Puppy Love and Kitty Kat

Did I not have to, I would not even give this place one star, unfortunately. The groomer I dealt with was EXTREMELY unprofessional. After walking to the location and dropping off my two Persian cats, she assured me they could get bathed and groomed and their mats shaved off. About an hour later after I had already walked home, she called to say it was impossible to deal with them because «their skin was too thin due to age.» Hmmm. I had to go back and get them after wasting about three hours of my time in total and they had not been either bathed or groomed. The next day, I took them to Unleashed on Avenue B and 14^th, where the very friendly groomer there did an exquisite job and affirmed my feeling that the groomer at Puppy Love and Kitty Kat’s claim had no basis in reality. I am not sure why she refused to do her job and wasted my time, but I would avoid taking the risk with this place. I very seldom write reviews, but my negative experience here merited one.

The fact that for three years, my dog voluntarily walks through the door of Puppy Love Kitty Kat every time we go for grooming is a really good sign in my book. Can’t say the same for Unleashed or Petco, though we occasionally have to go there in a pinch.
Despite the fact that I now live on the upper west side of Manhattan, I still make the trek to the East Village with my pup.
It’s a great excuse to visit my old haunts for exactly two hours while they groom my shih-​tzu/​poodle mix to (almost) perfection. (They forgot to do her teeth this last visit, and I’m a little disappointed about that; would have been a 5-​star review.)

Great service, friendly staff. Excellent prices. After a messy run in the dog park, I walked in pleased they would take my pup right away for a full groom. Two hours later picked him up along with a few items — food and treats. I was considering a small pouch for dog treats and wasn’t sure the size was right and put it down. After slipping in a sample of a special treat in my bag, the woman taking care of me went over and grabbed the pouch and said — you can have this. I was so surprised. Such a nice gesture. She obviously didn’t have to do that. But now I won’t go anywhere else in the East Village. Thank you Puppy Love and Kitty Kat. See you soon!

Jamie, the owner, has been grooming my two small dogs for a number of years now. She is very talented, nice, and incredibly accommodating and this is why we keep returning every few months. They do not take appointments but I have never been turned away when I bring them in. The cost is also affordable and not too high like other places (~$ 65). I would recommend to anyone to bring their dogs here for Jamie to groom.

Second time bringing my baby gizmo here. They did a great job ! Place is always clean staff always friendly !

Made an appointment at HAPPY PAWS, LAFAYETTE @ HOUSTON ST
for my cat… Haircut, nail clipping, bath… for a Monday… Wrote the name of the person I spoke with, time and date of appt. on my wall calendar as well… …Monday came… Took the cat downstairs in his cat box… Couldn’t get a cab for 15 minutes…15 blocks or so from my house… Started walking… VERY DIFFICULT situation… I called Happy Paws to explain our situation and our lateness… Woman on the phone said our appt. is for WED. I explained that I wrote it down, and I would NEVER make that appt. because it’s our son’s birthday… I told her I was in the street on my way over… She told me our groomer is not in… I have a 3;00 pm appt. ON MONDAY, I am in the street!, I said… I was not going to be taken care of… I did get surly on the phone…$ 130.00 plus round trip cab. AND…I couldn’t get one… sooooo
I called PUPPY LOVE AND KITTY CAT, 420 E. 9^th Street… SURE, they said., come over… We will do it in 20 minutes… an easy 10 minute walk for us
$ 90.00 plus no cab.s.GREAT JOB
Next day, Tuesday, we get a call from HAPPY PAWS, the woman I made the appt. with… We can’t take your cat tomorrow, because you told us he does not like getting wet… Our groomer said you should take him to your vet
Well, I said, Thank you, but we went to another place, got the WHOLE THING done for $ 90.00 and no cabs, so thank you for saving us money, and letting us know that your place is awful.

I highly recommend this place! So gentle with my 3 lbs maltese. The only place i can trust my dog to be groomed. The owner is super sweet. Great pricing and selection of treats. The groomer massiah is the best!

