I have no base of knowledge for this whatsoever, but I'd be tempted to tip based on the cat's behavior during the grooming process. If he's an angel, she's getting plenty of money already. If he's anything like my cats would be, she might deserve the tip. (Note: Not official advice.)

I doubt I would tip, given that she is the owner and the fee is so high already.

I don't know from cat groomers but for people groomers you only tip staff, not the owner.

Though truth is nobody minds a few extra bucks thrown their way. And since we live in an era when people seem to be saying to hell with protocol anyway, tip her as you like.

I don't know from cat groomers but for people groomers you only tip staff, not the owner.

This seems to be changing, to the point of pretty much changed, as far as I can tell. The most convincing argument that I saw applied specifically to sole proprietors; they're not making money off their employees (because they don't have any), so there's not the same idea that they're already making profit simply because customers show up. The articles I remember reading (I was just researching this a few months ago) had interviews with a number of stylists who said their incomes dropped substantially when they started their own businesses, partly because everyone stopped tipping them but they didn't have enough employees to make up the difference in business income.

Anyway. I semi-solved this with my (sole proprietor, no employees) esthetician by asking, as I wrote out a check, "Is it ok to include a tip?" I figured that gave her the opportunity to let me know if tipping was gauche, but it wasn't a totally weird question because sometimes giving tips by check or credit card doesn't work. So that would be my advice.

Yeah, since we live in an era when people seem to be saying to hell with protocol anyway, I tip my people groomer, even though he owns his own barbershop.

But I'm resistant to changes in tipping etiquette (like the new "standard" 20% some people will try to push me into at restaurants) as it's often just a shakedown.

My best friend is a dog groomer for champion show dogs, and she said: "When I go somewhere and groom a dog, the fee I charge is the fee I expect to get. I wouldn't refuse a tip, because it would make my client uncomfortable if I did, but I don't expect one either. I set my rates at what I consider to be fair for the work I'm doing." She said that when she worked at a chain pet store, and customers put tips on the credit card bill, the company kept the tips and didn't pay them out to the groomers, but since she worked on commission, she always appreciated those customers that slid her a 5 or 10 under the table, as it helped her get to minimum wage on slow weeks.

She also said that what you're paying to groom a cat is close to what she charges to groom small dogs right before a show, and that at that price, she wouldn't tip. (Actually, her exact words were "What the hell? Is it a tiger?")

Yes.

Dejah, if I could mark your answer "best answer," I would. And apparently Smooshie is not just a tiger, but some sort of gigantic knotty species of tiger, because it ended up costing $145. But I didn't tip.

And Smooshie looks very handsome and proud (and slightly possessed).

≡ Click to see image ≡

Well, he looks at least $145 fluffier.

I am both duly impressed by the elegant coiffure and also heading off to say something appreciative to my girl, who averages a nice round $0 per year on coat maintenance.

Of course, if my second-dog plans bear fruit then I am going to lose my coat maintenance gloating rights in fairly spectacular fashion.

I got a little more info about grooming cats...since none of my cats have ever been groomed, unless you count the dogs lurping them into mohawk shape.

Apparently, your two options with cats are either brushing them out, which can be time intensive or shaving them into the lion cut. Pro groomers will never scissor-cut a cat because the cat's muscle structure adheres to their skin, so if you nick a cat with scissor, you could be doing massive damage to the animal. (I did not know that.)

So, yeah, I'm not too surprised that with a big fluffy brushed out kitty, the price got high. But, the kitty looks fabulous!