Working from a room in my home/home of my two cats!

[carrie_bee]

I was going to do a post about what things I need to make sure I've definitely got done (eg. insurance, any checks) if I want to work from a room in my house, but I think rather than make anyone repeat themselves, I'll have a good go through old threads & *then* see if I have any further questions!

However, the one, pretty central, home vs. workplace consideration I have is that I have two cats! :) From the position of being their mum, I want to keep them away from chemicals, etc, so their contact with anything to do with my work would be as low as possible anyway, but from the position of being a nail tech. I have obviously been mulling it over further :)

It would be completely possible to shut the room off, that I want to use, so that my two fur babies can't access it, though for flexibility, I'd be interested to know if there *would* be any stipulations on their access to the room - just in case they slip through when I'm nipping into that room to get something!

My main "I was wondering" is this: their litter tray is kept in my bathroom - if a client needs to use my bathroom, is it a workplace issue that there is a tray in there?

I would always check it was freshly maintained right before an appointment & their litter actually smells rather nice (after almost two years of trying different brands, I've finally found the perfect one!) - but I would love some advice on where H&S, etc, stand on this.

nb. I would already let potential clients know that there were cats resident in my home, to be considerate over the possibility of any allergies :)

[carrie_bee]

*bump* :)

[amurphy105]

Client allergy would be my main concern. My dad is allergic to cats, and he gets stuffy around me if I've even just been petting a friends sweet little feline. When I Had a cat, before we realized his allergy, he'd have to go get a shot. We just thought it was the dust where I lived that set him off. Salon smell + kitty fur in the heating/cooling system could be a potential hazard for some people. Hope that didn't dash you too badly.

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[kizzycat]

Great you are working from home. thats what I haev started doing and I love it and starting to build up my clientelle. I also have a cat, but I woulndt dream of saying to clients on the phone "I have a cat", its just not even something that I would think of. I would imagine that if people are coming to a home salon and have severe allergiesto animals, then the first question they would ask would be if you have any pets. Also you mention a couple of times where you stand from a H&S point of view, but I think you are forgetting how JOe Bloggs coming to your salon is going to feel. From a bystanders point of view (and its probably not what you want to hear) but even if the cat litter smelled of chanel no 5, if you are going to let your clients use your loo, then I would maybe look at putting it in a different place before your client arrives and then you can put it back when they leave. AS even as a cat lover myself, if i went to a home salon and they had a cat litter tray in their bathroom, the snob in me would say "ewwwww". Could you not put the litter tray in the room you lock your cats up in while you are busy with client?

[zm85]

Working from home is great I'm sure you'll love it! Onto cats however it's not something to mention to clients as they book in it's not what I'd expect from a salon and ultimately you want to try and recreate the same professional atmosphere but on a more personal level.
this means no cat litter trays in areas clients have access to no matter how clean it is! If I'm being honest it would put me off but I've never owned a cat and i don't particularly like them either you need to understand aswell not every client will love your cats whether or not they have allergies so its best to keep them out of your way while working!

[syncage]

I may be unusual but I am afraid of cats. They skit around, aren't trained and have sharp teeth and claws! If I saw a cat I would make my excuses and leave! I'm aware this is an extreme view but there are other people who simply don't like them. Noone likes the smell/look of litter trays and many people are allergic. I once lived in a rented house which had previously been let to a family with two cats. The whole place had been professionally deep cleaned between tenancies and you couldn't see or smell any trace of the pets and yet our asthmatic allergic friend would start wheezing and get watery eyes if she spent any amount of time in our home.

It is totally up to you but if you don't want to limit your client base I would keep your treatment room cat free and be sure to redecorate and replace any textiles (incl carpet) so you have a clean allergen free room. You shouldn't have contact with your pets when wearing your salon uniform so that is clean, and when you do laundry wash salon stuff separately. I would keep the carts shut out of all common areas when you have a client at your home and definately no litter tray in the bathroom!

Sorry if this is harsh or rude to you and your pet but it meant constructively as advice as to what steps you would need to take to make your home salon a suitable environment for highly allergic or phobic clients so hopefully it will be helpful to your business! :lol:

[meme!]

so cute ur considering your cats.lol...my cat loves my salon and trying to sleep in there im forever kicking him out...nawtynawty!!!

[Carlalouise]

I have a very needy cat so I have to keep her away from clients as she would not leave them alone, I also keep her out of my beauty room when I'm not working as I think you have to be as hygienic as you possibly can as well as her being very inquisitive re products.

If your clients are going to use your bathroom, I would say move the dirt tray, it's not nice and there are a lot of people out there who are not animal lovers / keep animals who would be put of by it.

