Clementi cat groomer accused of rough treatment after cat wails in video, groomer denies abuse

A pet grooming salon in Singapore was recently accused of rough treatment after a woman posted on Facebook about an alleged bad experience there.

The woman, who goes by the name Marsh Irsfzrh on Facebook, said that she paid S$179 for a grooming session at the Clementi salon.

But her cat "literally screamed in pain" during the grooming session, she said.

In response, the salon's owner, a veterinarian who goes by Luwi, defended its practices and said they were handling her using "firm and safe handling techniques".

She also posted a full video of the grooming session and urged members of the public to hear their side of the story as well.

The clip

The initial video clip was posted by Marsh on Facebook on May 27.

The cat, Marshmallow, could be seen struggling while being pinned down by two groomers.

One of the groomers also appeared to tug on its leg firmly as the cat struggled and wailed.

"My heart breaks seeing you get treated that way. No more going to that stupid Clementi grooming," she wrote.

In response, the salon owner explained in the comments section that the groomer had not been tugging the cat's leg, but merely "moving with the cat's kicking".

She added that Marshmallow had been aggressive as her fur was badly matted and the skin underneath irritated.

The removal of matted fur can be "very uncomfortable or painful" for cats, she explained.

In a separate Facebook post, Luwi shared photos of Marshmallow's matted fur before the grooming.

"What may appear as 'rough handling' was actually a very careful and professional effort to help a severely matted, underweight cat with extremely loose skin conditions that made grooming not only challenging but necessary for the cat’s health and comfort," Luwi said.

"The cat was understandably stressed and struggling, but we took every precaution to avoid injury while working through the dense mats that were causing pain and restricting movement."

Handling aggressive cats

According to Luwi, the salon — Furries Inc — often works with aggressive cats that may be labelled too fierce for grooming.

However, they do not believe in sedation unless "absolutely necessary", as sedation carries risks and can often be avoided through patience and skill.

She added that "it's easy to judge from a screen", and insisted there was no abuse in Marshmallow's case.

Luwi also pointed out that they had shared the videos of the grooming session with Marshmallow's owner on their own accord.

"Why would we share this grooming video with the owner, if we are hurting the cat? We shared because we have nothing to hide, and of course the owner has the right to see the video of her cat being groomed," she said.

Top image from Furries Inc/Facebook and Marsh Irsfzrh/Facebook