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 coat/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 cats 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

As with most things, prevention is better than cure.  By brushing out your cat regularly, we can prevent crisis point and make for a happier cat, a happier you .. and in turn a happier us !   A regular appointment schedule will be cheaper for you as we will not be managing a difficult coat.  It also attracts a 10% discount on the groom itself.

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

norwegian tilly

This rather beautiful tabby coloured Norwegian Forest is 6 year old Tilly from Cheshire.

Tilly is quite a timid girl,  but she was very patient as we brushed through her coat – teasing out a few small tangles on her back, and brushing away dead undercoat from around her body.   She’ll feel much better and lighter for it !

Tilly was then only too happy to retreat to her basket on the window ledge, whilst she posed for our photo, looking cute !

ragdoll richo

This young fellow is Richo, a handsome blue pointed Ragdoll.  At almost 4 years old, Richo is a large cat, and ever so good looking with it.

Our services were called upon as Richo had recently developed a few small mats, mainly on his sides and flanks.  The aim of the groom was to clip away the hair from the areas that couldn’t be saved, and brush out the rest of the coat to remove dead hair.  Due to the length of Richo’s hair, some of the clipped area was disguised.

Richo was a perfect gentleman – showing typical trait Ragdoll affection, and remaining relaxed and gentle throughout the session.

He really is a big softie family cat (as you can see from the photos!) with never a bad word for anyone …

Mum Katy from Samlesbury, Lancashire fed back to us, following the groom :

“Our Ragdoll cat Richo had quickly become rather matted, and I was unable to comb or brush him I tried many expensive tools on the market to help release the tangles in his fur.  I was spending hours and getting nowhere, and poor Richo was in pain after I’d been tugging at his coat.

I Googled Cat grooming and happy with the website, phoned EssentiallyPurrfect.  Sandra was able to visit 2 days later arriving on time and well-presented and prepared for the job in hand.  After an hour and a half Richo looked amazing and was very happy – he even purred when I popped in to check on the progress.  I was really pleased with every aspect of the service”.

Thanks Katy !  For us, it was a pleasure to work with such a gorgeous boy… and Yes, he did look stunning, even though we say it ourselves !

remember our lovely ollie ?

At the start of March 13, 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.

The photo (below left) shows Ollie’s right side after we removed those mats.  

Around 6 weeks on, we called in on Ollie and mum Barbara from Liverpool to check on progress.  Ollie’s new hair has started to grow back, and it is lovely and soft.  See the photo (above right), with the clipped area outlined in red.

Mum Barbara told us that now Ollie loves to sit on her knee in the evening, and be brushed by her.  He is obviously feeling much happier and more comfortable with his coat …. Which of course makes for a happy mum …. which in turn leads to a happy Us !         Fantastic news !

It really does go to show that a well maintained coat plays a key part in the health and wellbeing of your cat.

meet dalmore

We were asked to meet up with Dalmore – a real handsome blue pointed Ragdoll – as he was in need of a thorough grooming session.

Ragdolls have blue eyes and are large and muscular semi-longhair cats, with soft and silky coats.   Dalmore is a very mild mannered young man, inkeeping with the text book description of placid temperament and affectionate nature.

We worked through Dalmore’s coat – teasing out smaller tangles, clipping away one or two larger matted areas, and brushing out the rest of the coat to remove dead hair.

Mum Lynn from Fleetwood, Lancashire fed back to us following our session :

Thank you Sandra for an excellent job in grooming our Ragdoll cat Dalmore. We consider ourselves very lucky finding EssentiallyPurrfect as it’s very hard to find a cat groomer with your expertise and knowledge.  I was a bit apprehensive having Dalmore groomed as he does not like to be handled much, but you made it look so easy he even let you clip his claws.  I have no hesitation in recommending you.  Dalmore and I are looking forward to your next visit in the near future.

Thanks Lynn !  It was a pleasure to work with Dalmore and we can’t wait to meet up again !!

cheeky harvey

Harvey from Northwich, Cheshire is a 2 year old Maine Coon.  He is already extra large at around 21 lb (9.5 kg), so will be quite a giant when he reaches maturity at around 5 years old. 

Harvey shows typical Maine Coon traits in that he is a little cheeky, playful and yet so gentle.  He showed a keen interest in acquainting himself with our tools and equipment, including a thorough examination of the grooming table !  Here he is, on the photo on the left, way before we were ready to start.  He gave the table a real good checking out and was thoroughly happy being up there of his own accord – until it came time for his grooming session.  At this point Harvey had already made his mind up that he’d rather be out in the garden with his playmates !

His coat was in good condition and was brushed through to remove dead undercoat.  There were just a couple of small tangles on his underside, and under the armpit that needed to be removed.  Harvey’s insatiable appetite for his favourite treats helped to take his mind off the proceedings !

