billy boy

We were delighted to be invited to groom Billy, an especially handsome long haired silver tabby.  Billy’s coat was in good condition, but had recently developed a few tangles around the tummy, trousers and private area (ie. his bum !).

We clipped the mats away where necessary, and gave Billy a thorough brushing to remove dead undercoat.  As Billy has such a lot of extremely long hair, the areas that have been clipped away aren’t too visible but Billy will definitely reap the benefits, as his coat will be more-easy-to manage.

Following the session, mum Christine from Lower Darwen, Lancashire said :

“4 year old Billy’s first groom … I was a little apprehensive but Sandra was great, very calm and patient with Billy.  The finished job was astounding.  Billy really looked like a “glamourpuss”.  I aim to keep on top of the grooming myself, but will probably need Sandra’s help again.  Well done”.

Thanks Christine, for letting us work with Billy !  Of course, we’d love to work with him again if the need arises.

birthday boy

It’s one of our customer’s birthday today !

Radek – Hope you have a lovely, relaxing day.

We’re sure you’ll get lots of cuddles and treats from your mum, Lorraine

Take it easy !  xxx

moody ? not really

Say Hello to Moody.  Whoever named her had a sense of humour, because she’s quite the opposite !  A very sweet Burmese, who has just turned 13 years old this month.

Moody likes to take it a bit easier these days, and enjoys nothing more than sitting on the back of the sofa watching the world go by through the window.

Mum Carole and dad Jack from Prescot, Merseyside called in our services , as Moody needed some attention to her nails.

After our visit, Jack commented :

“This was our 1^st experience of using Sandra’s service.  Excellence personified!  If you love your pussy cat you will appreciate what Sandra can do for her/him.  Highly recommended.”

Thanks for your lovely comments Jack, and we look forward to seeing Moody and yourselves on a regular basis, to keep Moody’s nails in check.

health and wellbeing

Although diet plays a major role in keeping your cat’s skin and coat healthy, the benefits of regular grooming cannot be underestimated.  Grooming really is an important part of boosting health and wellbeing.

As the seasons change, most cats develop a thicker/shed their coat.  However, cats lose dead hair all year around and therefore benefit from regular brushing.  The brushing stimulates the skin and removes dead cells, as well as removing loose hair – which in turn reduces the likelihood of tangles and mats developing.

Different cat breeds have differing grooming needs and the length and density of their coat determines how often a cat should be combed.  Long haired cats like Persians, or cat with curly/silky coats should be brushed through daily – concentrating on those thicker areas, and those that most easily tangle (tummy, armpits, flanks, trousers).  It can be less frequent for cats with short hair, however some breeds (like the British Short Hair) have a thick, dense, plush coat which will mat if not brushed through regularly.

Regular brushing also reduces the amount of hair your cat swallows whilst grooming him/herself, thus reducing the chance of hairballs developing.  Although usually vomited up, in the extreme hairballs can cause a blockage in the intestine.

Ask yourself :

• Is it some time since your cat last experienced a thorough grooming session ?
• Does your cat suffer from any form of tangles/knots or mats in his/her coat ?
• Has his/her mood changed ?  If Yes :
  • Has he/she become a little grumpy ?
  • Does he/she shrink away from being petted, or enjoying your attention ?

If you have answered Yes to any of the above, it may well be that your cat is experiencing itchiness or discomfort, due to his/her thick or matted coat.  Or, he/she may feel overwhelmed with the prospect of trying to keep on top of it him/herself.

We have spoken to many cat owners who have can relate to the above points.  Indeed, this is often when our services at EssentiallyPurrfect are called upon.  What is really satisfying for us is the feedback we receive from our customers following the grooming session, in relation to how their cat’s general happiness and behaviour has changed for the better.

“Nick and I have both noticed that Penny is a much happier cat.  She loves being stroked now, whereas she could only handle a little bit of petting before you visited.  She just can’t seem to get enough of our attention now !  So thank you so much”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Katy and Nick – Lowton, Warrington

“Radek is like a different cat !!!!  Not just because he looks gorgeous, but he seems so much happier :)”                   Lorraine – Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside

Why not check in with us today to discuss your cat’s needs, and arrange an appointment ?   We would love to hear from you !

handsome young ollie

This handsome young man is a 2 year old Domestic Long Hair (DLH) called Ollie.  Take a look at the photo on the left, and see how shiny his fur is.  Ollie is a picture of health !

Ollie’s mum Barbara called us as she was a little worried that Ollie had developed a few mats around his sides / flanks / rear.  Although Ollie was happy for Barbara to comb his back, he wasn’t keen on being touched around the matted areas.   Probably because it felt tight and uncomfortable for him.

We weren’t sure how Ollie would react to the grooming session, and the noise and sensation of the clippers.  However, we needn’t have been apprehensive.  Ollie was extremely calm and took it all in his stride.  We think he knew exactly what the session was all about !   We clipped away quite a large area of mat, and gave him a hygiene trim around his private area.

This photo of Ollie’s rear end (below, left) shows the matted body area before we began.  The mats were laying close to the skin so not really apparent from the photograph.   The other photo (below, right) shows Ollie’s right side after clipping.

We’re hoping now that Ollie will let Barbara keep on top of the regrowth, by allowing her to comb it through.  We’ll then see Ollie again in due course, for a full groom.

