming. Her goal, to get as many as possible into the cage dryer before I bring up the next batch.

9:30 I carry up the remainder of the first batch of cats and run downstairs to begin checking in the two 9:30 appointments. Dialogue with clients, tag cats, etc. Olivia continues grooming.

9:40 I carry up 9:30 cats and begin grooming. We now have 6 cats in house, the first 4 going home at 12:00 and the next 2 going home at 12:30. (longer than normal turn-out time because we have enough cats each ½ for 4 groomers but only have two on staff, plus no front end help.) Because we are alone and must man the front end in addition to grooming, I decide to give a group check out time for the following batches of cats. This will cut down on the time I am downstairs and thus, not able to groom.

10:00 4 more cats checked in. I hurry through the customer dialogue as quickly as possible, tag cats and haul carriers upstairs as quickly as possible. The phone rings a few times, which I answer while grooming, writing notes on a white board so I can handle the appt bookings and such at a later time. We concentrate on getting the last of the first 6 cats into the cage dryer, setting aside our 10:00 check-ins until we accomplish getting the first batch into the dryer.

10:30 4 more cats come in for a total of 14 in house at this point. I have now given all the 10:00 and 10:30 appts a 2:00 pick up time. That's 8 cats, start to finish in 3 1/2 - 4 hour time frame. Plus we still have the first 6 to finish and get out by 12:00-12:30.

10:45 7 cats in cage dryer (2 are together because they live together and we’ve run out of cage space), 2 in Catty Shack Vacs. Olivia is drying the two in the CSVs while I work on another quick shave down and bath.

11:00 1 cat on table for finish work, 2 in CSVs (1 almost dry), 6 in cage dryer, 5 still in carriers awaiting their turns. I run down to check in new cat while Olivia finished one on table, puts back in carrier and places at stairway landing for me to grab my next trip down. After that she goes back to the other 2 in CSVs to finish up their drying.

11:10 I head back upstairs with 2 new cats with a 3:00 check out time. The 3rd 11:00 is late. We are happy about this. I save the finished cat to run down when I go back to check in 3rd 11:00 cat. Phone rings – 11:30 client is running late, can she come closer to 12? Indeed she can! Yeah!

11:30 We have finished 2nd and 3rd cats – both in carriers at top of steps waiting on a run down to front. We’ve got 1 more 12:00 and 2 12:30’s still to finish up, so we concentrate on those.

11:40 1 of the 2 11:30’s arrives. The other is due at noon – running late. The remaining 11:00 is now considered a no-show. We aren’t complaining. I’m beginning to panic at this point. We have 1 CSV unusable because it has cat poop in it. I have two dirty tables with dried cat pee on them. We are wading in piles of dirty cat hair, which we don’t want contaminated with clean cat hair. It needs to be swept up and put in the dirty hair bin. And towels need to be washed. Plus one of the cats that came in, which the owner said was a biter, is wearing a dress. We are wondering why the owner would leave a dress on her biter cat for us to take off. That sounds like fun.

12:00 I’ve run the last of the 5 finished cats down to the front for check out. The last of the cats checks in. Sigh of relief. We’ve checked out one of the earlier cats so figure we’ve go til 12:30 to still be interrupted by pick ups. After that we can get to serious work – no interruptions.

12:10 My husband texts and asks how things are going. He knows we are running shorthanded on a full schedule. I ignore his text. No time. A few minutes later he texts again asking if he should come help out. YES! Is my quick reply. The phone rings, a long-time regular customer has a bit of an emergency and needs her cat groomed asap. I ask her if she can be here within 30 minutes. She takes the appointment. What was I thinking? At least he’s a good cat. Full coat Persian, but compliant. I’m thankful for the small things and praying my husband arrives very soon!

12:30 6 cats are done, 5 checked out and 1 still waiting for pick up. We are shaving like mad – lion cuts, sanitary clips, and belly shaves. Then off for a bath and into the cage dryer. We’ve run out of space in the 6-bank cage dryer, so are putting cats into the 4 remaining CSVs to dry. Each time we go into the drying room, we move the CSV dryer hoses to a different spot on the cat. I can tell the cats know things are crazy as they just sit there and wait patiently, doing the best to be helpful. At least I like to think that is what they are doing.