I’m new to the neighborhood and was in need of dog treats, so after our now-​daily trip to Tomkins Square, the pup and I went in search of a pet supply store. I almost missed this little gem, but am glad I didn’t! The salesperson was super friendly and helpful, chatting with me, playing with my pup, offering to order in my pup’s dog food, of which they carry the brand but not the specific kind he eats, and giving me a handful of samples of other foods in the meantime. They have a small but comprehensive selection of treats and food, most of which I recognized as very high quality, and the prices, at least of the products I was interested in, are comparable to, if not a little better than chain stores and I would rather support this lovely little establishment than save a couple bucks shopping online!

DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG TO BE GROOMED HERE! I come to this store after taking my dog to the vet, he drags me in so I usually buy him a bag of treats. I walked in and was wandering around, and noticed a dog being groomed. I didn’t think much of it until I heard a sound as if the dog was being slammed into the metal sink, over and over again. Then I heard «STOP IT!» over and over again, and again, the slamming sound into the metal sink. I thought there might be a Great Dane or a Bernese Mountain dog in there, you know, something big, I peered in and saw a TINY DOG, about the size of a chihuahua, it was TERRIFIED. shaking shivering, and the «groomer’ woman kept pushing him back into the metal sink, his little body slamming against the metal sink. I yelled into the grooming area, «he’s terrified!», she either didn’t here me or pretended not to listen. The owner came out and told me that the dog needed to be dried, or the owner would be upset. I replied, the owner would be more upset if s/​he saw what you were doing to their dog. I am looking into to reporting them to a city authority, and told them as much, horrible place, or at least that particular boomer. don’t just drop off your dog, stand and watch while they groom, this is not the first time I hear/​see abuse in the grooming industry.
UPDATE: Apparently the person who came up to me was not the owner, he was an asian man, very nice, but really oblivious to how the dog was being mistreated. I stand by what I saw.

I have taken my dog to this place for two years now and I have had a great experience… My dog looks amazing each time. Only one time her tail hair was left a bit longer than I asked but it wasn’t a big deal at all. She still looked and smelled amazing.
I have read some negative reviews and cannot see a reason why they are so mad. I will still continue to go as staff is friendly and careful with my dog and my roommate’s dog as well. She comes running at me when I pick her up but all dogs always do and she always has… Some people may see that as a sign of they are scared but I have taken it from Pet Smart to small business and she acts the same.
I give this place 5 stars. I am pleased 100%

I don’t normally write reviews, but felt obligated to after stumbling upon their Unilocal page when looking for their store hours.
I have taken my dog, a 10 year old papi-​poo mix, here for years, at least once every few months. I started coming shortly after they opened when I lived around the corner. I have since moved twice & continued to make the trip here as I have only had amazing experiences.
While my dog certainly doesn’t love a trip to the groomer, he relaxes once he is picked up by the owner, is always adorable when I pick him back up & I can tell that he feels great as he is at his most playful /​curious afterwards — he likes to wander (or sniff) his way around the shop after being groomed!
I am not highly particular about his style of grooming, but on the few occasions I have been he has come out looking as hoped. They have also taken extra care of him when he has been sensitive — there were years that he oddly hated his tail (he was trying to eat it off — it was a horrible experience) & just touching it would send him off the deep end — somehow they still managed to groom his tail when I couldn’t even touch it without setting him off. They were also extra sensitive when he had operations on his leg. From these experiences, I grew to really trust Puppy Luv Kitty Kat for my dog’s grooming. They do an excellent & thorough job, the price is ok for NYC & the staff has always been friendly. They also have a great, edited assortment of organic dog food & cute toys/​accessories.
I highly recommend them!

I stumbled on this treasure while taking a walk around my neighborhood. I decided to take a chance and get my kitty cat groomed there. I was very happy to walk in and see a smiling face that was very accommodating when scheduling my appointment. I took my cat and she was very at ease upon entering, which is very uncommon as my cat is not very trusting of people, she had her grooming and the lovely staff did an excellent job.
I was nothing short of ecstatic over the calmness of my finicky cat upon picking her up. They also have an extensive shop of pet goods which makes it a one stop groomer.
I am very pleased at the start of the relationship I will have with Puppy Love and Kitty Kat and the wonderful informative staff there.

