Contrary to popular belief, cats do not groom themselves; They lick themselves and spread saliva all over their bodies. Cat saliva contains Fel D1 protein that promotes the allergic reaction in some humans. Licking the surface of the coat is also ineffective at removing grease that originates from the skin, which ultimately leads to painful mats and if left untreated, eventually pelts.
Why does matting occur? Cats naturally shed their coats, and a mat is simply the buildup of detached hair that was unable to fall off completely because it was caught in grease or a thick undercoat. Think of it as the same concept as dreadlocks on humans, which is why people wanting dreadlocks don't wash their scalps while they are attempting to form them. As the cat sheds over time, the buildup of trapped and tangled hair worsens, and mats form.
Do you have a greasy, matted or even pelted cat? Do you have difficulty trimming your cat's nails or even running a comb through their coat? Our goal is to both solve your cat's grooming issues without judgement passed on you the guardian, and to promote healthy skin and coat through education and a regular grooming schedule.
If you'd like to change your appointment, please contact us ASAP. There is no penalty for changing your appointment date/time as long as we have 24 hrs of notice. If you wish to cancel, please note that all cancellations are subject to a minimum $15 cancellation fee. Cancellations or reschedules with less than 24 hours notice, no-shows or cats arriving to appointments without proof of valid vaccinations may be charged the full amount of the scheduled service.
This will depend on a variety of factors such as your cat's skin and coat type, tolerance, indoor/outdoor, health and age. Anywhere from 4-6 weeks for long hair cats, to once every four months for short hair cats is recommended to keep the skin and coat healthy.
Weekend appointments are currently booked for our clients that have cats on a regular 8-week schedule.
Dematting is an additional service attached to a full groom. There are several reasons we don't just spot shave out mats: First, we feel it's important to approach the problem of matting with the mindset of PREVENTING it from happening again because matting is so painful for the cats, and a squeaky clean cat = mat prevention. We also take pride in doing proper cat grooming that looks good and is done right (no hack jobs here), but most importantly, shaving out mats without fixing the root cause of the mat does absolutely nothing to help the cat (except very temporarily). Keeping the coat and skin clean, degreased, and free from dandruff and dead undercoat is the ONLY way to prevent mats from returning, and that's achieved with a professional degreasing bath using professional products and equipment.
Yes! With the help of our mobile vet partner. We just need plenty of advanced notice in order to schedule a time for Dr Victoria Staus of Furry Friends Mobile Vet to come to our grooming salon to administer. Her sedation fees are an estimated $200 which includes travel, exam, sedation, monitoring of vital signs throughout, reversal and after care.
If your cat doesn't require full sedation or "going under," your veterinarian may prescribe an oral sedative in anticipation for grooming, which is best to administer approximately 30 minutes prior to your appointment.
Depending on the time of year, we can be booked out 2+ weeks for grooming appointments. *We do not discount our de-matting services because of appointment availability, as mats take a very long time to form.
Cats have exquisite senses and can stress very easily. We highly recommend adding Zylkene to their food at least one week prior to your appointment to help facilitate adaption to the challenging situation of grooming. Zylkene is a natural product that comes in capsules you sprinkle over their food, proven to help manage stress in both cats and dogs. Its active ingredient is derived from milk protein casein, the same calming ingredient a kitten would get from their momma cat while nursing.
For the safety of our staff and because our salon and boarding area are under the same roof, proof of FVRCP and Rabies must be provided before we can groom your cat. Cats arriving to appointments without proof of valid vaccinations may be charged to full amount of the scheduled visit.
Yes! An average full groom should take about an hour, but if you don't have that kind of flexibility during your day, we're happy to put them up in one of our luxury boarding rooms as long as we have space. Standard room rates apply, but the after 12pm checkout fee does not.
Due to the risk of contamination, and in consideration of the other cats in the facility, we cannot. Cats found to have open sores, infections, scabs etc will have to be rescheduled until the condition resolves.
Some cats are great with lion cuts, but some cats are absolutely petrified by the sound and feel of clippers on their body, and by the amount of handling and restraint required to get it done. We can't, in good conscious, justify putting a cat through that kind of stress unless there is a medical necessity for it (they're severely matted or pelted) just for an owner to have less hair in the house, or because the owner thinks it will be cute.