12:45 Work-in Persian arrives. While I’m checking in the last cat of the day (at least I hope so!) I hear the back door chime signaling my husband’s entry into the building. I want to cry with joy. But customer is there so I refrain. Instead I politely tell client that I must get back upstairs and get to work and that I will have her cat done around 3. “How late are you open today,” she asks me. 2:00 is what I tell her. She crinkles her brow. “Yeah,” I say, “It’s the Saturday before Christmas. So can you pick up at 3:00?”

12:55 Back upstairs. Husband asks what he can do. I smile at him. “See that spray bottle?” I ask. “Yeah,” he says. “See that poop over there?” I ask. He figures out the rest on his own and gets to work. While he spiffs up our CSVs, work stations, floors, and towels, Olivia and I continue working at full speed. Our objective at this point: finish up the remainder of the 8 cats that are due out at 2:00. We’ve got 1 hour!

2:00 6 are gone, 6 ready and waiting downstairs (which husband kindly carried down for us), 2 almost done (hoping owners are late), 3 in cage dryer, 2 not even started yet (1 is the work-in and the other a DSH that gets no shaving so we assume she’s a quickie. Never assume. Especially when cats are involved.)

2:10 While frantically grooming, I try to tell husband how to use Kennel Connection to generate invoices. I need him to check out cats so I can stay upstairs and groom. We’ve finished up the last of the 2:00’s for him to take down with him.

2:15 one of the clients wants to see Olivia. Just wants to say “hi.” They love her to pieces. There’s no time for socializing, but you gotta keep the customers happy. She goes down to see client and, while she’s there she might as well check out some cats. Husband goes with her. They leave me alone upstairs with all this cat hair. I’ve got work-in kitty in the bath, doing final rinse. Then into the dryer. Hoping Olivia gets back up here soon so she can bathe the DSH.

2:20 Olivia picks up the DSH and tries to get it out of the carrier. Aggressive. It escapes and runs around the room. Really aggressive! It goes under a groom table and poops. She calls for help – I’m in drying cats – have 4 in the CSVs. We finally get cat out from under table. I take it to the bath – forget the nail trim. It’s the kind of cat that flexes its neck muscles and whips its head around to bite as soon as you get ½” from its scruff. A fraction of a second after that, it flips over onto its back and goes after your body parts with all 18 claws and a mouthful of teeth. Bad kitty. Two towels, a soaked groomer, and a wet, soapy floor later we have a bathed DSH. She’s mad but clean. Into the CSV with an Air Muzzle on because I don’t feel like fishing her out of cage dryer later on. My energy is running out.

2:30 I have to pee, and I’m starving. And I’m sick with a sore throat and sinus thing. But no time for any of that. 30 minutes to go, no rest for the weary. Thankful my husband came. We have a clean floor, fresh clean towels, and someone to run carriers up and down. One of the morning cats weighed in at 38 lbs – wishing he had been here for running that one down. Stats: 14 gone, 2 done and waiting for pick up, and 3 in CSVs in various stages of completion. Light at the end of the tunnel!

2:40 The work-in cat pees in the CSV – he was like 2 minutes from being done. This always happens! Back to the tub for a butt bath. Olivia is finishing up her cat – almost dry and will be ready for finish shaving in a minute or two. I’m looking at the DSH sitting there with her “helmet” on and thinking I don’t really want to end my day with her. I put the Persian back into a CSV and leave him to go tend to the DSH. Save the nice for last.

2:45 Husband tells me the work-in cat has peed in the CSV and is sitting in it. Again? Really? Another butt bath. Quickly and then back to the unfriendly DSH.

3:00 The door bell is chiming in rapid succession. Clients in and out, husband is manning the fort below. I may have to fix things later on.

