Caticures To Go

Tips to Help Prepare for Your Cat’s At-Home Grooming Appointment

The best reason for an at-home grooming appointment is so that you don’t stress yourself or your cat with carrier wrangling, travel, or exposing them to unfamiliar environments.

For some cats, though, this doesn’t mean it’s easy peasy. There is still the element of having a stranger in their space who will be touching and handling them. The cats I’ve groomed so far have been easy to handle. I’ve been told I have ‘the touch’ with cats, but I’m sure they’re still wondering ‘Who is this woman and why is she touching my paws?’ 

I always ground myself before coming into their space, but sometimes their owners haven’t. Keep in mind that cats are highly intuitive creatures, so be sure your own energy is calm. If they pick up on your stress or anxiousness before or during the grooming, it can negatively affect the outcome. The most important tip for success is to create a calm environment so they relax as much as possible.

I’ve put together this list of tips so you and your cat have the best outcome for our appointment. And if there are other people in your household, they’ll need to know these tips too, especially about keeping noise and sounds to a minimum.

Doing these things before our appointment, greatly increases the chances of success.

___Turn off any loud sounds such as the TV or other appliances
___Put on music created just for cats
___Play with your cat beforehand to help them release some energy
___Gather their favorite treats and toys
___Minimize any possible escape routes by closing off all doors (especially to bedrooms where they can easily hide under the bed)
___If you use pheromone sprays such as Feliway, spray the area (and/or the towel/blanket)
___Have paper towels nearby
___I will have towels with me, but if there’s a special towel or blanket with your cat’s scent on it, then have that at ready
___I use a Furminator brush, but if your cat prefers their own brush with their scent, I can use that (however, if your cat has matting, I will have to use the Furminator)

For cats who can be “feisty,” you may want to administer a calming solution to ease their stress. If using a prescription such as Gabapentin, be sure to administer it 90-120 minutes before the appointment so it doesn’t wear off. If you’re using a holistic solution such as calming chews, or Rescue Remedy, etc. carefully follow the manufacturer’s directions for timing.

After the grooming session, I recommend keeping the same calming environment for them to decompress. They’ll let you know when they’re back to normal.

Your cat will appreciate the care you took and will thank you will lots of headbutts!

Want this in a downloadable PDF checklist? Get it here.

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