I kept singing that song in my head recently as I groomed Sophie. This very pretty girl is a Domestic Shorthair Black Smoke and White. Sophie is truly loved by her mom who maintains her grooming at eight week intervals. She’s also spoiled by her grandma who takes care of her traveling needs to come see me.

That song was running through my mind because Sophie is a special-needs groom kitty. Even though most people assume cats hate being bathed, in reality most cats are really tolerant and some even seem to enjoy it. Unfortunately Sophie becomes overwhelmed by the entire bathing process: the water, the shampoo application, everything about it.

At *Stonebriar Veterinary Centre I bathe cats in a standard-size stainless steel tub with a grate laid across for them to stand on. Cats will typically do one or several of the following: sit or stand fairly still in the middle of the grate; position themselves as close to the edge of the tub as possible; move from one side of the grate to the other looking for a potential escape route. In each of these instances, it’s relatively easy to handle them and maintain a semblance of control.

Sophie totally panics! I used to struggle with controlling her safely (for both of us!) because she was constantly scrambling, pushing, slapping and even biting. Then one day, for a reason I’m not sure except maybe I was leaning over just right, she saw an opportunity. Whatever it was, Sophie scooted right up to my chest and snuggled in tight. She was face up, but not making eye contact. Since then, her only comfort during the bath is being as close as possible to me while in this specific posture. Every change of position, for instance – to rinse her tummy, causes her stress which translates to aggression. As you can imagine I personally get soaking wet bathing Sophie. Not just the normal splashing that dries quickly, but the kind that calls for a 10-minute HV drying on me after I’ve finished drying her.

It’s absolutely worth it.

 I understand grooming is a stressful experience to some degree for cats. When I can offer something, anything that helps my groom kitties feel safer, more secure, and above all else, loved by me, it’s an automatic choice. Sophie doesn’t appreciate any of my affectionate overtures. She wants the groom to be finished so she can go home! I can completely respect that and will always do my best to accommodate her wishes. By helping her cope I can make our sessions more positive. That’s the ultimate goal.

Cats Rule!!

Purrs,

* This blog was written in 2011. After almost 9 years as their cat groomer, I left Stonerbiar Veterinary Center and moved to Northern California in 2012. I miss my Texas groom kitties, clients, and SVC family with all my heart.