Pelted Kitties are in Pain! How you can help.

Saving Pelted Kitties!

Kitty’s Purrfect Spa a In-Home Mobile cat groomer in Santa Clarita keeps talking about pelts, pelting and the like! What is all this talk about??? The short answer is a pelt is the extreme form of matting. A pelted kitty is when the fur has completely grown together and you cannot physically get your fingers to the skin. Pelted kitties are a medical emergency! A pelt can kill any kitty! At the worst a pelt can literally bind the kitty’s legs to the body and block off the openings to defecate. If the kitty does not starve from lack of mobility, it will literally rot from the inside from a backup of waste.

How does a pelt form? It starts slowly then quickly grows out of control. At one point the regular oils, grease and debris stop allowing the dead hair from leaving the coat. (Stop here, a professional grooming by a trained cat groomer could prevent all your problems!

This dead fur begins to get trapped in the fur that is still in the growth cycle. (Stop here, you have mats!) Kitty begins to feel pain at this point in the process. The more time that moves on the more mats form. They usually start at the base of the tail and hips. As time moves on, the mats get tighter and closer to the skin. The longer the human waits to have Kitty’s pelt removed, the tighter, more painful and more dangerous the mats become.

Once the mats reach skin level and cover over 25% of kitty’s body, you have four options. First, take care of it yourself, which I am sure you have already tried. Take it to a groomer who is not highly trained and certified in feline exclusive grooming and risk a higher possibility of an accident. Have a certified feline master groomer, come to you and work in your home (Kitty’s most stress-free environment). Or take kitty to the vet to go under anesthesia for a shave down.

Many times I have heard, we did not know. Kitty’s Purrfect Spa does not judge! We believe strongly in education. We have solutions to prevent this situation from ever happening again! Yes it is expensive to have a pelt removed. Why? Because it takes a groomers full concentration and a high skill and education level. The groomer needs to be in tune with your kitty and able to anticipate your kitty’s next move before kitty makes it.

The process is highly demanding mentally, physically and emotionally on the groomer. Kitty’s Purrfect Spa has an excellent safety record. We strive every day to maintain this record at all costs! Kitty’s well being is our number one goal at Kitty’s Purrfect Spa. Therefore we have developed a program for the pelted kitty! We will remove the pelt, return for three additional baths, and spread the payments out over six months while providing you a discounted rate.

Kitty’s Purrfect Spa wants all kitties to be healthy, happy and well taken care of! Please call us immediately if you suspect your Kitty is mated or pelted. We’re here to help.


Published April 8, 2014

Out like a ROAR!

Kitty’s Purrfect Spa knows many of you enjoy having your Kitty in a Lion Cut for spring and summer!

We do Lion Cuts for the warm weather!

When you purchase a Lion Cut from Kitty’s Purrfect Spa, your Kitty receives the best care and treatment.  We first start with a paw-di-cure, massaging and trimming your feline’s nails.  Then we carefully shave down your Kitty.  All of this is performed in your smallest bathroom, preferably a powder room.

Shaving means something different to everyone.

First, many clients ask for “just a little off”.  Kitty’s Purrfect Spa can only take “a little off”, known as a comb cut, if your Kitty’s fur is clean with no tangles or mats.  Comb Cuts cost more because we have to prepare the coat to the finished condition (bath, brush, dry) then shave it to the desired length.  Comb cuts can only be done on Kitty’s that have no mats and cost $95.

Lion Cuts range in price.  If your Kitty has clean, grease free fur with no tangles or mats, the cost of a lion cut is $85.

If your Kitty has more than 4 mats that do not touch the skin, the lion cut costs $85 plus $35 for a total of $120.  The additional fee is for the extra time it takes to shave under the mats.

If your Kitty has mats that touch the skin, or the fur is hard from matting, covering an area larger than one inch by one inch, there is an additional pelting fee of $75.  WHY????  Because the groomer needs extra time to safely remove the pelt.  Many times, Kitty’s Purrfect Spa has to shave one strand of hair at a time in these situations.  Sometimes the skin is pulled in a knot under the fur.  Plus we cannot see what we are doing under the pelt, making the procedure much more difficult. Theses conditions are much more stressful on the groomer and the cat. So yes, if your Kitty is pelted the charge is $160.

WAIT!!!!  Kitty’s Purrfect Spa knows that is a LOT of money, and knows you never want your Kitty in that condition again, so we have a solution!  If you have a pelted Kitty that needs to be shaved down for humane reasons, we offer a special plan!  You will get the Lion Cut, Pelt Removal, plus four more baths at a discounted price with smaller monthly payments due on the first of each month!  This is a “Start Over” for Kitty’s coat!  At the end of the six months, your Kitty will look like new!

After the shaving is completed, Kitty will receive a warm water bath with massage.  In the bath we use a degreasing product!  If Kitty had mats or was pelted, grease was the most likely the cause.  This bathing process will allow Kitty’s fur to remain soft and mat free for approximately six to eight weeks. Following the bath, all Kitties receive a facial, ear cleaning, and blow dry.

Now, I know many of you want “just a shave”.  Kitty’s Purrfect Spa does not offer that service because we do not believe it is in the best interest of the cat.  Many problems are caused by grease and debris at the skin level of the fur.  Without a bath we are just putting a band aide on a bigger problem.  Kitty’s Purrfect Spa believes in solutions, not temporary fixes.  We are happy to discuss this with you.

Kitty’s Purrfect Spa goal is to preform breed specific, show quality grooms each and every time. Please call for an appointment, or visit us at www.kittyspurrfectspa.com.

Published, March 17, 2014