Ok, so we really call it a Sanitary Clip.  But if you want to get fancy and class it up a bit, call it the Brazilian.  Whatever its tag, many cats can benefit from a butt buzz.  Since cats don’t really groom themselves, we have to help them out a bit with things like this.  Shaving a cat’s behind will be one of the most popular services you offer to your cat-owning customers.  Either the cat ends up with a lion cut or it most likely gets a sanitary clip. Both result in a smooth-as-a-baby’s-bottom shave around the behind and surrounding region.

Where do the lines go on a sanitary?  This is a question I get asked quite often.  In order to achieve some level of benefit with the whole sanitary thing, it is best to take the lines down the inside plane of both rear legs so that the line stops just short of the ankle.  The inside plane only should be shaved.  Avoid a naked knee or back of the leg (unless a customer requests something of this sort).  The overall goal is make the sanitary worth doing, while at the same time, making it aesthetically pleasing to the eye and as unnoticeable as possible.

shaving the inside of the leg for a sanitary clip

The sanitary clip should also include removal of the hair around the anal area and about an inch or two up the base of the tail on the under side.  This prevents long hangy “things” from collecting where they shouldn’t. After all, the purpose of a sanitary clip is to keep things sanitary.

At the school, we teach an “8 Point Sanitary.”  Think 3 point turn in a vehicle.  In other words, 1 swipe up the inside plane of the leg,  then 2 swipes down (3 points total for each leg). That creates the knee line and back of leg line.  After doing this on both rear legs, 6 points will have been made in total.

Next, flip the cat back upright and take one swipe on each side of the anus. 2 more points.  The sanitary should be pretty much done at this point.  All in all, the process takes less than 2 minutes. Cat goes into the bath, then into the dryer.  For the finish any little strays or “fringes” can be taken off and the whole area up touched up as necessary.  Another 2 minutes at the most.

For more description and photos to go with it, check out the Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia.  Or get the dvds.  Or better yet, come to the school so we can give you the skills to master the sanitary clip and more!

Do you wonder how to get those leg and neck lines just right when doing a lion cut?  It is a common struggle amongst groomers.  I’ve seen some generally nice looking lion cuts done by others in the past, but they are missing the mark on the lines at the leg and neck edges. The end result is a messy over all finish – not so good for the groomer as the work looks sloppy and unprofessional.

As we near the end of our first year here at the cat grooming school, I have learned that the set and define technique for creating nice lines is one of the things we end up going over repeatedly.  Why?  Probably because it’s hard.  But also because it is a strange way of doing things for those that have been dog groomers all along.

To simplify the process and break it down into a workable plan that is easier to remember, I’ve tagged it the “set and define” process.  The demonstration and explanation of “set and define” is making it easier for the students to grasp this concept and then learn  to perform it to purr-fection.

How do you set and define those lines?

Set – Shave with the growth of hair at the leg or tail line, using the edge of the clipper blade (#10) to set the placement of the line.

Define – Turn clipper around and shave against the growth of hair, cutting a perfectly smooth edge between the shaved area and the area that is not shaved. The goal would be to have smooth shaved skin that meets up neatly with non-cut hair. No “in-betweens” allowed as they will obscure the line and make the over all finish look messy.

Want to see this in action? Enroll in the school. We do a LOT of “setting and defining” on all sorts of cats. And we keep doing it until it’s done right! After all, cats deserve quality grooming too!

When people find out that I am a cat groomer, their typical response is “But I thought cats groomed themselves.” I love it when I hear that! For many years my rebuttal to both groomers and cat owners alike has been that cats do not groom themselves. Rather, they LICK themselves. There is a big difference. After all, if I got up in the morning and licked myself from head to toe would anyone want to give me a hug? I didn’t think so. Yet so many cat owners are petting, snuggling with, and sleeping with their beloved felines who are covered in some serious saliva.

GC, GP Man-atzakat's Call Me Crazy of Bara and GP Fanci FX 2 Sexy of Bara

The truth of the matter is that a whole lot of cats are running around this planet dirty, smelly, matted, flea infested, wearing dried fecal matter, covered in saliva, and shedding profusely. Typically their owners have no idea what type of grooming services are available that would rectify these particular problems. It is up to the professional groomer to educate them on what options they have, and what the groomer can do to make life better for both the cat and the owner. How this is done depends greatly upon the amount of knowledge a grooming professional has about cats and their specific grooming needs.

A groomer who tackles felines needs to know, at a minimum, how to recognize the various cat breeds, colors and coat types in order to properly assess what grooming elements are best for a particular cat. In addition, it is important for a groomer to understand feline behavior and know safe and proper handling techniques in order to make the grooming process effective for both cat and groomer.

