What should you use to comb a cat?
A catacomb!
I held my paw as still as I could until Miss Tanya worked out the tangles.
It was the worst part of my day: grooming.
A dozen cat groomers worked at Majestic Kennels. Each cat was cleaned every day.
But my cotton-white coat was the hardest to groom. My hair had to float for the camera.
Every morning, Miss Tanya worked on my coat for at least an hour. First she used a wide metal comb, moving to a finer comb when the big tangles were out.
Armpits were the worst. Hair under my arms and legs matted easily. A good groomer separated the mat into small sections. Each section was combed by itself until it was straight. Sometimes powder helped the knots come out.
I always liked the powder that smelled like oranges. And I liked to study DaddyAlbert’s videos while Miss Tanya worked. He did so many roles that he was a good actor to study. If he were here to teach me, I’d easily be Top Kitten. Of course, if he were here, I wouldn’t need to be Top Kitten.
His best role was as a leading man. That means DaddyAlbert was the handsome boy cat who won the heart of the beautiful girl cat. Oh, it was old-fashioned in some ways. But it was his stage presence that caught me. How did he make you care so much? His movements were small. He didn’t leap and roll around like Quincy. Sometimes, the camera just caught him standing and looking toward something off-stage. But the moment was deep and emotional. His videos made the grooming time pass quickly.
Grooming was the worst when the matted hair was so bad that it had to be cut out. Miss Nicole did that once. Just once. The Director fired her, and she never came back.
Instead, Miss Tanya came the next day. She’s never let my arm pit get matted again.
Here’s a big no-no! Yellow or brown stains (no way!) under the eyes or on the ruff, hocks, or rear. Eek!
After my fur, my eyes were cleaned. A weather change could make my tears yellow or brown. Miss Tanya dipped beauty sponges in a weak acid. She cleaned one eye at a time. The sponge wiped away any stain.
Finally, after all that, it was time for my daily bath. Miss Tanya used gloves and a special clear shampoo. I hated the baths, getting all wet. So I’ll skip over telling that part.
Hair dryers finished the job.
It’s hard to look good on camera.