Grooming is a necessary part of companion animal care but can be a significant source of fear, stress, and injury when done poorly. Positive grooming experiences, started early and maintained regularly, are essential components of companion animal welfare.
Grooming necessity combined with poor technique creates a recurring source of fear and pain for many companion animals. The cumulative stress of repeated forced grooming experiences degrades the human-animal relationship and creates generalised handling fear. Investment in positive grooming habituation early in life, and in professional low-stress grooming for established fear cases, dramatically improves welfare for the lifetime of the animal. Grooming welfare is an overlooked area where good practice makes an enormous difference.