Cat that went for a trim – and came out like this!
IT was supposed to be a trim, but Ollie the fluffy cat returned from a grooming session close- shaved from head to tail.
And when his distraught owners remonstrated with the pet shop, they say they were told to buy him a jumper.
Natalie Thompson, 25, claims her cat has been left traumatised by the experience and is struggling to keep warm.
‘He is usually an outgoing cat but that has all changed,’ she said. ‘He’s just here all the time round your legs for a cuddle. He’s snuggling into each corner in the house, probably to keep warm. He’s not stopped shivering either.’
Staff at the Gateshead branch of the Pets at Home chain in Tyne and Wear say four-year- old Ollie was shaved to get rid of knots in his fur. Only his head, legs and the end of his tail retained their covering.
Planning engineer Miss Thompson, from Newcastle, said: ‘When I saw what they had done to Ollie I just cried my eyes out.’
Miss Thompson’s mother Aileen, 55, took Ollie into the pet store. She said she sent her 15-year-old son to collect the cat after his trim. ‘He came out and he was white. I asked him what’s up and he said “look at the cat” and I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.’
She added: ‘It takes four to six months for his fur to grow back.
‘Pets at Home offered us a refund of £65 and a £100 gift voucher. When I said it’s not about the money, they replied “well you can go and buy him a jumper to put on”.’
A spokesman for Pets At Home said: ‘When a cat has a matted coat like Ollie’s it is sometimes necessary to clip it very close. We appreciate that this can be quite upsetting for an owner.
‘We have apologised to Ollie’s owner for not explaining exactly what would be involved in clipping his coat and have offered to refund the cost, together with a gesture of goodwill for the upset caused.’