Author Archive
sweet as fudge
Fudge, an elderly ginger tom of 18, was in need of his claws clipping as they were getting caught in furniture around the house. Mum Susan called upon our services, to see if we could help as Fudge becomes distressed if he needs to travel to the vets.
Later, mum Susan from Astley, Greater Manchester commented :
“Sandra from EssentiallyPurrfect visited my cat Fudge on 3 April and a did a marvellous job on cutting his claws which he generally hates ! She put him totally at ease and the whole procedure was performed quickly and painlessly ! Very professional and friendly service. Will use again and would most definitely recommend ! Thanks again.”
We were pleased to meet such a gentle chap, and look forward to seeing you again Fudge !
our jasper
We were called in to help with Jasper, who had recently developed a few tangles/mats around his persona. Mainly on his sides and trousers, and a couple of small knots underneath. The usual places, where pussy cats don’t like to be brushed !
Jasper is such a handsome chappy, with a fantastically healthy coat. He really is a much loved family cat and a big softie all round, however we think he rather likes having things his own way – rather than being told what to do on the grooming table !
After the grooming session, mum Gill from Preston, Lancashire said :
“My 2yr old cat Jasper is a cross chinchilla Persian with semi long hair. His fur had become very matted and he was uncharacteristically grumpy, I wasn’t sure what to do. I got in touch with Sandra from EssentiallyPurrfect to gain some advice and after our free consultation she came round to the house to see Jasper. He had to be shaved to remove the matting and there lay the challenge! Jasper is a very mild mannered cat and a much loved member of the family but he did not like having his fur chopped! Despite Jasper’s very bad behaviour Sandra remained very calm and professional throughout the procedure. To give Jasper a break Sandra came back a few days later to finish off the grooming. During this time Jasper was in a much better mood. Now his fur is immaculate thanks to Sandra the super star! Thank you Sandra for all your help”
For us, it’s great to hear such positive feedback. Thanks so much mum Gill and family ! On our site we talk about the coat being a major factor in the health and wellbeing of cats, and we see so many examples every week where this is proved. Fantastic !
It was lovely to meet you Jasper ! (and Gill and family, of course !). If you ever need our Services again, we’d love to see you … !
have you heard of the cat nav ?
pretty as a fleur
Take a look at our lovely Persian Chinchilla, named Fleur. She is a gentle, elderly lady of around 13 years old. We were contacted to groom Fleur as she had developed mats around the body, which needed attention. The aim of the groom was to save as much of the hair as possible, but the extent of the mats meant that a large proportion of the coat needed to be clipped away.
After the groom Fleur set about grooming herself – no doubt feeling less restricted in her 
movements, and more comfortable all around. It will take a good few months – maybe 5 or 6 – for the hair to grow fully back, but in the meantime it will be much more manageable for Fleur. The picture on the right is of Fleur’s right side. She has her head turned to the left, grooming herself over her left shoulder.
We then tried to get a good photograph of Fleur, but by this time her tummy was telling her it was teatime and food was the only thing on her mind as she slunk off towards her bowl ! The photo top left is Fleur enjoying her tea, after being clipped.
Fleur’s coat will grow back silky and it will be easier to manage for a while – but will still need regular brushing to ensure it remains tangle free.
After the session Fleur’s mum Hazel, of Northwich, Cheshire fed back to say that she was happy with the grooming.
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 1st 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 !
