Pet-Agree, LLC

The moment you saw that adorable ball of fur you knew that it was meant to be.  Whether it is a dog or cat, long haired, short haired, or no hair at all; your pets’ coat (or lack of coat) was a factor when you brought him home.  Length, color, texture, it is what made your pet appeal to you.  Who can resist a little teddy bear that can kiss your face?  And whether you like cats or not, there is nothing cuter than a kitten.  No one told you that your beloved ‘dust mop’ required more than just snuggling.  Now that Fifi has been around for a while you are noticing some tangles in her precious locks, not to mention what is that smell?!  Where did that gook under her eyes come from?  And honestly, are you going to really stop wearing black permanently just because Precious is a white cat and therefore so is everything else in your house?  What you need is a defense plan to keep your pet in tip top shape.  What you need is a good groomer.

First things first, every pet is different and has different grooming needs.  Your short haired Chihuahua doesn’t require the same amount of grooming upkeep as your neighbors’ Goldendoodle.  Even beyond that, your Yorkie might have a great coat that rarely tangles or, on the contrary, he might knot right up.  Here is a general rule of thumb for your pet.

If your pet is short-haired, a once a month brushing might prove to be sufficient to get rid of extra coat.

A medium-haired pet needs to be brushed about twice a week to keep those tangles under control and pull out extra coat.

A long-haired pet requires daily brushing.  Without good daily brushing your pet will get tangled and that hurts.  Long haired pets tend to have a thicker undercoat and daily brushing will help keep that fuzz off your couch (or your favorite black dress).

Regardless of brushing, if your pet has nails they likely will need to be trimmed.  I trim my dogs nails once a week.  That being said, she is a couch potato so her nails don’t get worn down.  If your pet gets a lot of walks on cement (compliments of Pet-Agree LLC I hope!), chances are his nails won’t need to be trimmed nearly as often.  When you hear your pet clicking as he walks on your wood floor, it’s time for a nail trim.  If you aren’t sure how to trim pet nails ask someone who does - your veterinarian or groomer will be happy to teach you (or do it for you).

Bathing is a bit more subjective.  Some cats never need a bath.  Most pets get stinky enough that you will want to give them a bath once a month.  If you or someone who lives with your pet suffers from allergies, your allergist might recommend daily or every other day bathing for your pet to keep dander levels down.  Generally speaking, bathing is an as needed type of thing.  Regardless of how often you bathe your pet remember that IF your pet is tangled or matted bathing with only make those tangles or matts WORSE.  Do NOT bathe a matted or tangled pet.  Get out those knots before you get your pet wet.  If your pet is so matted that you cannot brush him out, seek out a good groomer in your area.

That is where The Posh Pet Dog and Cat Salon come in.  The Posh Pet is located at 2424 Eastern Ave in Grand Rapids.  With over 50 years combined experience your pet is guaranteed to be pampered to the max.  Services range from a nail trim, a bath and good brush out, or a full grooming with hair cutting.  Not sure what your pet needs done?  Let their expertise help you decide what will work best for you and your pet.  Their goal is to find a style that suits the amount of upkeep you can do on your pet while keeping your pet tangle free.

For years I fought my spunky Miniature Schnauzer about brushing her legs.  She is a drama queen- she’d squeal like a pig just looking at the brush.  If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she was having a convulsion each time the comb touched her.  It was pathetic.  In my head I had the picture of what I wanted her to look like.  I wanted her to look like she was wearing flare leg pants.  I hated brushing her because it was a pain.  She hated me brushing her, but yet I continued on.  Finally (after having a baby and neglecting poor Maggie’s brushing), I broke down and had her legs trimmed shorter.  Not shaved, just shorter so they won’t matt up. Let me just say, she looks ADORABLE.  Plus, I don’t have to brush her legs anymore.  That makes us both happy.  It only took me 5 years to listen to my groomer’s suggestion.  Don’t wait that long! J

If you’d like to get in touch with The Posh Pet Dog and Cat Salon call 616.719.4412 or visit www.poshpetgr.com.