Things change over time. Staff move on, services and prices alter. As of January 2026, I would recommend Capitol Kitty, but I'd advise you to be cautious.
I was comparing places online for cat grooming services. I saw a kennel in Arlington, and almost booked an appointment, but I was very put off by the tone of the
intake process. You know the cliche of the snobbish waiter at a fancy restaurant? It was as if they were saying "you would be lucky if we condescend to accept your money".
So, I looked at a few other websites, and ended up calling Capitol Kitty. It's been my experience that lots of businesses don't keep their website up to date, and I've been burned
by that sort of thing recently. I called, and a very pleasant woman answered, Gloria. I read the menu of services and carefully confirmed what was included and what the cost was. The site says
something to the effect that there is a surcharge for paying with a credit or debit card. That to me has a feeling of being sort of shady. Look, I get it that it's very expensive
for a small business to have a merchant account, and I get it that they have to pay a transaction fee for each sale. Still, it just felt a little off. You can judge for yourself. Maybe
they're dealing in cash to dodge taxes, who knows. I'm not accusing, I'm just saying it's unusual. Gloria asked me more than once if the cat was violent. Again, I get it. If
a cat is prone to scratch or bite, you want to know that in advance, but asking more than once implies that I'm lying about my cat, which is annoying.
I got an overall pleasant vibe from Gloria (I think she is the owner) and I asked to book an appointment. Gloria said she'd have to check on the availability of their groomer, and get back to me. So, it's not necessarily bad if they
are farming out grooming services to a third party, but some people might find that a worry...who, ultimately, is insured and responsible? I booked the appointment, and the day I was to go, I got a call
from someone early in the day. Unfortunately, I don't remember her name. She was sort of nervous...which made me nervous. Some people just don't do well dealing with customers, and a lot of busineses don't
train staff well, or at all, these days. Not a huge deal, but she repeated, more than once, Gloria's question about whether or not my cat would bite or scratch. That indicates a lack of effective internal communication
within the company, and you may find that worrisome.
This woman, though friendly, gave me more of the slightly "shady" vibe, when she confirmed which services I wanted, and then she quoted a price
higher than Gloria and the website stated. Now, I have a very sharp temper, especially when I think someone is trying to rip me off, but I kept calm. I pulled up the website and read the service and price to her, and I said that Gloria had confirmed it....suddenly her attitude completely changed, and she backpedaled saying that Gloria had given me "a discount" and she would honor that....as if I were getting a special favor, not just what is the advertised price. Again, slightly shady vibe....she then told me I would have to pay in cash because "our system is down". Well, the service was going to be ninety bucks for a shampoo and nail trim, but okay, I could bring that much cash. You may find that questionable, you may suspect this was a ploy. I didn't care especially. Weirdly, about twenty minutes later the woman called me again, still with a very nervous voice, to say I could pay with a credit card after all. I decided to bring the cash just in case, if their "system" was really that unreliable.
The day of the appointment, I arrived slightly early and met the groomer. She was the only person there. The business is located in a narrow brick building, so a bit small, but very clean. It had a very strong "mom and pop" DIY feel, but not in a bad way.
Several cats were in locked cages, and they all looked very content, a good sign. The woman told me that we had plenty of time, as there were not any appointments booked after mine. She then began to explain to me what she would do, and how, and why....which I liked, a lot. For example, we started with the nail trimming. She explained that if the cat is going to squirm during the bath, you want blunt nails. Makes sense.
The room was very dimly lit, just some winter sunlight from a window, but the woman was very quick and accurate trimming my cat's nails. Clearly experienced. All through the entire process she spoke
soothingly to my cat. I don't think it made any difference in his stress level, but I think this was a very kind and proactive thing to do.
Before she bathed him she made a point of showing me the bottles of shampoo and conditioner, so I'd know it was hypoallergenic. Again, proactive, professional, caring.
if you want to read my full review email me directly Xham6690 at yahoo read more