HomeAs the four month old siamese kitten was lowered into the large white sink, you could tell from his panicked cries that he knew what was coming even before the first drops of water touched his champagne colored fur.
"An important rule in cat grooming is to make sure the teeth and claws are pointed in the opposite direction." joked Mick Millard, owner of Imperial Cats, as he sprayed the two pound kitten named Einstein with luke warm water.
"People think cats just clean themselves and that's just not true" he said, they need help from us, especially in Southwest Florida because of all the problems with fleas and ticks. But Millard, who also breeds cats, warns that using concentrated flea dips can be deadly and should never be used In fact, he's replaced three cats for people who have lost theirs due to veterinarins using such dips. But luckily, with the introduction of safer flea control products over the last two years, this method is being used less frequently.
With Einstein wet and still meowing in the sink, Millard applied the first shampoo which strips away the dirt and grime. The kitten struggled to get free, but Millard, who says he gets bit three or four times a day, holds on firmly. Next comes a color brightening shampoo to bring out the coat's highlights. Finally a creme rinse is applied to remoisturize the coat and is left on for a minute to penetrate before being rinsed off.
Einstein is then removed from the sink and patted dry with a white towel. Next, his ears are quickly checked for mites and mouth for abcesses or gum problems. At this point, the kitten's nails would have been trimmed but since he did not need it done, he's placed into a special grooming dryer which gently circulates warm air all around him. Through the glass door of the dryer, Einstein finally looks content and has stopped meowing. The shorthaired kitten will spend the next half hour inside the dryer before being taken out, brushed, and finally sent home.
The whole process from start to finish takes approximately one hour but for longer haired cats it can take over two, most of which is spent in drying time. I try to give the cats as little stress as possible, says Millard, who's north Naples shop has groomed 10,000 cats since opening in 1989. "The more you groom them when their kittens the easier it is for them to be accustom to the grooming when they grow older." he says.
Supplies needed for the do-it-yourselfer:
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