FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

BOARDING FAQS

What are your operating hours?

We are home-based with flexible hours 7AM-11PM

Visitations, boarding arrivals and departures, and grooming appointments are strictly by appointment only.

Telll me about your boarding rates.

Rates for a private condo begin from $20/night.
Long-term boarding discounts and free spa are available for stays from 30 nights and above.

What is included in the boarding fee?

The nightly rate includes the provision of 24/7 air-conditioned, private lodging space, complimentary food and use of cat litter bin with litter and feeding utensils, and access to the boarding space. Our caretakers also practice twice daily housekeeping, interaction time, activity updates and daily grooming for your cats.

What payment modes are accepted?

We accept all major credit cards, Pay ID, bank transfer, and cash

Bank transfer is our preferred mode of payment for long-term stays above 30 nights.

Can I view XMMO before booking boarding?

Yes, you may call us to schedule a viewing appointment.
Before doing so, we ask that you review our FAQ page to see if any of your concerns have already been answered.

What are your cat boarding requirements?

Please find out more about our Boarding Requirements here.

How do you sanitise your facility?

At XMMO, sanitation and hygiene is of utmost importance for the health and safety of our feline charges. Our facility and staff are trained to practice and abide to operating procedures that require them to sanitize grooming tools, surfaces and equipment in between clients with veterinary grade disinfectants F10. Our salon is also thoroughly sanitized twice a day; before opening and before closing, and before arrival and after departures for boarding.

How ofter will I get an update about my cat's stay?

We provide updates every 3-5 days to keep you informed about your cat’s well-being. Please note that we don’t send updates immediately on the day of drop-off. Updates begin the next day as cats need time to adjust to their new environment. It’s common for cats not to eat much during the first day or two due to stress from the change. We don't charge extra for media updates, and we don't send update everyday.

Rest assured, we’ll monitor their behavior closely and try different methods to stimulate their appetite, ensuring they settle in comfortably. Cats are highly sensitive to changes, and our goal is to help them adapt as quickly as possible.

What is the playtime schedule, and how long does it last?

At XMMO, each cat gets individual playtime with us to ensure their comfort and safety. We do not mix cats from different households. Each play session lasts 30-40 minutes, allowing your cat to roam and explore in the common area.

Playtime usually happens in the morning and evening to give the cats plenty of activity. During grooming hours in the afternoon, we pause playtime to maintain a calm environment.

We often capture these moments on video for our YouTube channel, so you may catch your cat enjoying their playtime there!

GROOMING FAQS

How long does your grooming session take?

A grooming session may take between half an hour to 3 hours depending on the service requested. We ask for your patience in allowing our Cat Grooming Artisans time to get to know your cat, as well as make the entire grooming experience a comfortable one and pleasant one.

How often should I send my cat to a grooming session?

A cat should be given a regular groom every 6 weeks, with regular home maintenance provided every week. If you do not have time to maintain your cat at home, please consider bringing your cat in to us every 4 weeks for a freshen up.

Do cats like getting a bath? Cats can groom themselves, so why do I need to use your service?

Professional cat grooming offers benefits such as maintaining coat health, detecting skin issues and parasites, reducing hairballs, promoting comfort and hygiene, reducing stress, aiding in early detection of health issues, providing specialised care, and improving aesthetics and odour control.

In our experience, cats can really enjoy being pampered and being groomed.

Do you groom aggressive cat?

If your cat has biting or aggressive tendencies, we would appreciate if you inform our groomers of this ahead of time for their own safety.

Our groomers will always attempt to make grooming a comfortable experience for all guests. While we make every effort to accommodate challenging behaviors, we may charge a fee for handling difficult cases. However, our experienced groomers are skilled at handling even the most challenging cats, and we take extra precautions to ensure the safety of both your cat and our staff. Please read more about our policy for grooming aggressive cats here.

Will you groom senior or ailing cats?

As a general guide, we take extra care when grooming cats that are of senior age (above 10 years old), injured or have underlying health conditions. In such cases, we may groom your cat for comfort over style, just to ensure that they are kept happy during their treatment with us.

If you believe that your cat may not be suitable for grooming, or requires special attention, please inform or speak to our groomers prior to services beginning.

My cats are allergic to certain ingredients. What can I do? And what information should I provide to the groomer?

Should you subsequently become aware that your cat has certain allergies, behaviours or conditions that our groomers should know of on each visit to the salon, please inform us prior to treatment beginning and read our policy regarding allergies here.

Please inform our groomer of:

Any allergies, conditions or behaviours that might affect your cat’s grooming experience
Any sensitive areas that we should avoid
Any concise instructions that you would like us to follow strictly

What should I do to prepare my cat for first time groom appointment?

It is imperative that you do your best to help us keep kitty relaxed and happy before its visit to the salon. Some things you can do ahead of time include giving kitty treats so that it enters its carrier happily, and make the transport trip over to XMMO a pleasant one by playing soft, quiet music in the car.

If I don't like my cat's haircut, will I get a refund?

Unfortunately, we do not offer refunds based on personal preferences for your cat's haircut. We understand that grooming styles can be subjective, and our team works diligently to ensure the best possible outcome. If you have specific concerns about your cat's styling cut, we encourage you to communicate with our grooming team before the job so we can avoid any misunderstanding.

Can I wait while my cats are getting groomed?

As a home-based salon, we do not have waiting area. There is Central West Shopping Centre just 2 minutes drive down the road, and the Highpoint Shopping Centre just a little further away. You can also explore cafes and restaurants in Footscray which is only 7 minutes drive away.

How can I transport my cat?

Please transport your cat in a secure carrier. This will ensure that they stay safe while travelling. If your cat does not enjoy being in the carrier, put a towel over the carrier while travelling. This can sometimes help them calm down.

My cat is matted so I booked the lion cut shaving for my cat. Do you still charge the de-matting fee as you would shave it off anyway?

Yes, we do still charge the de-matting fee even if you have booked the lion cut shaving for your cat. While we will ultimately shave off the matted areas for the lion cut, de-matting requires additional time and care. We must carefully maneuver through the matting areas to ensure the comfort and safety of your cat. Therefore, the de-matting fee reflects the extra time, effort, and resources involved in addressing matting issues during the grooming session.

What is the double coat fee? How do I know if I need to add the double coat fee for my cat when booking an appointment?

"The double coat fee is an additional charge applied to certain cat breeds when booking clipping or hair cutting services. Breeds such as British Shorthair, Scottish Fold, Persian, Exotic Shorthair, and Maine Coon typically have a thicker or denser coat, requiring extra time and effort during grooming. Additionally, double coating clipping can cause damage to our clipper blades, which may require maintenance or replacement. Our grooming team will assess your cat's coat upon arrival to determine if the double coat fee applies. This fee ensures that we can provide thorough and effective grooming tailored to your cat's specific needs.

Do you bath cats with fleas?

We don't take in grooming for cats with fleas because it runs a great risk to our entire facility and to other cats. We advise you treat the fleas before booking a grooming appointment. If we find fleas on your cats when grooming, we will charge you extra for the fleas bath as well as a fee for cleaning and sanitising our facility.