I’ve been taking my little french bulldog Nemo here for couple months and my experience has always been great.

I love this pet shop. They have treated my baby Nola with great care and has come out looking great. Even when I come to the store for a quick doggy treat or toy, the employees always welcome us warmly and even give my little one treats at the store. I will be coming again and making this my regular store.

Long story short, I will not return with my puppy. I rarely write reviews but I feel it’s necessary considering my most recent experience. It looks long but if you’re considering this place, please read.
I have taken my Morkie puppy here for grooming on 3 separate occasions. After some research, It seemed like a great deal for NYC — they groom each dog separately, $ 65 for my 10lb pup, and includes everything you’d need in the full grooming package.
1. The first time I came here it was my puppy’s first cut. They did fine. No complaints.
2. The second time I went, I was well aware my dog had some knots and was matted in certain areas. I spoke to the lady about dematting, or getting him cut without having to shave him. She looked him over carefully and said «no problem we will get all of the knots out.»
Two hours later, the lady calls and says they weren’t able to get them out and they HAD to SHAVE him. Not only did she call me AFTER they made the decision to shave him, but if I had known there was a chance of this happening I would have picked him up and tried somewhere else that day. I didn’t even recognize him when I picked him up!
…Ok-​fine, I got over it since it was bound to happen at some point during his puppyhood.
3. His hair grew back. I returned for another cut last week thinking I was better off taking my young dog to a familiar place rather than changing without giving them another chance. I ask the groomer to give his full body a ½ inch trim. Everything was understood when I left, or so I thought. I once again pick up my pup and do not recognize him! I was so upset this time.
Instead of trimming a half inch, they LEFT a half inch of fur on his body. The woman sincerely apologized and only charged me for a bath.
I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt, thinking it’s a simple miscommunication… Until later that night my dog started rubbing/​itching his butt on the rug and on the sidewalk whenever I tried to take him on a walk.
They clearly hurt or irritated him and now I have to take him to the vet.
3 days later, he is still doing this. I’m hoping it’s just an irritation on the surface, but either way, he came home with an injury after being groomed there, and even if it didn’t cost anything, this is NOT okay.
Maybe it’s my own fault for giving them extra chances, but I certainly don’t trust them anymore.

I took my dog to be groomed on Saturday, and $ 600 (and counting) in vet bills later, he is still hiding under the bed traumatized, in pain, and shivering. Read below for the full story:
I have taken my Yorkie Pom to be groomed here a few times before and have always had a fine experience. He comes back slightly nervous and chills out after about an hour looking cute and fluffy.
This weekend, I dropped my dog off at Puppy Love and Kitty Kat for grooming, and when I got him back 2 hours later, I noticed instantly that he seemed really out of it– glazed eyes, limp paws, and his tongue hanging a bit out of his mouth (which is what happens to him after he’s been SEDATED now because he’s had some tooth extractions). Usually when we leave the groomers he’s really tense and eager to run out of the shop door (he’s a nervous little guy) but this time he had a slow, unsteady lumber toward the door.
I voiced my concerns to the groomer and they denied it so I took him home. At home, my partner and I observed him some more and determined that he really was acting as if he had been doped up (we took video to send to friends and family, I wish I could attach it here– he was NOT well). I’ve had my dog for 6 years, and I know his behavior.
I became really upset and worried for my dog, so we took him back to the shop to get an explanation from the groomer just before they closed for the evening. Again, she denied that anything out of the ordinary had happened and insisted that he was mostly calm during the grooming, she said it was probably because he had been there before and was familiar with her (which, knowing my dog as I do, could not even possibly be true).
Then, the groomer (who is also the owner) began to yell and cry. We decided to go to the vet to get him checked out, and she insisted on accompanying us to see «what the results were.»
At the emergency animal hospital (this was on Saturday night) the vets were unable to determine what was wrong, but agreed that he appeared to be sedated and not well. They ran blood tests to determine his elecrolyte/​protein levels which yielded not much other than dehydration– they explained that they could not run a toxicity test on him because it would be costly and difficult to test for given that we do not know what he may have been given. I asked the groomer to pay the vet bill for the visit (close to $ 300) which she reluctantly did. I really did appreciate that she paid, and, assuming she came with us to the vet out of true concern for my animal, the gesture of care.
The next morning, though my dog was no longer acting sedated, he was clearly in a lot of pain: droopy eyes, head hung down, walking slowly and unable to climb stairs, and shivering– we put him on his bed where he usually loves to sleep, but each time, he would slink away and hide under the bed and in the closet. He also Unilocaled when he was held in certain positions and [still] has no interest in food (even cheese!) or water.
It is now Monday evening, and we have taken him to the vet for second and third opinions since then. Each time we have spent around $ 300 and have learned nothing new about what could be wrong with him.
I am extremely worried about my dog, and I truly hope that this review will serve as a warning to anyone who considers having their dog groomed at Puppy Love and Kitty Kat.

