Learn Cat Grooming : The Kat Lady Way®
In-person, hands-on training with The Kat Lady® – for groomers, vet professionals and complete beginners who want to specialise in cat grooming as a profession
This course has been lovingly developed by a cat specialist who works as a mobile cat groomer, feline behaviourist and holistic feline therapist. Everything has been written and designed specifically for cats and their care with a strong focus on welfare, kind handling and feline behaviour as the backbone to success. There are in person training days as well as online work to be completed and a feline specific first aid course as well as optional extra days if required.
Katie lives with 3 cats currently but has been cat lover since a young child with her first cat Daisy. Based in Liverpool and only working with cats, she believes having a strong background in feline behaviour and being able to read a cat helps massively when trying to do any work with them as a species. She has fostered for local rescue centres and helped one of her cats navigate becoming blind and deaf. She has a wealth of cat knowledge that goes far beyond cat grooming that you will be able to access during the course.
As well as learning to read and handle cats in safe ways you will also cover all of the fundamentals of cat grooming :
Claw clipping
Brushing, combing, dematting cats
Selecting and using the correct tools
Sanitary (hygiene trims)
Spot shaving
Full lion cuts and teddy cuts
Bathing - when to bath and when not to
Towel wrapping techniques (no restraints beyond this)
You will also learn how to :
Handle even sensitive cats with more confidence and calm
Learn safe, feline-friendly techniques that put welfare first
Offer premium cat grooming owners are happy to pay for
Real-time coaching from an award winning feline only groomer & behaviour specialist
Is This Cat Grooming Course Right For You?
This course is designed for humans who have a welfare first approach who want to work with cats and not against them. You might be :
A Beginner
You want a way to groom cats that takes into account their behaviour and personalities and helps them live their best lives
A Dog Grooming Professional
You want to safely add cats to your services without the stress and a full understanding they are not small dogs
A Vet Nurse or Animal Professional
You want safe handling skills and confidence with feline clients
What You'll Learn : The Kat Lady® Way
Feline Behaviour & Body Language
Reading body language
Stress signals
Cat-friendly environment
When to pause, adapt or stop
The 5 pillars of a healthy feline enrivonment
Practical Cat Grooming Skills
Tools for cat-safe grooming
Brushing, deshedding & impacted coats
Bathing: when it’s appropriate
Nail trimming & hygiene trims
Full lion cuts and teddy cuts - when and why to do them
A range of cat breeds, temperaments, ages and fur types
Client Communication & Business
Educating owners
Setting boundaries
Pricing confidently
Becoming the local cat-grooming expert
How to use a database and start marketing yourself
You’ll learn a complete feline-first approach that blends grooming skills, behaviour understanding and welfare and it also includes feline first aid.
Meet Your Tutor - Katie Gwilt The Kat Lady®
I’m Katie, known as The Kat Lady® : a feline-only groomer, behaviour specialist and zoopharmacognosy practitioner.
I’ve worked with hundreds of cats of every temperament. My approach is always the same:
Welfare first. Beauty second. Never the other way around.
I created this course because so many cats were being groomed with dog-based methods that simply don’t work for them. This course teaches a kinder, safer, more thoughtful way to groom that treats cats like cats.
Feline-only groomer
Feline behaviour specialist
Zoopharmacognosy (self selection) & animal reiki Let Animals Lead® practitioner
Educator & welfare advocate for cats
Winner of Cat Groomer of the Year 2024
Finalist at Pet Industry Federation Awards 2024
1.5 years cat grooming teaching previously
Writer of two cat focused columns in Total Grooming Magazine & Pets Life Magazine monthly
Speaker at The Cat Show Live 2026
What's Included in the Course
Checklist :
In person training days
1-2-1 teaching
Student Handbook
Practical handling of different cat breeds, ages, backgrounds and temperaments
Printable handouts, visual aids and a full online course alongside the practical sessions
Certificate of Completion
Ongoing Support / Follow On Guideance
Location : Liverpool and the North West UK
Dates : Flexible around your schedule (practical work to be completed within 12 months)
Group Size : 1-2-1 teaching only
After This Course You Will Be Able To
Approach cat grooms with confidence
Make better decisions about when and how to groom cats
Know how to read a cat
Have a variety of kind handling skills for many different types of cat
Reduce stress for the cats in your care, their humans and yourself
Offer premium welfare based cat grooming services
Stand out locally as a true feline specialist
What Students and Clients Say
When I first started learning cat grooming with Katie I was rather nervous around cats having virtually no experience with them and I wasn't sure what to expect. I started by learning cat behaviour and body language which really helped me with my confidence. Katie taught me that when it comes to cat grooming what is important is making the cat comfortable and happy more than how the end result looks.
