Groomers in Ridgewood, NJ

Ridgewood has three grooming salons, the 20th largest choice in Bergen County, where Lyndhurst accounts for 9 on its own. That is a small enough choice that it is worth ringing round before you settle. Ask specifically whether they take cats and whether they will handle a coat that has already matted, because those two answers vary more between salons than anything else. All of them list a website as well as a phone number.

If nothing here suits, the nearest larger choice is Hawthorne, about 3 miles away, with 4 salons. Worth the drive for a first appointment with a difficult coat, less so for a routine tidy up every six weeks.

Leaf litter, burrs and a thickening coat. This is when to decide what you are doing for winter, because a coat left to grow through the holidays without brushing is the January shave down every groomer sees.