It is well worth the investment to acquire the needed education to become the best cat groomer around. In these tough economic times, cat grooming is on the rise. Of the estimated 90 million cats in the US, very few groomers are willing to take on the unique task of providing this specialized service. And even fewer groomers are adequately equipped to do the job successfully for any length of time. That means the supply is much lower than the demand, a ratio that definitely favors the grooming industry.

Ask around. Just about everyone you meet has a cat or two (or three!). I would bet the farm that every one of those cats could benefit from some type of professional grooming. If the cat owner doesn’t think so, remind them of the fact that their furry feline they love to cuddle is actually covered in layers of icky saliva. Ask them if they like shedding hair all over the house and all over their clothing. Ask them if their cat smells good. When they say “no,” be prepared to offer them real solutions to their problems. BE the solution to their problems. Capture just a fraction of the 90 million cat market and become THE cat expert where you live!

Dear Diary,

My two weeks at cat school is over. I can’t believe that first thing tomorrow morning I leave sunny South Carolina and head home. I feel like I’ve been here forever. At the same time, it seems like I just got here!

I’ve learned so much here. And not just about cats. I learned about business management and development. Marketing, advertising, setting policies, record keeping, attracting and keeping clients. How to teach clients what they need to know to keep their cat happy, healthy and well groomed. And how to radiate confidence and knowledge. Maybe most importantly, how to look good doing it!

Of course I learned So. Much. about cats and grooming. What ‘goes wrong’ and how to fix it. How to prevent it in the future to keep kitty happy. Or at least, tangle free and clean. And there’s many things that can ‘go wrong’ to a cat, grooming wise. Body oil build up, mats, excess shedding, greasy coats, dandruff, mats, acne, overgrown faces, oily coats, caked on fecal matter, over grown nails, grease, dirty, waxy ears, mats, tangles and greasy hair, oh my.

Did I mention cats tend to be greasy?

I learned how to better read a cats attitude. How to prevent an angry kitty, but what to do when kitty is ANGRY. ‘Cause if there’s one thing we had these past few weeks, it was angry kitties!

Plus I learned why. Why things are a certain way. Why the aggressive cat (especially) shouldn’t be allowed to get matted. Why the creams gets matted more than their red coated friends. Why a cat should never be ‘pushed’. Why using certain words and phrases works. Why people don’t respond when you call them by their sister in laws cats name.

Why? Because they’re not sure what’s wrong with you and they’d rather ignore you til you “work out your problems”. But they will smile and be polite, because this is the South and ladies have manners!

I will miss Dana a whole lot!

I’ll miss everyone a whole lot. I’ll miss Juli helping me with that really aggressive cat and sharing pointers and jokes in equal measure. I’ll miss Danelle, telling us anecdotes from everything bizarre thing she’s done with cats to teaching us how to do the job with a smile and a good attitude, along with that anal juice in our hair. I’ll miss the other students. They all had their own hopes, expectations and journeys through these two weeks.

And the cats. Oooh, I’ll miss the cats. Monica and C2, the school cats. Nothing is better than having a beautiful cat waltz through the classroom during a lecture! And the student groom cats. The nice cats, the mean cats, the scaredy cats. They all taught me something, even it was to be grateful that I’m me, and not that guy over there (who’s shaving that screaming, peeing, biting cat.)

Sorry, Diary. I got distracted by a waking nightmare of *that* cat. Where was I..? I guess what I’m trying to say is that I learned more in 12 days than I ever thought possible. Heck, there’s more to cat grooming than I ever thought possible!

And of course, I also learned something about myself. (Hang on, I need to find some sappy music.) I learned that I’m more capable than I ever thought. I can leave home for several weeks and be fine. Heck, I can thrive. I can be in a strange town, by myself and have a great time. I can make new friends. I can sleep at night without my own kitties curled up next to me. I learned I’m able to learn. Some of our classes were intense. We had to learn a lot of precise, technical information in a short time. I can do that. I can take notes, pay attention during a lecture. I can take a difficult test and write an essay. I can do mini research papers and presentations. I can give my own little lecture in front of my peers, my teachers, and a judgemental Persian cat.

I don’t know if it’s the subject or the teachers, but this is everything high school and college wasn’t. I learned.

And now I have a whole new career path ahead of me. I could groom cats exclusively. I could groom cats and dogs. I could never groom a cat again. I can sell my dirty cat hair for $$$$. And it’s my choice. It’s part of a choice I made why back when, when I first heard about the National Cat Groomer’s Institute of America.

P.S. I will continue grooming cats! I’m just sayin’.

So tomorrow I go home. To see what life has to offer for a brand new CFMG. You never know what’s going to happen. I hope my future holds lots of kitties to groom. It might not. But I have the tools to create whatever future I want. It’s up to me. And I’m ready for it.

Bring on the kitties!