Nail Trim: $25 (2 or more cats $20 each) 

Soft Paw Application: $30 (2 or more cats $25 each)
We do not stock soft paws but if given several days notice they can be picked up for you and their cost added to your bill.  Please advise at the time of booking if you will need this service.

About Sarah

Cleopawtra Spa for Cats is owned and operated by Sarah Wendling.

Sarah began her life in St. Thomas, Ontario. She has always had a love of animals and at various times in her childhood, hosted rabbits, fish and a dog. One day, Spot, an orange tabby, decided that he’d like to make the Wendling house his house. He promptly took over and the humans have been happily serving him ever since. Spot was Sarah’s first cat and he showed her what a beautiful, smart, entertaining and generally demanding species he represented. She has loved them ever since.

Sarah moved to Toronto to study film. After two years of residence living, she found her own apartment and promptly adopted her first "non-family pet", Maximus Quintus Sparticus, aka Max. (Sarah was also studying Classics and thought a pretentious Roman name would suit her new cat well). After graduation, Sarah tried her hand at some film jobs, mostly in the commercial industry, and decided it was just not for her.

Luckily, she had also started volunteering at the Toronto Humane Society in the kitten nursery. It was here that Sarah discovered she really liked working with animals, especially cats, and decided to make animal care her career. Sadly, there didn’t seem to be a grooming school in the area that was willing to just teach her to groom cats. So, Sarah apprenticed with a groomer for several months before striking out on her own. 

Sarah has been working as a Veterinary Assistant at Queen West Animal Hospital since 2006.

Sarah is the proud servant of both Max and Sophie, a kitten Sarah hand raised from her first day on earth. Sarah was supposed to give her little foster cat back, but it seems that giving cats away is not something she is very good at. Thus, Sophie stayed. Sophie is as grateful as one could expect from a cat, which is to say she occasionally sits on Sarah’s lap and has dutifully hidden all of the household pens.

About Cleopawtra

Cleopawtra is a cat-only grooming spa. It was born of Sarah's love of cats and her dog grooming friend's dislike of grooming them.  There are many fabulous dog groomers in Toronto - there are fewer cat groomers.  Sarah has spent many years with cats and felt that she could help to fill this void.

Handling a dog and handling a cat are two very different experiences. Many dog groomers dislike grooming cats due to their different temperament. Many vet-associated groomers will sedate your cat for their groom. That is never done here. Sedation can be dangerous, especially for an older cat, and we believe that care and patience are much better alternatives.

The grooming products at Cleopawtra are all-natural and non-animal tested. (currently, Sarah likes Earthbath: www.earthbath.com)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When you come to my home, what do you need to groom my cat?
A: It's easiest to groom your cat in your bathroom, especially for a shave.  If you think your cat will be more comfortable in another room, the best is to pick a room without a lot of raised furniture (as cats will hide under it) and that has a door (as cats will try to escape).  If your cat is having a bath, a bathroom is necessary and I would recommend removing anything you don't want to get wet - magazine racks, extra rolls of toilet paper, etc.  Cats will almost invariably jump out of the tub wet at some point.

Q: How long with the process take?
A: This is dependant on several factors: type of service, behavior of cat, condition of fur.  In general, a full groom (nails, bath, brush out, blow dry) for a short hair takes 30-45 minutes and for a long hair 40-55 minutes.  A lion cut can take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.  It will depend on how still your cat sits and whether or not you want them to have a bath after.  Finally, dematting can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending again on how still your cat is, whether or not there's a bath and, most importantly, how severe the matting is.  The more mats there are and the tighter the mats are, the longer it takes to safely remove them.

Q: Will you need me to stay with you for the groom?
A: It depends on your cat.  If your cat is well behaved and not nervous, probably not.  However, you are always welcome to stay and observe the grooming process.  If your cat is nervous, aggressive or squirmy, then I often recommend that the owner stays to help calm and hold the cat.  You are not required to stay, but I find that the owner's presence can sometimes help to make a distressed kitty feel less upset.  For matted cats, it's best for the owner to stay.

Q: My cat is not overly happy when being groomed.  How do you deal with an angry kitty?
A: There are a lot of different strategies.  I generally approach any groom using as minimal restraint as possible and increasing it based on the kitty's squirminess and/or anger.  Most cats are not happy about grooming and some growling or swatting is totally normal.  Safety for both the owner and groomer is the main concern - if the kitty begins attacking with either claws or teeth, we will have to use a bit more restraint.  Each cat is individual in their responses, but in general, an old towel can be used to hold the kitty's paws to help prevent scratches.  If you are concerned about how your cat will do with grooming, please feel free to email and ask for more specific advice. 

Do you have any questions that are not answered here?  Feel free to email me at sarahwendling@rogers.com or call (647) 688-4969.