To punch the cat groomer in the face

[awsomer]

I've just had such a surreal experience and I need a bit of talking down.

We rescued a cat last year. She was used for breeding (not as a pet) and never fully domesticated. We accepted when we got her that she'd never be a lap cat and were perfectly fine with that. We fell in love, she needed a home, we gave her one.

Fast forward a year. It turns out she's actually much more eager to be a 'pet' than we ever thought. She loves a cuddle, comes to you when you call her, follows you around the house, etc. which is great because we worked so hard to get her to trust us. She's still timid though and ridiculously timid with strangers (hides from them mostly). She won't be picked up and she hates being brushed on a specific spot near her tail (but otherwise ok with brushing).

Last week we noticed that she had a matt on that spot. Think 'oh well, time to get the professionals in'. Google experienced groomers, ones who specialise in timid cats, read the reviews on her site, book her.

Today she turns up and I can't even describe what happened...

We spoke on the phone before the big day and groomer tells me cat needs to be in the cat box, which I dutifully do. The cat then sits in the box for an hour because groomer is 45mins late. Groomer finally arrives. I warn her that the cat will just want to run and hide if given the chance, the groomer opens the cat box. The cat obviously scarpers. Groomer is surprised.

Groomer tells me to pick her up and bring her to the table. Tell groomer that she's so timid she won't be picked up. Groomer is surprised. Tells us to do it anyway. 'Fair enough' we think 'we have to get her to the table somehow'. Pick up cat. Cat hates it. Take cat to table. Cat hates it. Hold cat down onto table. Cat hates it. Groomer shears off all her back fur. Cat hates it. Has now taken out wedges of my dining table that we're pressing her into. Cat screams. Cat wees. Cat finally gets loose and hides in a corner.

Cat groomer basically blames us for not being enough in charge of our cat. She tells me off for looking like I'm about to cry. Lectures offers advice for a bit such as 'the best way to get cats used to being picked up is to put them in a bag and carry the bag around for an hour a night'. Finally packs her shears back into her bag, takes £40 payment and leaves.

I know that at the end of the day it's just a cat I'm getting upset about but this woman was supposed to be a specialist and I'm now left with an even more timid cat, cat piss clothes and carpet and my wallet short £40. I'm so angry I'm shaking.

UPDATE: I've come to bed with a glass of wine and the cat has cuddled up beside me. Hurrah! Lovely poor bald thing.

The problem is that anyone can become a groomer. It's not a regulated industry like being a vet or in some cases a dog breeder.

I'm horrified and angry at your story awsomer. I've done a quick spot of Googling and have found that the only legislation covering bad groomers is the Animal Welfare Act. The RSPCA might be interested and it can't hurt to give them a call to report it, if only to put the groomer on their radar. They may have had past reports, they may get future ones, and yours might help them to take action.

Poor cat :( Definitely leave a review and tell everyone you can about the awful woman!

There are cat groomers?

There are cat groomers?

She said the best way to teach a cat to like being picked up was to carry it around in a bag? That is the single most insane thing I have ever heard. What a lunatic. Never allow her near your cat again.

There is a product by the brand Mikki called a matt splitter, it is like a plastic hook with a blade in it. you simply hook it around the matt and the blade will take it off without damaging your cat. I've used one on really matted up dogs as well as cats and it is fantastic. If/when she gets another matted area just wait until you are with her and she is nice and relaxed and do it while stroking her, its a brilliant tool and she likely won't even notice.

WTAF

That woman should NOT be advertising as a cat groomer, she has no clue about cats, or good manners either by the sounds of it, never mind paying her, she should be bloody sued for your table & mess & distressed she caused to your poor cat :(

Leave a scathing review & put a complaint in writing asking fir a full refund, explain that you were so shocked by what she did, you weren't thinking straight, but you do nit feel she should be paid due to the bad job she did, the distress she caused to you & your cat & the damage she caused by her lack of preparation & fore thought

& if she doesn't refund - add a link to her website & Qype page etc on here - I'm sure we could all add a review!

She sounds like a nasty woman. Animals shouldn't be forced to do things they don't want to do. Carry them around in a bag indeed! Ridiculous and cruel. Your poor cat sounds like she was terrified.

So glad she's snuggled up to you now. She obviously knows you care for her and it was the groomer woman who was stressing her.

At least her matted bit has gone now. Perhaps you could have a chat with the vet about the grooming issue? I don't know if they could provide anything to calm her.

Stupid woman

The vet nurse at the surgery takes our cat's matts off. I'm sure they would help in the future. They're properly trained and experienced and will actually care about your pet.

Give her a shit review on the internet.

In a bag... A cat... A timid one at that!?

I don't even know of a brave cat who would enjoy that, let alone a nervous one! ??

Glad your cat is feeling better!

One of our cats is very timid - she also happens to be the only one who gets matted fur.
We've managed to get to the stage where she'll tolerate grooming for about 5 minutes at a time now, which after plenty of practice is enough to snip off the worst bit with scissors and comb the rest out!

Sometimes if she's in a particularly good mood she'll let me brush her for longer and stay for long enough to untangle her dreadlocks by hand :)

The groomer sounds completely inexperienced with cats in general, nervous ones or not, your poor little mog - glad she's realised it's not your fault though!

My old cat had a lot of sensitive spots, hated being picked up or brushed anywhere but her head. When she was a young cat, she loved milk, the vet had said it was not good for her, so we stopped giving her milk age 6. She would get matts, my ds would cut them out, but she hated it. Fast forward 8 years, she was dying of cancer, and refusing food and water. But, since she was terminally ill, and basically starving, I gave her milk, she lapped it up. Her life lasted for 6 more weeks instead of the 10 days the vet gave her. And all of the matts went away, her coat got glossy again. I wish I had never stopped giving her milk.
Try giving your cat milk, and see if it helps with the matts.

We have 3 cats, all rescues and all very pampered now and if anyone treated them like that I'd be furious! They're part of our family! On the bright side, even the most timid cat will forget a single distressing incident eventually. Just give her plenty of space for a little while, and plenty of treats.

And definitely leave a calm and factual review. The facts are damning. Good luck to you and your nightie.

Stupid auto correct. That was moggie not nightie.

There are an awful lot of people who set themselves up as animal professionals who know nothing about animals or their behaviour. Sadly this groomer sounds like one.

Take to vet next time for sedation and matt removing. Poor kitty

When my cat has matted areas I just cut them off with nail scissors. She does not particularly hate it, so I give her cuddles and when she is all relaxed I cut them. Might that be something to try before getting her to be sedated by the vet?

Our cat also has a sensitive spot on her back that she can't reach and hates us grooming which gets matted occasionally. We used to take her to the vets but she gets very stressed by being in the cat carrier so I then bought a cheap £10 pet groomer set from Amazon which does the job if DH holds her down and I do the clippers in less than five minutes. Not ideal but a lot less stressful than the vet.