As a professional cat groomer choosing tools for feline grooming can be difficult in a dog groomers world of tools. It’s true, most tools for the professional groomer are meant for canines and grooming them. I have been a professional grooming cats for over 7 years now. What works on dogs, is not necessarily the best for felines. I was a dog groomer for many years, but many tools, let’s face it, are truly designed with a dog’s skin and coat needs in mind. I’m going to help you with a few of my personal favorite tools, why they make my day easier, and why I use them. We need the right tools; it saves time and aggravation.
Cat Grooming Combs, Not Brushes
I use combs no brushes. That’s right! When grooming any cat, long hair or short, no matter the breed or coat length, I use combs and never a brush. A brush of any kind is not going to produce the results I need. My favorite cat combs and what I use every day on every cat here in my cat salon, are the Chris Christensen Buttercombs.There are 3 combs I MUST have to produce show quality results every time. The Cat Carding Comb, Face/Feet, and 8.5 fine comb. These combs will make the job easier and are very effective on cats’ coats and very lightweight.
Best Cat Grooming Clippers and Blades
The next question I am often asked is what clippers and blades? Cat hair is very greasy and can be challenging to remove when matted or pelted. We need to be effective at shaving. Cats have a “turkey timer”. We need to be quick, even the nicest cat will eventually have enough and want to go home. The goal of the professional cat groomer should be to keep the cat’s stress to a minimum. We need to move quickly, cats like this. I do not want to be clipping the same spot over and over again, time is money and cats get stressed. It’s not profitable either. Time is money in the groom, in salon or mobile truck. I use a corded clipper or heavy-duty clipper such as Wahl’s KM10 to remove matting. It has the power to cut through cats’ hair. I also like Wahl Bravura. It is light weight and great for cats. I find these clippers are fast and effective at clipping through cat hair no matter the condition of the cat’s coat. I typically use a 10 blade for any cat shaving and lion cut trimming, and for matting shaving. We need to be fast and efficient when grooming felines.
I typically groom anywhere from 5-8 cats a day and over 100 felines each month, no dogs. I do not want to make more work for myself, and I need that “wow factor” on my cat grooms every time they come in. Never underestimate that wow factor. Turning a cat into a beautiful kitty fit for the show ring impresses cat owners and cat clientele and considering that most groomers won’t touch a cat at all, and the fact that you the cat groomer, transformed their cat into a thing of beauty, is a feat that gets them coming back every single time.
Happy Kitty Grooming!
Melissa Hall CFMG-CertifiedA Touch of Class Grooming LLC
Yuma, AZ
As a second-generation groomer, Melissa began her pet grooming journey within her mother and sister in 1996 in Apache Junction Arizona. When not leading her team of stellar employees at her own successful salon in Yuma Arizona, she does have standard poodles she enjoys spending time with and her Persian cats. In 2014, she moved into the world of cat grooming by completing her certified feline master groomer certification and began showing one of her Persian cats as well. Now Melissa shares her incredible wealth of cat grooming knowledge as a Wahl Animal Brand Ambassador, NCGI Certifier, and hosts private grooming instruction at her salon for cat groomers from around the world.