[carrie_bee]

*gasp*! So sorry that I never replied to this thread, I think I need to change my settings so I get an email when there are replies - I thought I already had them that way! Right, I'm going to read all this advice now :) Ty fellow Geeks :)

[Miss Sylk]

I actually can't breath after a while being around cats. I avoid houses with cats but I'd probably forget to ask you if you had cats when asking you about your treatments, price, time, address etc so I'd be thankful you told me about your cats and I'd take a tablet otherwise I could end up leaving in a gasping state with my nails half done or even worse if you do lashes if I needed to give my eyes a rub. What a thought lol xx

[Belle De Jour]

I may be unusual but I am afraid of cats. They skit around, aren't trained and have sharp teeth and claws! If I saw a cat I would make my excuses and leave! I'm aware this is an extreme view but there are other people who simply don't like them. Noone likes the smell/look of litter trays and many people are allergic. I once lived in a rented house which had previously been let to a family with two cats. The whole place had been professionally deep cleaned between tenancies and you couldn't see or smell any trace of the pets and yet our asthmatic allergic friend would start wheezing and get watery eyes if she spent any amount of time in our home.

It is totally up to you but if you don't want to limit your client base I would keep your treatment room cat free and be sure to redecorate and replace any textiles (incl carpet) so you have a clean allergen free room. You shouldn't have contact with your pets when wearing your salon uniform so that is clean, and when you do laundry wash salon stuff separately. I would keep the carts shut out of all common areas when you have a client at your home and definately no litter tray in the bathroom!

Sorry if this is harsh or rude to you and your pet but it meant constructively as advice as to what steps you would need to take to make your home salon a suitable environment for highly allergic or phobic clients so hopefully it will be helpful to your business! :lol: I have 2 cats and work from home syncage said everything I think on this subject and I'm a cat lover but defo no to the litter tray :) I keep mine out of my work space & have not had a problem yet (touchwood)

[Jigglyb4ll]

I have 2 cats, I won't have a litter tray in the house, they have to go outside as its not nice for clients.
In all honestly, us pet owners don't smell our pets after a while as we get use to it. You may think the litter smell ok. But I can assure you it doesn't :/

With regards to the cats themselves, they aren't allowed in my beauty room at all. When I have a new client, before they walk through the door I ask if they have any pet allergies or issues with cats so that if they say yes I tell them to go round the back of my house which is a direct way to my room without passing the cats lol

My laundry is all washed separate to my salon towels and things to ensure no hair gets on it.

So far I've not had anyone complain and most like to pet my cars on the way out! :D xx

[souz]

i have a cat and 2 kittens (at one point 6 kittens!!i have the mummy who gave birth to them!). Yes its difficult but possible to have a salon and your cats. I have had 2 clients who were funny about my cats and thats fine. each to their own and all that. The mum goes out so isnt home when clients are here and the kittens until now have been locked in my bedroom...generally sleeping. I have hada litter tray right by the front door, there really is nowhere else but have always made sure it is fresh and i have candle burners with scented oils right by front door also!! I hoover and mop my floor every day to make sure house is clean and cat smell free!! Yes they get into my room and even sit and sleep on the chairs occasionally which i then clean and hoover. Some how its worked

[cloughers]

I've got 2 cats and 2 small dogs. My room is my spare bedroom and I keep it shut all the time. I don't let the cats in here and the dogs aren't allowed upstairs anyway. My clients come in the front door and straight up the stairs so don't really see the animals as I try to make sure the lounge door is closed. Sometimes one of my children may open it and the dogs will come to have a look and I can gauge from the clients reaction whether to quickly shut the dogs in the lounge or not! Most of my clients love them and ask to see them!

[adventuregirl]

From a client perspective, I'd be put off coming back as I'd think it was unsanitary. Regardless of how clean the owner made it. They couldn't convince me otherwise.

I know that doesn't sound fair on those who genuinely make the effort but that's how I'd feel. And I love cats and dogs, so it's nothing to do with that.

There was a girl I know whose dog slept in her fancy St Tropez Airport which made me shudder!

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[Arty*Rox]

A hair salon I used to go too years ago had a little dog, he had a little bed behind the reception desk and he was very well behaved, the clients visiting the salon used to adore him and including myself used to bring him in the odd treat, he loved gravy bones lol.

Yes a little unusual but nobody ever minded, the salon was always very clean and they were always very busy.

I also run a home salon, if ever I have new clients I always mention on the phone that I have dogs and a cat, there always out of the way when new clients visit, but most of the time there interested to know what dogs I have and want to meet them.

[Maz101]

I have 3 dogs (shihtzus) I always let clients know I have them and offer a home visit if prefered, they are not allowed upstairs and that means they don't go in my salon room, they are also kept behind a stair gate over the front room door so when clients come there is no contact tho they do hear them barking lol.

I've never had a client object or comment apart from awww there cute, but they know my salon room is dog free 100%

I think as long as clients are pre warned about the cats due to allergies etc I think it is fine.

[elmojo]

My nail room is separate from my house and my dog is never allowed in there and not in the garden while I'm working. I'm REALLY allergic to cats - just being in the same house as them will make me sneeze, wheeze and my eyes water, if I went to a home salon and got an allergic reaction I wouldn't go back. However, having a nail room and a pet in your home IS acceptable, but something to bear in mind if you get clients that don't return and you don't know why.

[Papillion]

I am also sadly allergic to cats (seems there's a few of us around). I had to give my cat to my parents.

I could cope if it was in another part of the house, but not if it was in or had been in the treatment room.