The store has gotten better than before it has a view as well as the supplies they carry for my kitty’s who are very difficult to satisfy in their food also treats. Finally I’m able to find them toys which they love. The staff are friendlier and helpful which I’m very satisfy in coming back again and so are my kitty’s.

This place is great! I haven’t purchased anything in the shop but I’ve had my small dog groomed here. While it’s a little pricey I think ($ 65 for a 15-​lb dog), they did a really great job. He smelled great, was cut how I asked him to be cut, had his nails trimmed and was clean (not still full of hairs after being cut) and ready to go when I came to pick him up.
I love that they use natural shampoos and groom only one dog at a time, since my dog is sensitive and not great with other dogs. They were also super quick, though it wasn’t busy on a weekday AM.
Definitely a great neighborhood spot and my new go-​to.

I wish I could give zero stars.
I purchased two dog bowls and pet wipes from this shop. I decided not to give the dog bowls as a gift, and went back to the store to return them. They were still in the original bag, wrapped, with receipt. I never unwrapped or even touched them since purchasing. The manager of the store rudely informed me that they have NO return policy, or exchange policy, but he MIGHT be able to give me store credit. I don’t have a pet, so I left (annoyed) to find out if my sister could use the bowls or the credit.

Bottom line: I had to return to the store on THREE different occasions to try to speak to the manager again to get store credit. The other girl who works in the shop wouldn’t help me. When I finally got to speak to the manager he said he couldn’t even offer me the store credit. He said it was a health/​hygiene issue (? these are ceramic bowls that have never left the bag he put them in) and went on a tangent about how big stores like Walmart order their products and can take a hit by accepting returns? I don’t know how that related at all to my issue, but he wouldn’t budge.
Not to mention, these dog bowls were ridiculously overpriced at $ 30 each.
My advice: stay far away from this store. There are plenty of other pet shops in the East Village.

I signed up for a Unilocal account after all these years just to report my encounter with this business.
I took my cat in for grooming (bath + Furminator) for the first time yesterday. She has been shedding a lot due to the heat, so I thought a professional job was in order. She was in her carrier when I picked her up, and her face looked clean, so I paid the $ 75 plus tax and tip and took her home. When I let her out, I realized that while she smelled nice and appeared to have a well-​brushed coat, the few pre-​existing mats on her chest were still there. She was not badly matted by any means, but she is a long-​haired ragdoll and does get a few mats from time to time. I had to cut out all six mats myself.
Then I saw that she had a large patch of hair missing from the nape of her neck and an open wound (see photo). I texted the picture to her petsitter, who has groomed her at home for three years, and she wrote back, «Oh my god. You have to be kidding me. How dare they! She goes into a trance with me while being bathed and Furminated, and even lets me cut all her nails with no hassle.»
This is a cat who is so gentle that she won’t even bite or scratch strangers who handle her. Everyone who meets her says she’s the sweetest cat they’ve ever met. Even cat haters like her. I can’t imagine that she would have protested the groom, and if she did, someone should have said something to me. Instead they gave me my cat back with mats and a bad wound and didn’t say anything about it.
I am beyond upset and disappointed and will never take my cat here again. They were friendly enough on the phone and in person, but that doesn’t matter. They did a bad job, hurt my pet and hid it from me. Please do not entrust them with your best friend.