Elevate Your Grooming
Streamlined typography
Domestic Shorthair De-Shed & Face-Pluck typography
A person's hands are petting a black and white cat, who is looking up and to the right with wide green eyes. The person's left hand is under the cat's chin, and their right hand is on the back of the cat's neck. The cat is lying on a colorful patterned rug.

by Blake Hernandez

Cat grooming is not for the faint of heart; the combo of dryers, clippers, water and cats can sometimes be a recipe for chaos. However, just like de-shedding dogs can be a great source of income, so can de-shedding cats. The key is doing a thorough job that makes the client see the value and keep returning. And there are a few tools that can really make it easier on you and the cat.

Fig. 1) With the cat in a controlled position but not restrained by loops or harnesses, pull the skin taught and use a rubber curry to muck out dead coat. Many different rubber curry tools exist, but this particular one has lots of small nubs that really help with shorter coats. 

Fig. 2) By starting at the neck and gently dragging the tool across the coat to the base of the tail, the hairs that are ready to come out will build up at the cat’s bottom without clogging the tool.

A pair of human hands are brushing a black and white cat that is lying down on a multicolored surface. The cat is being brushed with a yellow grooming tool.
A black and white cat is lying down on a striped rug. A pair of hands is using a bright yellow grooming brush with prominent rubber nubs to brush the cat's back.
Fig. 3) The next step is combing the cat to remove even more loose fur. The best way to do this is by using an old-school method of crafting a tool yourself. Take multiple small rubber bands and wrap them around the tines of your comb and pull them to align with the comb’s spine. 

Fig. 4 & 5) Comb the cat as usual and watch in amazement at the amount of hair that comes out.

A hand holds up a metal comb with two sets of teeth, one with finer tines and one with wider tines. In the blurry background, a black and white cat is lying on a colorful striped surface while an arm is petting it.
A human hand is holding a metal pet comb with black and white cat fur caught in its teeth. In the background, a black and white cat is lying on a colorful surface, and another human hand is petting its back. The cat has green eyes and is looking toward the camera.
Fig. 6) Face-plucking does not have to irritate a cat. Just pinch the hair between your thumb and pointer finger and firmly roll backwards as though you’re petting the smallest hairs that have had trouble being removed. This will result in a brighter and more trimmed face with no lines. 

Cat grooming isn’t for everyone, but de-shedding can certainly be a stepping stone to many more great things in the world of feline styling.

A hand holds up a metal comb with cat fur caught in its teeth, while a black and white cat lies on a striped surface in the background. The cat, with a white blaze and green eyes, is looking towards the camera. One hand is petting the cat's back.
A pair of human hands is petting a black and white cat. One hand is holding the cat's head near its ears, and the other hand is holding its chin. The cat has a white blaze on its nose and green eyes and is looking directly at the camera. Its ears are flattened back, giving it a somewhat concerned or annoyed expression. The cat is standing on a colorful striped surface.
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