A pet salon in Taiwan is setting itself apart by providing a unique array of grooming services, including trimming pets’ fur to resemble Hello Kitty and creating an extra-special look the salon calls “Stegosaurus spine.
Pet stylist Lee Mei-chen of Igogo pet salon expressed that the designs on different pets vary according to the natural assets the animals bring to the grooming table. She said, “Because we don’t provide the service of dying fur into different colors, we try to find a style that matches the appearance of (the pet) and then come up with a design. Of course everyone thinks that Hello Kitty is white and that a lion is dark brown. We try to come up with designs based on that concept.”
According to salon owner Ou Shih-jou, the “stegosaurus design” was inspired by their customers. “If a cat needs to have its fur trimmed in the summer, the most common style is almost naked. Pet owners thought that there were no other styles, so they wanted to be more creative and asked us to come up with a design for them. When a cat gets angry, the fur on its back erects,” she said, explaining that the design makes the cat look like a small dinosaur. “The owners were happy after they came back to see it, thinking it was quite creative.”
Other designs involve trimming the shape of a teddy bear or a lion’s head onto the back of the pet, or shaving the salon’s logo or an intricate pattern into the fur.
The pet salon has already built a loyal customer base as pet owners across the region have fallen in love with the fun and creative designs.
“I think their technique is great,” said one pet owner, Kuo Yu-lan. “I haven’t seen anything like this before, so I think they are really amazing.”
Approximately 63% of U.S. households own a pet. It is only a matter of time before American pet grooming standards loosen up, transforming dogs into dinosaurs.