Dreamies and fluff: Behind the scenes at Scotland's first dedicated cat grooming salon

Leysen grooming a Persian cat | Craig West

Glasgow has no excuses, when it comes to manky moggies.

They’ve just seen the opening of Scotland’s first dedicated cat grooming salon - PURR, at Unit 88, Morris Park. This is a 396 square foot salon with a jungle theme, and every possible gadget to make your pet smell sweeter and look more fabulous.

We asked the business’s owner, Dr Brittnee Leyson, to tell us more.

Why did Glasgow need a cat grooming parlour?

I launched a mobile grooming business in 2024 and demand quickly outstripped my capacity. Not only that, but speaking to the few other mobile groomers in Scotland, they were faced with the same: too many cats and not enough groomers to go around. I also had regular enquiries from cat owners who wanted somewhere to bring their cats for their groom. They weren’t comfortable taking their cats to salons that groomed other animals because it can make cats nervous. Believe it or not, this meant people were driving their cats to England, simply to get them groomed.

Opening PURR Salon means that I can increase my own capacity because I’m not driving around to different appointments. I have some loyal mobile clients who I still visit on a Thursday, but the salon will hopefully be a gamechanger for PURR’s capacity in the long term. I want to eventually look at training and bringing on additional groomers, and a dedicated space is an important part of that vision. The opportunity came up in Morris Park and here we are.

How did you get into grooming?

I’ve grown up with Persian cats, who have thick coats that require regular maintenance and care. Looking after my own cats spurred me to get professional training through the National Cat Groomers Institute, and I launched PURR as a side hustle while finishing my PhD. I have always dreamed of working with cats, so building PURR into my full-time job has been an exciting way to make that dream a reality.

Which breeds of cats are hardest to groom?

While not a specific breed, elderly cats are always a bit more challenging. They typically haven’t grown up with a regular groom, so they just don’t know what’s going on. Additionally, elderly cats are not good candidates for more invasive veterinary intervention for grooming concerns, like sedated shaving or ingrown nail removal, because they are at higher risk. For elderly cats, you really want the groom to go well and be as relaxing as possible, because you feel like the last point of aid.

Do some cats love it/hate it, and what have your best and worst jobs been?

Some cats love to be pampered – they often love the dry box, falling asleep while the warm air dries their coats. But not every cat loves a groom, which is why it is so important to put cat safety and welfare above all else. If I don’t think the cat is comfortable or is exhibiting too many signs of anxiety, I don’t complete the groom and recommend that the cat is taken to their vet to get advice on what to do.

Are there any treats - Dreamies, say - that can help them through the experience?

Yes, I love a food-motivated cat. Besides the much-loved Dreamies, there are also Lick-e-lix, catnip-filled toys, and Feliway which are great tools at my disposal to either distract or comfort the cat.

Do cats really detest water as much as we think they do?

They really don’t. As a professional groomer, I’ve been trained on how to gradually introduce cats to the bathing experience to avoid distress or panic.

Talk us through a typical grooming session, what steps are there?

My first step after assessing the cat’s temperament and coat is to clip their nails. This helps keep both of us safe and prevents catching on things for the duration of the groom, and is usually a barometer of how amiable they will be to the rest of the experience. I might then start any necessary shaving of matts and hygiene areas, before taking the cat over to the bath for a deep clean. They immediately get taken to the warm air of my DryVac system, with ear protection to ensure they feel comfortable during the experience of drying. So much fur often comes out during the wash and dry process, which makes the final comb-through and shaping of the face and fur much easier. I then complete any last details like ear, eye, and teeth cleans and overall health checks, before finishing with treats or playtime if the timing allows.

The DryVac | Craig West

How many cats do you groom a day?

It varies greatly depending on what the cat is having done. Most days I average five or six cats, with time built in for sanitising the space between cats of different households.

Who were your first customers at PURR?

A family of four Persian cats – the amount of fluff was insane. It was a great time to test out all the new salon equipment and flow. Three of the cats were absolutely grand with the process, even falling asleep in the dryer box together, but one of the cats was more anxious. I made sure to finish the other three separately before focusing my full attention on the one who needed a bit more time and care to get through the groom. This is why I like to try to avoid overlapping cats from multiple households. Even within one household there might be extremely different personalities between cats, so you need to pivot your approach for each cat as they arrive in front of you.

Is there any special equipment or products you use?

Yes, nearly everything is bespoke to cats’ needs. This includes specially-sized tools made for cat grooming, plenty of cat-safe products – like EyeEnvy tear stain removal and Chubbs shampoo bars – and a DryVac, which is a cat drying box. I also wanted the salon to feel comforting for cats so there are Feliway calming pheromone plug-ins to aid relaxation, and I have plenty of treats and toys to cater to all breeds and diets.

Why the jungle theme?

Cats and cat-owners are a bit quirky, aren’t we? I thought that it would be really cool to have an aesthetically fun space to work in and for post-groom pictures, but I also wanted the space to really reflect the wonderful and weird vibe that is being a caretaker to a cat. What represents that better than a massive mural of cats in a bathtub in a jungle?

The mural by Alice NicBhatair in the salon | Craig West

Do you have your own cats?

Yes! I’ve grown up with cats, and have a Chinchilla Persian named Raglan. He’s the inspiration behind PURR: his luxurious coat requires meticulous and regular grooming, which really highlighted the need for specialised grooming services tailored for breeds like Persians. Fittingly, he is also my most challenging client, who despises the comb and has the misfortune of having a cat groomer as a mother.

www.purrglasgow.com