I’m Madelon, a certified cat groomer & I love it! And to think that when I was young, I really couldn’t stand cats. We had a dog, a beautiful Gordon Setter. I was even afraid of cats because I couldn’t read them. And, of course, they would always come and sit on your lap…
Fortunately, things have changed. That’s because I started dating Arjan, who had a cat named Fleur. The story was that she was a cat with a ‘user manual’*—she just did her own thing, didn’t sit on laps, wanted the occasional pat and treat, and that was it. So, gradually, I got used to having a cat in the house. Fleur and I kept our distance, which was fine. Except at night, because the foot of the bed was Fleur’s domain. Turning over in bed was impossible without having a cat hanging off your foot, so I tried to do that as little as possible. A good example of a human being at the service of a cat, rather than the other way around.
With Luuk – also a bit like a dog sometimes 🙂
Over time, Fleur helped me develop a love for cats. Unfortunately, Fleur ran away and was found years later at a neighbor’s house. In the meantime, Arjan and I had farm cat Gijs (a tabby) and later also Luuk (a mixed breed from a long-haired father and a short-haired tortoiseshell mother). And I can’t imagine life without cats anymore! I have to stop and pet every cat I see on the street. Some friends say I even have the magic of “cat attraction,” because there’s always a curious cat coming up to me.
AD De Dordtenaar visited Trimsalon à la Lon. In the “In the Neighborhood” section, a nice article was published about me and my work as a cat groomer.
Curious? Read the full article here.
Photo: Loes van Zanten
I have done many different things. My background is originally in art and cultural studies, and I worked in project management in the cultural sector for many years. In 2011, I made a career switch and entered the IT field. As a product owner, I worked with programmers to create the best software for maintenance projects in petrochemicals. Additionally, Arjan and I have been running a bed & breakfast under our house for several years (easy to remember: B&B À la Lon 🙂 ).
At a certain point, I realized that just working with computers didn’t provide enough fulfillment and that entrepreneurship was something I wanted more of. Add to that my love for animals, especially cats, and that’s how I became a cat groomer. No, of course, it wasn’t as simple as I make it sound here. It’s not the most obvious profession. My sister and brother-in-law have had Maine Coon cats for years, so the profession wasn’t unknown to me. That’s how I got involved and started focusing on becoming a cat groomer.
I’m happy with this choice every day. It’s fulfilling to be of service by improving the well-being of cats. I enjoy meeting different people and, of course, being practically engaged. Moreover, cat grooming is inseparably linked to feline behavior. I have also delved into this to offer the best possible cat-friendly treatment. It’s a deliberate choice to work this way, and I’m continually broadening my knowledge in this area. Every day, I learn new things with great pleasure to better serve my clients (read: cats).
“Klitvrije kat – Zo doe je dat!” – Wendy Govers – Van Thiel
“I love happy cats”- Anneleen Bru
“Happy cats: Revolutie (over kattengedrag)”- Anneleen Bru
“Reis door de natuur: katten” – R&B
“Aromatherapie voor katten” – Hennie Schuit