Archive for March, 2015
mr bailey
Who remembers this 9 year old Persian cross in Alderley Edge, Cheshire ? That’s right – It’s Bailey. We last saw Bailey a couple of months ago – and his coat this time around was sooooo much bigger.
Bailey goes out in the garden on his harness, and this causes knots underneath on his chest, and on his armpits where it rubs. The rest of his coat just needed a good brush out.
Bailey definitely remembered the last session and this time was less fidgety. We know he’d much rather have been patrolling his territory – an activity which he had had to leave for his session – but Bailey gritted he teeth and bared it whilst we worked through his fine coat. He has long hair on the underside of his feet, in tufts between his pads. This is the case with some long haired cats – in particular Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats, where the hair acts as snowshoes. This insulates their feet, allowing them to traverse snowy grounds typical of the regions from which they originate. However, Bailey only goes as far as the garden, in short spells, so his snoeshows don’t really see much action – apart from trailing dirt back into the house. So, we trimmed them back to help alleviate this problem.
It was nice seeing you again, Bailey and looking forward to next time already …
gorgeous bluebell
Seven year old Bluebell asked us to call in to have a look at her coat, which had developed matted areas. Bluebell has lived with her new mum in Sandbach, Cheshire for just a couple of months and she has settled in remarkably well. She is quite a timid girl, but she came to meet and greet, and was soon friendly – and very nosey. In and out of bags, wanting to know just what was going on.
Bluebell told us a right tale as we set to work on her tummy. We listened. If only she could have heard herself. Bluebell is deaf, so she didn’t know just how much she was going on ! A white coat and blue eyes makes deafness much more likely. In fact, a white cat with 2 blue eyes is 3-5 times more likely to be deaf than a cat with 2 non-blue eyes – and a cat with 1 blue eye is about twice as likely to be deaf as a cat with 2 non-blue eyes. Also, longhaired white cats are 3 times more likely to be deaf in both ears.
Bluebell much preferred the clippers to the comb. We think she has learnt that the comb pulls and tugs (as her coat was too thick and knotted), whilst the clippers just zip off the problem area without any hassle.
As Bluebell’s ruff (bib) is sooo long, it makes mealtimes difficult. So, we shortened it a little to make this activity easier for her.
She’ll feel like a new woman now, with her new coat. Well done Bluebell !
little elsie
This young lady is 6 year old Elsie from Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
When we arrived Elsie greeted us with a nice head rub and after introductions we really hit it off … However, Elsie is very intuitive and even before we began setting up stall she had retreated to the top of the stairs where she could keep a watchful eye on unfolding events !
Our Services had been called in as Elsie had developed a few knotty areas around her torso. She’d actually managed to remove one herself since we’d made the appointment for her session, so they were maybe a little uncomfortable for her.
On the whole, Elsie doesn’t care for much contact – and is quite averse to being brushed. As soon as her little tootsies hit the grooming table Elsie had decided that a session wasn’t really her cup of tea – and she did everything within her power to call it a day.
However, we managed to work through the problem areas with the clippers. We took away a few tight mats, so whatever Elsie said at the time – she’s probably now realised it was actually all for her own benefit and that she’s feeling better for it.
Nice meeting you, Elsie. You’re such a pretty little thing. It’s a shame you don’t like the brush because it would make you even more beautiful !
pretty duch
The lovely Duch in Warrington, Cheshire asked us to call to give her a manicure.
Duch is now 17 years old. The last couple of times we’ve met up, Duch has enjoyed a full groom – and she’s definitely benefitted from the sessions. As her mum would tell you, Duch has rediscovered her mojo !
Although Duch really isn’t keen on having her nails clipped, she knows just how important it is to keep on top of them. As cats get older, or if they are poorly or perhaps house cats, nails don’t always wear down sufficiently. If nails become too long they can grow around into, and pierce the pad.
Although we heard one or two little protests Duch remained very calm and really, it was all over before she knew it.
Such a brave girl, Duch. Looking forward to seeing you again in April for your maintenance groom chick !
