april and macy
Two extremely pretty Maine Coons asked us to call, to have a look at their coats.
Both around 2 years old, April (left) is the larger of the pair by a long way. The females of this breed can easily reach 15lbs (6.8kg) at maturity (5 years old). She feels like she’s there already ! Maine Coons are known as ‘gentle giants’ – and although this doesn’t always prove true, it is certainly the case with April. The breed is said to be cautious around strangers, and April was a little apprehensive with our presence. However, once into the session she did relax and was very compliant – letting us work on those harder to reach areas.
Macy (right) is smaller in size. She presents typical Maine Coon traits in that she is a little cheeky, playful but yet so gentle. Macy gave us a taster of her playing skills as she flipped in the air to try catch her toy, then went to retrieve and fetch it for mum ! She knows what Maine Coons should do to please ! Macy was also keen to check out our bags and equipment, giving them a thorough examination before we set up stall.
Both coats were is good condition, as mum is able to comb the girls. During the sessions we had a thorough brush out, concentrating on the the tummy, between the back legs and the bum.
April on the left. Macy on the right.
Later that evening, mum Francesca from Manchester told us :
“I just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work with my two girls today ! They are both looking fabulous ! Macy is like a different cat – she even came and fell asleep on my knee today which is totally out of character ! She is obviously much more comfortable – even if she did moan a little about the process ! Thanks for your patience with my nervous girl April too – she is back to her usual calm self and showing off her new look ! … Looking forward to next time already!”
Thanks so much for the feedback Francesca – really pleased the girls are happy and comfy …. and a new more cuddly side to Macy ? Well – she’d be up and zooming around again, if she thought we thought that !
autumn brush out
Do you know that our cats shed hair throughout the year – but particularly during the Spring and the Autumn. Today – Sun 22 Sep 13 – is the first day of Autumn !
During shedding, the hair shaft comes away from the follicle – but does not always fall away from the coat. It is this shed hair that can cause irritation to the skin, and indeed the formation of tangles – which in turn lead to mats and even pelts.
We’ve reached the perfect time of year for your cat to really benefit from a thorough brush out, to prevent problems with the coat later on. Prevention is better than cure ! Don’t forget that grooming really is integral to boosting your cat’s health and wellbeing, as it promotes a healthy skin and coat. Read more about the importance of grooming in our previous health and wellbeing blog.
Don’t delay. Contact us now to discuss our Services and to arrange a session. All in the comfort of your cat’s own home !
e-mail us at info@essentiallypurrfect.co.uk. Or, telephone us. You could use the website contact form on the right. Or if you prefer, you can private message us on facebook.
Billy’s mum (the handsome boy, above) contacted us, and we’d love to hear from you too !
2nd EssentiallyPurrfect catwalk weekend
Thanks to everyone who joined in with Liking and Posting photos last weekend on our facebook page. It’s your chance to show off your babes !
To start us off this weekend, here’s our SexyEd – enjoying some 1:1 with the comb. What a position he’s got himself into. He loves this attention – but think he fell asleep towards the end !
Does anyone have any cute photos they can share ? We must have tons of them between us – don’t be shy. Why don’t you pop over to our facebook page and join us !
sweet holly
Holly is a 4 years old domestic long haired girl who needed our help to remove a few matted areas, and make her coat feel lovely, again !
Holly is a nervous girl but she let us work with her, and behaved very well.
We trimmed her nails without much fuss, and clipped away areas of mat that couldn’t be brushed out. Holly wasn’t afraid of the clippers, and she also let us brush quite vigorously through her thick, clumpy fur. She must have been a lot lighter afterwards !!
Mum Jackie from Padiham, Lancashire later told us :
“The groom has made a big difference to Holly. She seems so much happier now”
To help Holly keep on top of her new coat, we’ll be seeing her again in 8 weeks time. Looking forward to it already, Holly !
gucci style
Hello Gucci ! This tiny (16 year old !) Birman lady benefitted from removal of mats and a brush out of her remaining hair.
The mats were very tight to her skin and she was patient as we worked through her coat. We believe that she really did know from the start of the session what it was all about. When the clippers touched her side, she immediately began grooming her front / chest in tandem. Clipping her tummy and chest was a little more difficult as Gucci wasn’t keen on laying with belly exposed, but the little love allowed us to work through.
Following the session, mum Helen from Thornton, Cleveleys, Lancashire said :
“Just to say a big thank you for your kindness and patience with Gucci. Very professional service and also very friendly. You spent a lot of time on her grooming which she seems a different cat now. Many thanks for your service.”
Well done Gucci … Such a good girl !!
lovely luigi
Luigi is a handsome Exotic lad of around 3 years old.
Most Exotics are shorthaired, but Luigi’s coat we’d say is semi-long, and very dense with it. His coat carried tufts and clumps of dead hair which required a vigorous brush out.
Luigi was a little apprehensive of the session, and he made it clear that he would rather be somewhere else, doing something else, but he was overall permissive and a really brave boy. Mum and dad were on hand to give him reassurance and sweet talk.
