hen the cat I was grooming bit me, it didn’t initially look bad,” says Dominique Adey Balinova, an experienced groomer in Vienna, Austria. “But, I realize now that if my friend hadn’t kindly bullied me into going to the hospital, I might not be here now.”
Almost everyone who grooms cats has experienced a bite or scratch—it comes with the territory. However, even a seemingly minor injury requires immediate attention and continued follow-up care to minimize the risk of infection and complications.
Dominique (like many others) learned this lesson the hard way. She has dealt with cat bites and nasty scratches before without issue simply by cleaning the wounds thoroughly. But this time was different…
“I took a new client cat from her box,” she recalls. “She was described by her owner as calm. She was, indeed, quiet. Unfortunately, as I first attempted to stroke her gently, she leapt straight at my hand and bit hard into my middle finger, just hitting the fingerless part of my protective glove.
“The bite didn’t look bad so I thoroughly disinfected and rinsed the wound and went on as usual,” continues Dominique. “Three days later, my arm was throbbing—I had developed sepsis! I went to the hospital and was operated on immediately. I then spent a week in the hospital followed by a month of being unable to work, and then several months of physical therapy to regain the use of my hand.”
Unfortunately, cat grooming injuries often occur when you least expect them. Even the most experienced groomers can let their guard down for just a moment, and in the blink of an eye—or quicker—the cat strikes.
Cat grooming educator Corella Waring recounts how a moment of inattention led to her injury, prompting her to take more precautions.
“Ten years ago, I was teaching a class on cat grooming at a veterinary clinic,” Corella begins. “I had already pre-shaved and bathed this cat who had done perfectly up until this point, and I had my guard down because of it. But when I turned on a small hand-held heated dryer, the cat immediately flipped and bit down on my wrist with full force. I instinctively jerked my hand up and the cat went flying. Then my blood started shooting toward the ceiling, as he had bitten into an artery.
“Fortunately, the cat ended up being fine and luckily, being at a vet clinic, they immediately cleaned my wound and applied a pressure dressing on it,” she continues. “It took about 10 minutes to stop the bleeding and I still ended up at the hospital for a seven-day course of antibiotics along with a steroid shot. My arm was pretty painful for a few weeks.
Wendy Blank, who has been grooming cats for more than 40 years, also experienced a serious cat bite while she was working in an animal hospital.
“The cat was good for the entire grooming process,” Wendy recounts. “But as I went to place it into a secure cage in the kennel room, a young person who was in charge of walking dogs entered with a German Shepherd mix—and too much leash length. Before I could secure the cat, the dog lunged and bit its tail nearly off. The cat then bit my arm, badly.
“As a result of the dog’s actions, the cat had to have its tail completely amputated,” she continues. “I have relived this story many times and bear the scars from the fully open, deep chomp my arm suffered.”
Shannon Carnese, owner/groomer of Animal House Mobile Pet Grooming, shares her advice of what has helped her to stay safe while grooming cats.
“Taking classes from the National Cat Groomers Institute (NCGI) and purchasing their Training Syllabus to learn proper and safe handling techniques, especially for working with aggressive cats, has been a game-changer for me,” Shannon says. “Following national Certified Feline Master Groomers on YouTube and Instagram also helps.”
Aubrey Bird, owner/groomer of Fancy Felines, adds her thoughts on what it takes to be a successful, safe cat groomer.
“In my opinion, cat grooming is very different from dog grooming,” Aubrey shares. “For the most part, dogs are eager to please and will follow your direction or lead. With cats, I feel more like we’re working together; it’s a compromise. The cat allows certain things under specific conditions and can have more noticeably good days and bad days.
“It’s important to stay calm and confident with a cat,” she adds. “Work with the cat’s comfort in mind, and never force a service on a cat who can’t tolerate it.”
Grooming cats can be very rewarding, both financially and personally. If you have a calm environment, use the appropriate tools, master the skills and techniques needed, and understand feline behavior and body language, instead of hisses and painful “meowchs,” you can be surrounded by contented purrs.