PetGroomBossPro Blog — Cat Grooming

Running a Cat-Only Mobile Grooming Business on PetGroomBossPro

Some mobile groomers decide early that cats are their thing. The van is set up for cats, the marketing says cats, and every appointment on the route is a cat. Can mobile grooming software built for dogs and cats run a business that only does cats?

Yes, with some honest caveats. This article covers both.

The Honest Starting Point

The previous guide, Two-Person Cat Appointments: Running a Team of Two in One Grooming Van, assumed a mixed business with some cat days. A cat-only business is every day a cat day.

PetGroomBossPro is mobile grooming software for dogs and cats. It does not have a cat-only mode. Some parts of it were designed with dogs in mind, most notably the size choices (Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant) and parts of the default add-on list. Everything else, from routing to billing, works the same no matter what animal is on the table.

What a cat-only groomer gets is the same thing every groomer gets: a pet record marked Dog or Cat with breed, size, coat, rabies due date and notes; a service list you write yourself; a booking page; repeat appointments; a groomer app; texting; and billing.

Setting Up a Cat-Only Service List

The service list is entirely yours, so a cat-only business simply has only cat services: cat groom, lion cut, comb-out, sanitary trim, nail trim, and whatever else you sell. Delete or skip the dog services.

The add-ons are also whatever you set up. Keep the ones you offer on cats, such as De-Matting, Ear Cleaning and Nail Grinding, and remove the rest so owners do not see options that do not apply. The setup is in Cat Services on the Service List: Cat Groom, Lion Cut, Comb-Out, Sanitary Trim and Nail Trim.

Living With Dog Sizes

The sizes are the main place a cat-only business will notice the dog-shaped design. There is no way to rename them. Groomers handle it a few ways:

• Ignore size in pricing. Set every size add-on to zero, so size does not change the price.
• Use two sizes. Small for most cats, Large for the big longhairs, with a small add-on for Large.
• Explain it on your website. A line next to your Book Now link telling owners which size to pick keeps the booking page from being confusing.

The Booking Page for a Cat-Only Business

Your booking page shows only the services you set up, so a cat-only booking page offers only cat services. Owners pick a service, enter each cat's name, breed and size, choose how often, add-ons and a preferred day and time of day, and see the price. Requests land in Leads with the quoted price, and you confirm the time.

The booking page does not ask Dog or Cat. For a cat-only business that hardly matters, since every service is a cat service. The office marks each pet as Cat when booking the visit.

Repeat Cats Are the Business

Cat-only groomers often depend on repeat clients. Add Recurring Grooming books each cat on the same weekday, time and van every 6 or 8 weeks, monthly or on custom days. Every visit waits on Pending Jobs until the office confirms it the day before, and the pets and their notes come along on every visit.

The booking page can offer an optional discount for owners who pick a repeat schedule, if you want to encourage it.

Days Built Around Set Times

A cat-only day tends to run on set times, since cat owners usually need to be home. Every appointment card shows its time. The office can auto-route Closest First or Furthest First from the shop, or set the order by hand, and check the order against the times on each card. Owners get night-before, on-the-way and arrived alerts, and can watch the route on a live map in the customer app.

Everything Else Works the Same

Checklist and Grooming Report, before and after photos, two-way texting, card on file and charge on completion, tips in the customer app, CSV import, monthly account billing for senior living or apartment communities: none of it cares whether the pet is a cat. It all works for a cat-only business exactly as it does for a mixed one.

Plans are Start $59, Pro $89 and Crew $199 per month, the same as for any mobile groomer.

Is It the Right Fit?

If you want software with cat-only screens and cat-specific features beyond the pet record, PetGroomBossPro is not that. If you want a solid mobile grooming system where cats are recorded properly, priced from your own services, booked at set times and carried forward visit to visit, it fits well. The live demo is a quick way to judge for yourself. For a summary of the cat side, see the cat grooming software page.