Love cats? Want to build a career as a professional feline groomer? Happy Cat Hotel & Spa Fairfax is looking for a Cat Groomer to join our growing team! We are not a traditional kennel or pet salon. Happy Cat Hotel & Spa is a cat-only luxury hotel and full-service feline spa , designed from the ground up around the comfort, safety, enrichment, and individual needs of cats. Our Fairfax location features individually themed private hotel rooms, enrichment and play, dedicated Kitty Concierge care, and a full-service grooming spa. Our grooming services are exclusively for cats and are performed without anesthesia. We're looking for a groomer who already has some professional grooming experience and a foundation in grooming skills , but who is also excited to continue learning. You do not need to be an expert or NCGI-certified to join our team. In fact, that's one of the things that makes this opportunity different. We want to help you become an expert. There are relatively few highly trained, certified feline groomers in our area. Rather than expecting you to arrive as a finished product, we are investing in your development. As a Happy Cat groomer, you will receive: Corporate Happy Cat grooming training Hands-on training in our feline-specific grooming standards and procedures Ongoing professional development and coaching Opportunities to expand your grooming skills and responsibilities Support working toward National Cat Groomers Institute (NCGI) certification A long-term development path with the goal of helping all of our groomers become Master Groomers Our goal isn't simply to hire someone who can groom cats today. Our goal is to help build exceptional feline groomers for the future. What You'll Do As a Cat Groomer, you will provide safe, professional, high-quality grooming services while creating a calm and positive experience for every cat.

Your responsibilities will include:

Grooming cats to Happy Cat Hotel & Spa standards Providing bathing, blow-drying, brushing, combing, clipping, shaving, nail trims, and other grooming services Performing services such as standard grooms, long-hair grooms, plush trims, lion cuts, de-shedding treatments, and other appropriate grooming services Safely handling cats with a wide variety of personalities, temperaments, breeds, coat types, and grooming needs Learning and applying feline-safe handling and grooming techniques Recognizing when a grooming service or technique may not be appropriate for an individual cat Maintaining a clean, organized, and sanitary grooming environment Maintaining grooming tools and equipment and monitoring inventory and supplies Communicating professionally with pet parents regarding grooming services, recommendations, expectations, and concerns Providing customer education about coat care, preventative grooming, and maintaining healthy coats between appointments Communicating with customers in person, by phone, text, email, and through the Happy Cat grooming platform Collaborating with the General Manager and Kitty Concierge team to coordinate appointments and daily workflow Communicating regularly with management regarding appointments, client needs, scheduling, and grooming concerns Following Happy Cat grooming procedures, safety protocols, sanitation standards, and brand expectations What We're Looking For We are looking for someone who is comfortable around cats, has some grooming experience, and genuinely wants to get better. You'll be a strong candidate if you: Have 1+ years experience grooming cats, dogs, or other animals and want to develop your feline grooming skills Have a basic understanding of grooming tools, techniques, bathing, drying, brushing, clipping, and nail care Are comfortable handling cats with different personalities and temperaments Have patience and a calm demeanor when working with animals Understand that grooming cats requires a different approach than grooming dogs Are attentive to animal behavior and safety Take pride in doing careful, high-quality work Are comfortable communicating directly with customers Can explain grooming recommendations in a friendly and professional way Are dependable, organized, and able to manage appointments and workflow Are receptive to feedback and genuinely interested in learning Want to build a long-term career in feline grooming NCGI certification is NOT required. We understand that there aren't many NCGI-certified feline groomers in the Fairfax area. Our training program is designed specifically to help motivated groomers develop those skills. If you have grooming experience but aren't yet a feline grooming expert, we want to hear from you. Compensation & Growth Starting wage: $18-$24 per hour + Tips Your starting wage will be based on your existing experience, skills, and ability to perform the responsibilities of the role. Candidates who are newer to the role or industry will typically begin toward the lower end of the range, while higher compensation levels are generally reserved for individuals with significant experience, advanced skills, certifications, or demonstrated success in expanded responsibilities. Your growth doesn't have to stop at your starting wage. We are committed to providing training, development, and opportunities for growth as our team members build their careers with us. As you gain experience, expand your grooming capabilities, achieve certifications, and take on additional responsibilities, there will be opportunities to grow in both skill and compensation. Our long-term goal is to develop our groomers toward NCGI certification and ultimately Master Groomer-level expertise. Why Happy Cat? Cats Only Everything we do is designed around cats. Our hotel and spa are exclusively feline, allowing our team to specialize in the animals we care for rather than splitting our attention between dogs and cats. Become a Feline Grooming Specialist This isn't just another grooming job. You'll have the opportunity to develop specialized feline grooming skills through structured training and continued education. We Invest in Our People We don't expect you to know everything on day one. We want people who are motivated to learn, improve, and build a career. We will provide training and support to help you get there. A Different Kind of Workplace Our Fairfax location is a custom-built cat-only hotel with individually themed private suites, enrichment areas, climbing systems, hammocks, beds, toys, and dedicated Kitty Concierge care. Work With Cats Every Day If you love cats, you'll be surrounded by them. And if you love learning about feline behavior, grooming, and care, you'll have an environment where that interest can become a real specialty. About Happy Cat Hotel & Spa Fairfax Happy Cat Hotel & Spa Fairfax is a locally owned and operated franchise location of the growing Happy Cat Hotel & Spa brand. Located at 3220 Blenheim Boulevard in Fairfax, Virginia , our facility combines luxury cat boarding with a full-service feline spa.

Our mission is simple:

Give cats an exceptional experience while giving their humans complete peace of mind. Our hotel provides private, individually themed accommodations, enrichment, play, daily brushing and affection, special-needs care, and other amenities designed specifically for cats. Our spa provides professional, feline-exclusive grooming services without anesthesia. We are a growing business, and we are building our team from the ground up. That means the people who join us now have an opportunity to help shape our culture, our grooming program, and the experience we provide to our customers. Who We Want on Our Team We want people who are: Kind. Curious. Patient. Dependable. Coachable. And, most importantly, people who genuinely care about cats. If you're already an accomplished cat groomer, we'd love to talk to you. If you're an experienced animal groomer who wants to specialize in cats, we'd love to talk to you. If you're a developing groomer who knows the fundamentals and wants someone to invest in your growth, we'd especially like to hear from you. You don't have to know everything. You just have to want to get better. Apply Today If you're excited about building a career in feline grooming and want to become part of the Happy Cat Hotel & Spa Fairfax team, we'd love to hear from you.

Pay:

$18.00 - $24.00 per hour Expected hours: 16.0 - 40.0 per week

Benefits:

Paid training Professional development assistance Application Question(s): How much pet grooming experience do you have?

Work Location:

In person