Many people assume since cat’s groom themselves, they don’t need a professional groomer.
I recently sat down with Hannah- owner of Mitten’s Pets: Cat and Dog Grooming and Cat Boarding in Ypsilanti, Michigan to discuss her services and why getting your cat professionally groomed is so important.
Here’s what she said about how she got started in the cat grooming industry:
I was taking classes Eastern Michigan University and changed majors 5 times- there’s just so many great things to do in life! While looking for jobs I came across a gal looking for a dog bather so I called her up and started working for her. She saw me pretty much flailing around with college and asked what I was doing with my life- she’s a very direct person which is what I needed- and she became a mentor to me. The owner suggested I’d be a great cat groomer- I had no idea what that was, but investigated and eventually went to a school in South Carolina.
Pretty much everything we do here [at Mitten’s Pets] is how she would do it. She was a very organized, well oiled machine. I think if I hadn’t met her I may still to this day be trying to figure out what courses to take at school.
I opened Mitten’s Pets in 2022 here in Ypsilanti and we do cat grooming- bathing, hair cut (dinosaur or mohawk, maybe color soon), and cat boarding and a little retail. Previously we groomed cats and dogs in the same facility. The dogs always seemed fine but the cats were a little on edge so the goal was always to have a special place for the cats.
“I feel like cats are just underserved
in the grooming world so I wanted to
keep the focus on them.”
Since opening here the cats are so much calmer, more relaxed; it’s quieter. Every now and then you get a kitty-cat that might scream or growl, but overall it’s so much better for them to have their own space.
What was the school you went to for to learn about cat grooming?
I went to National Cat Groomers Institute in South Carolina.
Pretty much everything I thought I knew about cats was
just taken out of my brain- I didn’t know anything!
It was a great program and I always think you should get training in anything you want to excel at- there’s no requirement for groomers in Michigan, but I think it helps set a standard for the industry. Like I said- I thought I knew cats before going through this program, but there was so much I didn’t know. We’re actually planning to get get set up with the school to be able to certify cat groomers here as well.
Alright let’s get into the actual cat grooming- many people might say “my cat grooms themselves, why would I need to bring them in?”
What are some signs a cat may need to get professionally groomed, signs to look out for, or just general reasons why people should bring there cats here?
Yeah great questions! What I say is- cats can look great for a good chunk of their life, which is good, but we want to do preventative maintenance.
We get a lot of calls from clients feeling like “all of sudden” their cat’s coat isn’t doing as well and when we ask it’s almost always because of the cat’s age. I tell them [clients] that if they have a perfectly healthy cat to start professional grooming now. You don’t want to start something new- and I don’t like to use the “T” word, but it can be traumatic- for a senior cat.
Usually when cats reach 9 or 10 years old things start to change with their skin:
more oily buildup and general health decline starts affecting their coats.
A comb or brush doesn’t look anything like a cat’s tongue- so imagine if you’re trying to brush out long hair with your tongue; you can’t get to your scalp. When we hear clients say “my cat stopped grooming themselves” we have to tell them- your cat wasn’t really grooming itself, they were just slicking their coat and making it shine.
Things that are more obvious that you want to keep an eye on:
- When you notice your cat licking themselves a lot more. It’s a sign from the cat to the human to grab a comb, they’ve got a lot of oily buildup, maybe some dry skin so they could use some professional grooming
- Dandruff
- Overly shiny/oily coats is again, too much sebum buildup
- On the flip side- if your cat stops grooming themselves that’s also a sign they need to get to a groomer. Their coat is either too long, thick, or matted and might be causing them pain
There’s no such thing as ‘all of a sudden my cat is matted’
So would you say cats of any fur-length should be coming in for grooming?
Yes! For long haired cats (and dogs), even though it looks like they have “more” coat the way it drapes and can catch more things in it, they don’t actually have any more hair follicles than a short haired cat or dog. Their longer coats drape and protect their skin, but there aren’t necessarily more hairs over all.
We often get short haired cats with micro-mats! Short compacted coats- the oils just become too much. Again we ask the age of the cat which shows how many skin cycles the cat has been through, and if the cat is obese it causes even more of a build up. But it’s all preventable!
Cats, dogs, and actually humans all have the same skin cycle of roughly every 27 days- so when we see our senior cats who’ve gone through… what’s 12 times 10 years? 120 skin cycles- so that’s a lot of build up with dead skin cells along with the natural sebum (oily, protective layer on skin) build up.
A monthly skin cycle should equal a monthly bath
and
There’s no such thing as over bathing if you’re using the right products for your pet.
What are some tips or advice for cat parents with nervous cats to come in for grooming?
Often times there’s more worry coming from the pet parent so we try to get them to be calm.
- Talk softly to your cat in the car ride over, don’t be anxious for them
We’ve got you covered- and if you worry your pet is going to worry.
Overall, the cats are OK.
- We will listen to what the client says- maybe they’re afraid at the vet and have tried to bite etc, but often time with their aunties [the groomers at Mittens Pets] they are much calmer
- If their vet says the cat needs medications to come in, then for our first visit we will recommend that as well so that it’s a good visit
What are your services for the actual grooming?
All cats get a bath no matter what else they book. Comb out, sanitary trim what some call “the Brazilian”. Nails trimmed and ears cleaned. If it’s a big shed season (which doesn’t happen in they are coming in every 4-5 weeks) we will include our signature groom which includes a de-shed treatment and skin treatment to revitalize the coat.
We have medicated shampoos to ease skin irritation as needed but we don’t use flea shampoo- it doesn’t help if there are fleas at home.
Some specialty services include:
- Comb cut- teddy bear
- Breed specific cuts
- Tiger/lion cuts
- Nail caps- lasts about 8 weeks max to prevent nail from growing and curling into their paw pad.
Tell us about your cat boarding.
We just did a remodel of our kitty hotel! We used to use these little green houses which worked alright, but now we have full rooms for them. There are cameras set up and the service includes visits and play time with them one-on-one. There are shelves and everything mounted to the walls- much easier to clean and sanitize including the stainless steel litter pans and bowls.
We are the largest options for cat boarding in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.
Things to know about boarding your cat with us:
-
- Everyone needs to be on flea and tick prevention and vaccines.
- If a cat comes to board and is rough shape we will give them a bath before they can stay here.
- Each cat has their own house unless from the same family if they get along, up to 2 cats. 1 big suite for 4 cats in same household.
- We use Dr Elsies non clumping litter but clients can bring their own litter if they are used to something drastically different.
Looking for a cat sitter? Hire a professional with Perna’s Pet Care today!
Lastly, I know you do a lot of other events and community engagements and classes, tell us about that.
Anyone who works here needs to be Pet First Aid/CPR certified. It never really comes up with our clients if we are certified, but for general peace of mind knowing what to do is a standard I’ve set here. So I got certified to be an instructor for Pet CPR and First Aid to train my team and then I opened it up for everyone!
It’s good to be able to practice on your pets before an emergency happens.
The biggest fulfillment of that class is the CPR portion. Getting people confident in how to do CPR, which can be really scary when in the moment of need, is really rewarding. I usually do once a month in the spring/summer with plans to offer virtual classes as well.
We also have Santa come every year which is really fun, and the Easter Bunny. We do Valentines Day photo shoots. We did a DIY craft toy event recently and might try for a movie night this winter. Maybe a paint and pour? Always just ways to bring people together.
We have also expanded to include dog grooming days- separate from the cat days and now have a podcast “Mane and Mischief “ with new episodes out every Wednesday as well!
You can learn more about the services at Mitten’s Pets on their website, or follow them on Instagram @mittenspets or Facebook @Mitten’s Pets.