Mum Barbara from Liverpool says :

“This is the first time Sandra has been out to Ollie. I have to admit I had let him become quite deshevelled looking and was a bit ashamed to call out anybody. Needed have worried she has got Ollie back to his lovely normal self and her love and care for cats shines through.Thanx Sandra for giving Ollie back to me”

Thanks Barbara for your lovely comments and well done Ollie !  We look forward to seeing you again !

penny the purrfect persian !

We were pleased to be asked to work with this lovely Persian called Penny, who has recently been adopted.

The photo on the left is following her grooming session, showing her brushed out, silky, coat.

Katy and Nick of Lowton, Warrington say :

“Our cat, Penny, suffered from serious matting but after some attention from Sandra she feels like a completely different cat (and looks about 10 pounds lighter!) We’d recommend EssentiallyPurrfect to anyone who wants convenient cat grooming done on their time from a true expert.”

We worked through Penny’s coat, teasing out the smaller knots with a comb and clipping away areas that couldn’t be saved.  We then followed this with a thorough brushing session to remove lots of dead undercoat.  See the photo below on the left of Penny with the brushed out hair !

The photo on the right here, is of Penny’s fuller coat, before any brushing / clipping.

The day after the grooming session, Katy got in touch with us again to give us this further update on Penny :

“Nick and I have both noticed that Penny is a much happier cat. She loves being stroked now, whereas she could only handle a little bit of petting before you visited. She just can’t seem to get enough of our attention now!  So thank you so much.”

So it really does go to show that keeping your cat’s skin and coat in good condition is an important part of boosting their health and wellbeing.

Thanks so much Katy and Nick for your positive comments and feedback – truly appreciated.  We are really pleased that Penny is obviously benefiting from her new easier-to-manage coat and we hope this helps with bonding !

beautiful daisy

 This is Daisy , a beautiful cream Ragdoll who is approaching her 2nd birthday.  The photo on the left was taken a few weeks ago, with Daisy’s coat looking well maintained.  However, recent harsh weather took it’s toll, and resulted in tangles and knots becoming larger mats which required attention, particularly around the chest, tummy and hind areas.  We saved the hair where possible by teasing out, but some areas needed to be clipped away.  The result was fantastic, leaving Daisy with a much easier to manage coat which we’re sure she is truly grateful for !   Here’s Daisy relaxing on the blue grooming table, after the session.

Mum Alison from Worsley, Nr Manchester says

“My lovely little Ragdoll Daisy has had a fun packed winter playing in the snow, chasing squirrels up trees and rolling around in the leaves but all this play had left  her with a knotted and matted coat.  I was very worried that day by day the knots were getting worse so I called in the help of Sandra.   All I can say is that Sandra did a brilliant job, she had amazing patience with Daisy who was not impressed with being clipped.  Sandra spent a long  time on Daisy’s coat and what a difference.  Daisy looks and feels beautiful, very soft and silky.  Sandra has an amazing approach to her work with total professionalism and kindness at all times. I would very much recommend  Sandra and will be using her grooming skills every few months to keep on top of my Daisy’s coat.”

For us at EssentiallyPurrfect, it’s lovely receiving such positive feedback.  Thank you, Alison.  It was a pleasure meeting and working with Daisy, and we look forward to seeing you both again !

a gentle giant

This fine looking boy from Liverpool is a 10 year old Ragdoll – one of the more unusual Black Mitted Solids.  He is affectionately known as Fatty, due to his chunky build.

This was the first time we’d groomed him, and he truly was a gentle giant.  Some knots under the chest/tummy area and around his sides/rear end needed to be teased out/clipped away – but he was extremely calm and patient, and seemed to understand it was for his benefit.

All of this was followed by a good brushing, which removed such a lot of dead hair.   We’re sure he must now feel so much happier with his new easier-to-maintain coat.

Lovely meeting you !  You were a purrfect customer !

youngsters from siberia

These 2 beautiful Siberians are brother and sister, and still youngsters at just 18 months old.  Siberians are known to be an intelligent breed, and this is truly evident with this pair.  From the way you can see them studying you – to the way they interact with the family and each other.

Here is Nutmeg with mum Chris, just after her groom.

Nutmeg is a pretty girl, with black tabby markings.  Quite a playful young lady and very inquisitive with it !

Brother Mango is a little more reserved, but very friendly and still likes to know what’s going on in his house !  His red tabby coloured coat is much denser than his sister’s – particularly at this time of year, as he’s still carrying much of his winter coat.  A real sweet guy.

A few words from mum Chris, from Sale, Cheshire :

Sandra responded quickly to my urgent request for help with my young Siberian cats, Mango and Nutmeg.  Mango, the neutered male is really thick and fluffy and I did not seem to be able to keep on top of the task of grooming out his moulting winter coat and the knots on his tummy.  Mango turned out to be a less than perfect (should that be purrfect ?) customer and I cannot praise Sandra enough for the professional, calm and patient manner she adopted in dealing with my grumpy, stubborn lad.  Little Nutmeg was no trouble in comparison and really enjoyed her first groom.

Sandra gave me advice on the grooming tools to use and also showed me how to groom my cats properly.  I feel so much more confident about keeping my cats’ coats in good condition now.

Thanks Sandra, looking forward to your next visit !   – Chris