Located in Baltimore, MD
Cat Grooming
Cat Grooming
Baltimore, MD Cat Groomer
Lucky 3 Dog & Cat Grooming is one of the few pet grooming shops that still offer cat clipping and bathing services. And we are good at it!
It's important to realize that just because a cat has a gentle disposition does not mean he will be clipped safely by all groomers. Cats may curl up their body in a protective mode and they will not usually stand for grooming as a dog will. They may pull their legs away from the clippers. While positioning the cat, the groomer must be careful not to cut the thin bones or skin around the hocks, armpits, or any protruding bones. The wrong blade choice or use of broken blades can result in sometimes serious cuts to the skin, as can bearing down too hard with the clippers since the groomer might not be aware of ripples and loose skin. Many customers have been bringing their cats to us for years and when they watch us clipping, they recognize our skills and often believe we were their best choice.
We sterilize our equipment after use for each cat because some can carry ringworm and not exhibit symptoms of the disease. We select the best blade length for your cat to help avoid skin irritations or post-grooming problems. We use shampoo and water to wash and clean cats. Then, we rinse the entire body numerous times to ensure all soap has been thoroughly rinsed. Unless we specify otherwise, we do not use a dry bath chemical solution.
We can handle most cats safely. We have a number of cats who tolerate grooming well, and the owners do not have to get sedatives. However, if cats are extremely difficult or aggressive, pet owners will need to get sedatives from the veterinarian, at a cost of about $1 per pill. But remember, the veterinarian may want to examine the cat before prescribing the tranquilizer.
Getting a sedative for an animal that needs it does not have to be a scary or traumatic experience. Pet owners can insert a pill into the cat's favorite food and he will quickly eat it, then it will start to take effect in about a half hour and probably reach its maximum potential in about 2 hours. And even if the cat looks like it is a bit "spaced out," it's not like he is completely sedated in preparation for an operation at the veterinarian hospital. In any event, the effects of a sedative wear off in about a day and the cat returns to his normal self. The veterinarian may not prescribe a sedative if the animal is old or has a heart condition or other serious health issues. Customers should realize that if a cat bites a groomer at any shop and the groomer goes to a doctor or reports a bite, police and government agencies get involved. Because of our experience at Lucky 3 Dog & Cat Grooming, we rarely get bitten.
You can determine if your cat needs sedatives by considering whether it hisses, shows signs of aggression, or becomes scared, panicky, and difficult to control when you are handling, traveling, or going to the veterinarian with him.
Approximately 40,000 people are bitten by cats in the US annually. Talking gently or cuddling a pet during the grooming (whether by the owner or groomer) will not help the situation for a difficult-to-handle animal once the clipping is in progress. The cat's body must be stretched to keep the skin taut and moved in different positions in order to clip safely without cuts or nicks. Besides seriously biting or clawing someone, an uncontrollable cat can escape from an owner's or groomer's hold and run anywhere in the building where they will be difficult to catch, especially if they are trying to bite.
Some pet owners refer to difficult- to- handle or aggressive animals with cute phrases. Others believe if they pretend to not know the animal’s behavior they are not responsible for injuries to groomers at any shop. Getting bit is not part of a groomer’s job.
You must pay cash on arrival for any grooming service. For any clipping and/or bathing service, we start by clipping the nails, and if the cat seems too difficult to handle we refund the money. However, if we are able to clip only the nails completely, $15 is deducted for the nail clipping service. This is what we charge for nail clipping as a sole service.
If a pet owner tells us the cat is gentle, we have to believe he is honest and knows the cat's behavior, and we will attempt to groom the cat. However, if the animal becomes difficult midway through the grooming, the owner will have to help control him. So if the owner thinks this will be the case, he should get sedatives ahead of time.
When grooming a cat the first time, we usually require that owners must stay with their cats while they are being clipped. For bathing, we start the process while the owner is on the property. Once we know the animal is safe to handle, we will allow pet owners to leave. We enjoy and want to continue to groom cats and many pet owners are delightful, however, we don't want to wind up with serious injuries because of grooming cats.
We must be prepared to start grooming cats on arrival, especially new ones, since owners may be required to stay, or we want to see how the cat will react to grooming. This entails adjusting all of the dog-grooming appointments and our business activities around one cat's grooming. Furthermore, if the cat's owner arrives early or late, we must stop what we are doing in order to groom the cat immediately.
Grooming a cat requires a great deal of safety, risk, skill level, and special accommodations. Although we charge for labor based on one animal per groomer, another groomer may at times be needed during a cat's grooming to help assist, especially during the bathing process. We are not as inexpensive as people would like or think the cost should be. However, to be paid for our labor and to cover our expensive business overhead, generally we command the following fees: bathing and nail clipping is $50 (longhaired cat charges are extra for additional labor for blow drying and combing), plus extra for dematting; cutting the nails and clipping the fur is $100, and with a bath, it is $120. The cost could be higher if services are more complex.
