Q) In home mobile cat grooming. How does it work?

A) We come to you and work IN YOUR HOME. We do not have a van to park outside your home. That can be scary to your cat and risky, if Kitty is not transported to the van in a crate, which he likely associates with visits to the vet.  Instead, we work in the territory, the comfort zone of your cat – your home. 

We can work in any space in your home that is comfortable for you. Folks most often put us in the kitchen, but the laundry room, a closed porch (weather permitting) or even a VERY CLEAN bathroom will work just fine as long as it is a space that your cat is familiar with and comfortable in.

We will ask you, when we arrive, where you would like us to set up. After we are finished grooming your kitties we will clean up after ourselves, put your space back the way it was, and hit the road.

Not all of the cats we groom live in a traditional house space. Wherever your cat is used to being is where we will go.

Q) Why do you work in the cats home?

A) A visit with a groomer can be a stressful experience for cats. They do not like major changes to their routine, and they don’t like to leave their territory. We purrfur not to remove them from their comfort zone as we are trying to make this a less stressful experience for your kitty, thus making it safer for your kitty and ourselves. We believe that our cat clients are intimately aware of the emotions of their parents. If you can remain calm, and maintain a happy and relaxed mood, we welcome you to hang out with us while we work. Some of our groomers might even ask you to stroke Kitties face or hold a paw. 

Working this way means you can watch us work in most cases, so you know what happens the whole time.

Q) What do I need to provide?

A) We bring almost everything we need to do the job. Aside from a space to work, we require you to provide 1-2 bath towels purr kitty. 1 small bag to collect the hair, and a small wash cloth. We are happy to use any special shampoo you have, such as a prescribed medicated shampoo, but we do bring some pretty great professional shampoos with us. 

***You need to provide a peaceful work environment.***

 If we arrive to groom your kitty and you are undergoing new construction, housekeeping, prepping for a large gathering, or preparing to move or have recently moved, or have lost a family member or another pet and the energy of your home is not the normal energy of the home, we might refuse to serve and ask to reschedule to a more peaceful time. Cats do not accept change well. Some of the magic of how we work is in knowing that it’s too much stress to do both cat grooming and any of the above. Likewise, if your cat has been made to leave his territory within a week prior to our visit, kitty may still be too stressed to safely and calmly be groomed.  

Q) How long does it take?

A) One “Full Monty” service, which includes a full body haircut of your choice, a nail trim and foot pad trim, a gentle face and ear cleaning as well as an optional bath usually takes around 45 mins to an hour. However, if your kitty has much matting or is of advanced age, it will require more time. 

Q) What areas do you serve?

A) We are based in New Braunfels, Texas, and serve cats (rabbits, guinea pigs and rats, too!) who live in the greater Austin/ San Antonio, Texas area. We can also serve you, on a limited basis, if you are in Dallas/ Fort Worth/ Denton. 

**Reach out to us if you live outside our service area, we may be able to serve you for an additional fee, or know someone who can. 

Q) Don’t cats hate water?

A) They kinda do. But, because we understand cats and their needs, we have some tricks up our sleeves and many times are able to provide a stress free or stress minimal bath experience for your kitty. Either way we are fast and thorough. We like to compare what we do to forcing a teenager to clean their bedroom. There may be some name calling, and a bit of drama, but once it’s all over, everyone feels better and all is ok. 

We recognize the signs and body language of cats who are stressed, and will not push your kitty further than they can handle. Our first responsibility is to the health and safety of your cat. For this reason, we reserve the right to refuse service – even in the middle of services being rendered –  if we feel it is unsafe for your kitty or for us to proceed. 

Q) How do we pay? And what about tips?

We accept all major credit cards, Zelle, Quickbooks pay and Cash.

We definitely accept tips, with thanks. 

Q) How do I schedule?

A) After you have read our policies, frequently asked questions, and filled out your new kitty client form, let Hair Traffic Control (HTC) know, and they’ll create your new kitty client profile and reach out to you to answer any of your remaining questions, as well as get you on the schedule. Easiest way to reach them is via text or call 210)446-7024

You can also email us at Carolynscatgrooming@gmail.com. 

When scheduling with us, please have your top three dates in mind. We can only hold an offered appointment time for 2 hours. If we do not hear back from you within that time, we will be forced to offer the appointment to another client. 

We have 2 grooming teams in the Austin/ San Antonio area. It is our goal to be able to visit within 2-3 weeks of scheduling, but if you’re lucky you may land an appointment in under a week!

Q) How do I know what services to request?

A) We have a fairly exhaustive list of all of our service packages on the tab labeled “Pricing and Services”. We understand that all kitties and their situations are unique, but hope many of your questions can be easily answered by reading our pricing list, our policies, and our FAQ. Hair Traffic control will be happy to answer any of your remaining questions when they reach back out to you to schedule, AFTER you have filled out your new kitty client form, read over our policies and let us know the best time to reach out to you. 

Q) Do I need to medicate my cat?

A) We purrfur to meet your kitty, and see if they can handle grooming without medication. 19 times out of 20, no form of sedation is needed. In the case that your cat does start out their relationship with us needing medication for grooming, we will want to periodically reassess your kitties’ needs, in the hope that we can eventually groom without sedation.  

Cats are individuals and their needs for medications are based upon their own personality and experience, as well as whatever level of pain they might be in due to advanced age, matting or other circumstances outside of our control. Because of this individuality, we will work closely with you and your vet to find just the right course of action for your baby. 

Q) Emergencies

A) Our definition of a cat grooming emergency would include anything hair related and some first aid situations. We are not a Veterinary practice, and thus will not be able to serve any cat experiencing any form of trauma or illness. 

Wax, gum, fireplace soot,  automotive oil or foreign bodies in the cat’s hair as well as major to extreme matting and pelting are all within our scope, and we are excited to serve any cat who has found himself in this situation. If you are calling with any of these situations, please let us know immediately, and please also include a photo of your cat’s problem area.

We have off hours, short notice and holiday pricing schedules that differ from our regular pricing schedule. Please let Hair Traffic Control know if you are calling because of one of these specialized situations. 

Q) Health

A) The health of your cat is our top priority. We will let you know if we see  or notice anything out of the ordinary. We recommend that all of our clients are up to date with their rabies inoculation all the time. If they are a FULLY indoor cat, we are comfortable serving Kitty if he has had at least one full round of testing and inoculation. 

If your kitty is an indoor/outdoor cat, or lives outside for any amount of the time,  we recommend they be up to date on their testing and shots

Q) Payment methods

We accept all credit and debit cards EXCEPT American Express, Zelle,  cash. We DO NOT accept checks.

Q) Gratuity

Thank you for any gift you wish to bless us with, but they are never mandatory.