It takes Olivia and I both to handle the finish work on the DSH, but not before I end up with fresh, bloody wounds down my left arm. Dang. And it’s 3:00. I hope my work-in owner is just a tad late. I’m doing my best. At least if I’m going to be late on a cat, it should be the work-in. Olivia goes back to finish up that final cat. I head downstairs with the DSH in tow. She has a brother, he’s already downstairs waiting. I finish checking out cats and catching up with old clients – with congealed blood on my forearm. The mark of a true cat groomer. The owner of the DSH is surprised that her other cat did so well and that the DSH was so aggressive and did THAT to my arm. She tells me she bathes her all the time at home and she’s so good about it. Really? I wonder about this. I can’t imagine the scene at home being one of peace and tranquility. When I inquire further about this phenomenon, she tells me that her bathing regimen consists of getting a cloth damp and wiping it down the cat’s back. This does explain things.

3:10 Olivia brings work-in cat downstairs and tells me that’s it. I want to cry and shout for joy at the same time. I take my time finishing up with the remaining clients. It’s good to see them again. After the last person leaves, I lock the door and turn out the front lights. And take a deep breath. Then I sit in Dana’s office and take my time updating the client records and getting the financials in order. I hear husband and Olivia upstairs cleaning the vacuum buzzing and cage trays banging around. I sort of feel bad that I’m not up there, too, helping out. But then I remember that I’m the boss and therefore should not feel bad about this. Instead I go into the bathroom and wash my war wounds. When I’m satisfied that I won’t come down with Cat Scratch Disease, I check the mail, check the messages and shoot out a few emails that need to be taken care of before leaving on vacation. And then I head home to pack my bags, gather my children, and ride off for a Christmas vacation at the beach.

 

Back in the Saddle Again

A little more than a year ago I sold my cat grooming salon to a former employee so that I could pursue the venture of opening and operating the world’s first feline-exclusive grooming school. It was a hard decision – to let my “baby” go- but one that had to be done. I simply could not run the school, the association, and the salon at one time and make them each successful.

A year after the sale of the grooming salon, I received word from the new owner that she could no longer continue to run it due to some on-going health issues. It was decision time for me. We opted to take the business back but move it under the same roof as the school and association. That meant that while our main focus was the school and teaching students how to groom cats, we would also be able to cater to the Catty Shack clientele by offering salon grooming between school sessions.

It was quite the endeavor to move the whole operation! Moving the physical part was one thing. Contacting the some 2500 clients to let them know was another thing altogether. In fact, we are still working on that part of it.

As we geared up for Christmas, we began our salon grooming operation at the school. I hired my daughter, Olivia, who had remained at the Catty Shack under the new owner, and I hired another former employee. Dana, our school’s office admin, would remain in her position, operating the front end, taking care of students and cat owners alike. All was good. We were ready to rock and roll!

Or so we thought! The busy weekend before Christmas, both Dana and my other groomer got sick. To top it off, I was sick, too. But alas, being a business owner, there is no time for sickness or anything else that might get in the way. So, Olivia and I jumped into a schedule full of cats and went to work!

Keep in mind, it had been over a year since I have actually groomed cats salon-style. Sure, I’ve groomed my own four Persians, or a borrowed cat used during a lecure, and every now and then I tackle a really aggressive kitty during a school session. But salon style? It had been a long time! Did I remember how?

It was back in the saddle again for me! What a day this past Friday turned out to be! Missing a front-end receptionist, I was running up and down between the front check-in and the grooming rooms upstairs. Olivia had cat hair flying every which way as we knocked out multiple lion cuts and longhair full-coat grooms. All of the cats were long hairs of one variety or another, a couple were new, and two were severely matted.

Five hours later, Olivia and I were mopping the floors and taking out the trash. We had added almost 3 lbs of dirty cat hair to the growing pile. That means we made $339 in additional income over and above the grooming income collected. Added together and divided by the number of cats groomed that day, we averaged $109.73 per cat and over $330 per hour. And both of us came away without so much as a scratch! It was a good day, and I was happy to be back in the old saddle once again.

It was a pleasure to work with my daughter again. She has had her hands on cats since she was 8 years old. She has spent more than half of her 19 years of life in my grooming salon and has mastered the art of feline grooming better than anyone else I have ever met. It was great to work with her once again and hear the clients tell me over and over again what a blessing she has been to them over the years as she has taken such good care of their furry little felines. This made her momma proud.

Despite the hectic, unplanned-for day, I concluded that I still liked my old saddle. And it fits me now just as it did before. :)