I stepped into a room teeming with feline energy at PetPat, Jen’s cat grooming salon in Upper Thomson. Tucked away on the second floor of a classic walk-up shophouse, the space was bustling with owners spending their afternoon pampering their furry companions.
For PetPat’s founder, Jen Toh, this journey into specialised feline care began with a chance encounter at a HDB void deck.
She had never considered herself a cat person, until a community cat came over and sat quietly beside her. The memory of that quiet connection lingered, sparking a deep desire to give back to the feline community. That single impulse eventually blossomed into a dedicated business.
PetPat focuses exclusively on cats. This distinction is crucial, Jen explains, because grooming a cat requires an entirely different skillset from handling dogs. Cats are highly sensitive creatures that stress easily; groomers must read their subtle body language to keep them calm.
A standard session includes bathing, brushing, and blow-drying, but the process is far from mechanical. The groomer must constantly read the cat's cues, adjusting the pace to ensure a gentle, stress-free experience.
By treating feline care as a specialised discipline rather than an afterthought to dog grooming, PetPat offers anxious owners peace of mind. A tense cat requires an entirely different approach and patience level compared to a relaxed one.
When Jen first started out, formal education for feline groomers in Singapore was virtually non-existent. While dog grooming schools thrived, cat-specific training pathways did not. Jen had to teach herself, bridging the gap through trial, error, and intuition.
This challenge wasn't just a personal hurdle; it revealed a glaring gap in the local pet industry. There was a community of aspiring groomers eager to learn, but with no local academy catering to them. That realization ultimately inspired Jen's next big step.
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