Chloe M
Cat Groomer, The Kat Lady
Katie has a wealth of knowledge and experience and her passion for sharing this with others simply oozes from her every pore! I loved her holistic approach to grooming as this resonates with me and is the backbone to my own cat grooming practice. You will really learn a lot from her
Sarah B
Cat Groomer, Owner Moggsy Malone
Katie Gwilt is an incredible advocate for our feline friends in the pet care industry. Having worked with her personally her care, dedication and ethics are outstanding.
Welfare focused, one our Approved mentors and an Affilate for the Pet Professional Network I am proud to recommend her courses and mentoring.
Whenever anyone wants support with feline, behaviour, welfare and ethical grooming, in the industry Katie is the lady to go to person. We are so lucky to have her! Her knowledge is outstanding.
Helen Motteram
Owner, Pet Professional Network
I started as a dog groomer then I decided I wanted to go into cat grooming as well. It was completely different to dogs and i wasn't sure I would be confident enough to be able to do it. With Katie as my tutor she gave me the reassurance and the confidence to continue.
I loved her ethics of how she handled cats without using equipment as I don't like restricting animals whilst grooming. I'm so glad I continued to the end and I defintely don't think I could have achieved without Katie giving me the conifdence in handling cats. I'm not a trusted cat groomer by my customers with my ethics for how I groom. I will always be grateful for having the right tutor to teach me.
Julie W
Dog & Cat Groomer, Julie's Wagg & Tail
Course Costs
Full Course for Beginners
£4,000
Payment Plan : £400 desposit plus 10 x £360 payments
Full 20 day training course (in person) includes all online materials, handouts and certificate
Fast Track Course for Grooming Professionals
£1,025
Payment Plan : £250 deposit plus 4 x £195 payments
Shorter 5 day training course (in person with us or at your own salon) includes all online materials, handouts and certificate
Apply for a Place
Spaces are limited to keep the environment calm and welfare focused (we only teach 1:2:1). Once we have recieved your application we will be in touch to set up a short call to check our styles and ethos matches up before enrolling you on the course. We aim to work around your schedule as much as we can and have Saturdays available for teaching as well as mid week.
Additional learning can be completed either as written assignments or video submissions for those who find writing in English difficult or have extra learning needs. If you need to discuss your learning options please let us know and we can look for a solution that suits everyone.
FAQ Section
Here are some answers for some common questions but do reach out to us if you don't find the answer here.
Yes you will get to work with our clients cats in their own homes where safety permits (welfare always comes first). We will guide you through the process at every step of the way and the more you learn the more handling and grooming you will complete.
No we have two pathways available. The 20 day in person course is suitable for anyone who does not have an animal handling background. We also offer the 5 day in person course for those who are looking to specialist in cats but have some experience already with grooming and the tools involved.
This course is designed to build confidence and teach safer-handling but as with any sharp object there is always a risk. We always carry both feline and human first aid kits with us and take all the necessary precautions to prevent this where possible.
You will receive a certificate of completion and a testimonial which is standard within grooming training. We are working towards CPD certification at the moment.
We are based in Liverpool so if you provide us with your salon address we can have a look for you. We will be able to cover the North West UK for definite and anywhere else will be discussed.
We work as mobile cat specialist groomers and so this is what and how we teach. You will be going into the homes of our clients (and occasionally our salon space) so any mobility needs please let us know when you fill out the application as some clients live in flats with stairs etc. We have successfully taught a number of students this way. If you have a salon with clients already then we can discuss teaching at your premises.
© 2025 The Kat Lady® All rights reserved.