Following the session, mum Emma from Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria said :
” …. we have definitely noticed a change in his behaviour – he is being more smoochy again and not running away when you approach him!! I haven’t noticed him grooming more – but he is at least letting me brush him when he is by his food !”
Here is a piccie of Luigie showing off his new sexy body. Look at that pose !
Well done Luigi ….. You were a good boy !
essentiallypurrfect catwalk weekend
Today’s the start of the very first EssentiallyPurrfect Catwalk Weekend !
Hi Everyone … We thought we’d start a weekend feature, where we can all post snippets and/or piccies of our cats on our facebook page.
Maybe a different theme each weekend ? For example, one week we could post photos of our cats when they were kittens. Another week, it could be in their best relaxing pose or strangest sleeping place, or you with you your kitty – that kind of thing. Or maybe each week is too frequent …. Would, monthly be better ? Any ideas at all, please let us know on Facebook.
It’s a while since we’ve groomed some of your kitties, and we haven’t met others. So, may we kick off today with updates / introductions ? A few words – name, age, whatever you like – with a piccie if you can. It’d be lovely for everyone to be able to admire your babes – and the more the merrier …
Here’s 2 of ours. SexyEd and LG (Little Girl). Brother and sister, almost 14 years old although they do look (and act !) a lot younger. Probably down to all the beauty sleep they get in a typical day !
Anyone can join in. Let’s have a look at your babes – don’t be shy ! Please come over and join us on facebook today !
tiny tess
How old ?! That’s right … Tess is 20 years old, although following her groom she looks at least 5 years younger !
As is often the case, as Tess has become older she has stopped grooming. She obviously has arthritis in her back legs, and maybe around her neck/shoulders – which would make twisting around and turning more difficult for her.
Our Services were called upon to remove some mats that had developed around Tess’ lower body and back end. Although these were tight to the skin, Tess sat calmly (like a little trooper !), whilst we worked through her coat. We believe she knew from the start that the session was all for her benefit. We removed the hair that couldn’t be saved, and brushed out the rest of her thick coat.
Following the session, mum Kath and dad Neil, from Wigan, Lancashire said :
“Sandra came to our home to groom Tess our 20year old cat. Tess was in a really bad way with densely matted hair along her back and hind quarters due to old age and an arthritic condition. So, we really thought Sandra may not be able to deal with her extreme condition. Tess must have been one of the worst cases Sandra has had to deal with, but deal with her she did and in a truly empathetic yet professional way. There was no rushing or hurrying, Sandra spent hours on her even though it was a really hot day. The special care Sandra took whilst grooming Tess, we feel made it a positive experience for her. Friends and family cannot believe the difference in Tess, she looks and acts like a cat half her age. It’s given her a new lease of life! We can’t express our thanks enough to Sandra , we both feel very lucky to have found her.”
We are so pleased that the groom has literally given Tess a new lease of life. Rather than the frail old lady she was becoming, she’s now top dog again …. ie. in charge of the animal household !
merlot and mango
Merlot (piccie on the left) is around 5 years old, and is such a friendly little lady. She sat patiently whilst she had her nails trimmed and was such a good girl.
Her new housemate, Mango is also friendly – and so gentle and placid. Mango is around 2 years old and is lucky to have just been adopted by the family from a shelter. She is settling into her new life very well ! Mango’s coat is quite long, and was tufty in parts – which needed a good work through.
The hair on Mango’s lower tummy is quite curly – almost like a Selkirk Rex – but the rest of her coat is straight, and the colouring is quite vivid. By the end of the session she was so relaxed it was difficult to get a good piccie of her. Then, after the session Mango literally had to be lifted from the grooming table, and placed back on her bed where she continued to snooze !
Two lovely girls from Lostock Hall, Preston, Lancashire.
sophie and chloe
We were asked to call upon these 2 lovely ladies.
Sophie is a 16 years old Silver Spotted British Shorthair. She is a chunky girl, and her coat is plush and dense. Now she is older, and a little arthritic, she finds it more difficult to groom. We gave her a thorough brush out to rid her of lots of dead undercoat, and she was a really good girl. Here is the hair that came away from Sophie.
Chloe, a blue Persian, is just a tad younger at 15. Chloe lay patiently whilst we gave her long, thick coat a good brush out. She even helped at one point by joining in with grooming herself under her chin and front paws.
Later, mum Dorothy from Knutsford, Cheshire said :
“Thank you so much for the fantastic results on Sophie and Chloe. Their coats were missing a good groom, especially Sophie who had lots of matting. You did a great job getting them all out. You had so much patience, I sat listening to you talking to them. Your voice was so calm and full of reassurance I nearly went to sleep – so I’m sure you made it a pleasant experience for both of them. Chloe keeps sitting in the doorway of the room you used looking for you, she cant understand where you have gone. I explained to her you would be back at the end of October. Thank you for making my babes so beautiful.”
Such good girls, Sophie and Chloe !
Can’t wait to see you again soon …!