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…. and here is the young man, relaxing in his basket, after his groom.  Looking exceptionally handsome …..

young tilly

Our Services were called upon to work with Tilly, who is a 2 year old Maine Coon.   Tilly is already a Large girl, but still has 2 or 3 years growth yet to come !  At full size, female Maine Coons can weigh up to 15lbs (6.8kg) – with males tipping the scales at a mighty 25lb (11kg) !  In the text books, Maine Coons are known as ‘gentle giants’ – and although this doesn’t always prove true, it is certainly the case with Tilly.  The breed is said to be cautious around strangers, which interestingly mum and dad referred to in their statement below.  The females are also known to be very dignified, which really does rings true with this young lady.

You can see from the photos that Tilly has lovely markings, and is exceptionally pretty.  Tilly’s coat was in good condition, and the aim of the session was to brush out, and rid her of excess dead hair.  This has two benefits.  Firstly, it will stop Tilly ingesting hair when grooming herself (which in the extreme can cause intestinal problems) and secondly, it will reduce hair found around the house on furniture etc.

First we clipped Tilly’s nails,  which she easily took all in her stride.  Then we began to work through her coat – using John Paul Mitchell conditioner (tested on humans, not animals !).  The photo on the left is before the groom, showing Tilly’s hair not laying flat to the body.  We removed much dead hair and a couple of small tangles.  Small tangles soon become larger mats if left unattended.  Tilly seemed to understand that the session was for her benefit.  She was very compliant and at one point was truly obliging – she laid on her side with her back legs outstretched in the air so we could easily comb through her tummy hair, whilst she purred away.  If we’d have had a spare hand at this point, we would have taken a photo !  The photo below shows Tilly relaxing on the grooming table after her groom – you can see the obvious difference in her coat after much dead hair had been removed.

Following our visit, mum Paula and dad Ron from Blackpool, Lancashire fed back to us :

’twas a pleasure meeting you Sandra & for you to meet our dear Tilly. You are a very professional groomer, not only in your combing & cleaning, but also your wonderful cat language. Our Tilly like most cats I would think, is very suspicious of strangers, but you very quickly made her feel comfortable & were able to reach the parts on her, which, up to now, have been quite unreachable. It has been a delight to watch you work, absolute trust, one with the other, something Paula & I just haven’t yet been able to master. This has been very satisfying for us & I am sure for Tilly. Money very well spent. Tilly is like a child & a companion to us, so her care & well being is most important. So glad we found you & do highly recommend  you. Looking forwards to your next visit.

Thanks so much, Paula and Ron !   We’ve got to say also that we are so pleased you chose our Services, and it has been a pleasure to work with Tilly.  We can’t wait to meet up with you the 3 of you again next month !

handsome scrumpy

Say a big Hello to Scrumpy from Preston, Lancashire who is a chunky 7 year old ginger and white Domestic Long Hair (DLH).

We were called in to help with Scrumpy’s coat which had become matted mainly down his back/trousers, as he has found this area difficult to reach.  It’s fair to say that Scrumpy doesn’t like to be brushed, and is even less keen on being clipped.  He usually goes to the vets, where they carry out the procedure under sedation – but a trip to the vets in itself has proved difficult in the past.  So we decided to try a new approach, with a home groom.

We don’t know Scrumpy’s weight, but being a big strong hefty guy he was quite a challenge to groom.  Aided by mum Janette – hand feeding Scrumpy pieces of his favourite ham as a distraction – we got there !  We removed the matted areas with clippers, then followed this through with brushing out the dead undercoat from the remaining hair, which was in very good condition.  After his groom, Scrumpy posed for a couple of photos, before resuming his normal afternoon routine of playing out with next door’s dog !

Well done Scrumpy ! – You will definitely reap the benefit of your new easier-to-manage coat.

sweet susie

Susie is one of Georgie’s playmates (see Georgie’s post, below).  She is a beautiful tabby Norwegian Forest and is already a big girl at only 3 years old (with still another couple of years growth to come).

Susie is very quiet and gentle in nature and mum Sue from Northwich, Cheshire talked to her and reassured her, whilst she was being brushed.  Her coat was in very good condition – no knots or tangles – so it was a case of brushing through to remove dead undercoat, ready for the warmer weather (if it ever arrives !).

georgie the weegie

This stunning fellow is a red Norwegian Forest called Georgie.  The breed – commonly known as weegies – are larger than average, big strong cats.  At only 4 years old (and already 14lb) Georgie has around another year’s growth still to go !

Georgie lives in Northwich, Cheshire with mum Sue, a few playmates, and a couple of lovely dogs – all of whom he gets on with ever so well.  Georgie’s coat was in good condition, with just a few small areas that needed to be clipped away to remove mats – followed by a brushing session to remove thick dead undercoat.