Christine Cady is part of the new generation of groomers that Featherle Pet Care is proud to mentor. She has a quiet and peaceful disposition, crucial in earning the trust of an animal, especially one new to the grooming environment. When coming into the salon for its initial visit, the pet will often be triggered by the presence of other dogs. The pet may believe itself to be at the Vet’s office or a kennel. The first visits may be even more alarming to the pet if it was abused in previous grooming settings. It is particularly important for the stylist to show the pet that it’s not going to be harmed or left. In fact, in a safe and secure environment, grooming can actually be a pleasurable experience.Though Christine has no ‘favorite’ breed, she prefers the larger dogs because they remind her of big, gigantic puppies’, and she loves to play with them. She appreciates the unconditional love dogs give and their own response to being groomed. The end of a session is often marked by the dog preening and ‘prancing’ around. While technical expertise and sensitivity are essential, grooming and styling a pet is also a creative endeavor. Christine embraces her creativity in several ways. Once she ‘decorated’ her Ferret, Peter, with a racing stripe and another time he proudly bore peace signs and hearts for a church function. Peter has also been to the salon for bathing and nail clipping. She points out that ferrets, like many of the soft haired dogs, are amenable to non toxic, temporary dyeing. Christine learned to groom during high school. In 2002 she came to our Chantilly location, where she honed her skills as a groomer. She currently lives in South Riding with a Miniature Pharaoh Hound, Apollo. For now, Peter lives with her parents and loves playing with their cats. Hopefully, they will be reunited after Christine’s May 2008 marriage to her fiancé, Rick and their move to a new house. She also enjoys doing arts and crafts with her mom and spending time fishing with her dad.