Clinical Immersion at Cats in the City
A limited opportunity to observe the TANDEM Cat® clinical grooming model in practice.
Clinical Immersion is designed for professionals seeking a deeper understanding of feline grooming beyond technique alone. Hosted inside the Cats in the City clinical shops, this experience offers direct exposure to the TANDEM Cat® method as it is practiced in real time.
Participants observe the handling, pacing, communication, environmental setup, and decision-making involved in complex feline cases, including high-stress, medically sensitive, and behaviorally challenging cats.
This is not a staged demonstration. It is access to a functioning clinical grooming environment where the work unfolds as it actually happens.
What This Is
Clinical Immersion is an observational, discussion-based training experience for professionals who want to understand how TANDEM Cat® is applied in real cases.
The focus is not simply on what is done, but on how and why it is done.
- how cats are approached and read on intake
- how handling decisions are made moment to moment
- how escalation is prevented, softened, or reversed
- how coat, posture, movement, shutdown, and resistance are interpreted as meaningful information
- how team-based grooming functions in live practice
This experience is designed to deepen clinical thinking, not just expand technique.
The Cradle
Observe how support positions such as the cradle create regulation, body security, and access without defaulting to force-based restraint.
Comfort Hoodie
See how sound buffering, containment, and nervous system support are integrated into the clinical logic of care rather than treated as accessories.
The Hover
Learn how hovering, pacing, and environmental choreography help reduce escalation before direct handling even begins.
What You Will Observe
Depending on the case mix during your visit, immersion participants may observe:
- intake and case assessment
- TANDEM Touch™ team handling in live grooming sessions
- pacing, sequencing, and environmental choreography
- severe matting and coat burden cases
- medically fragile, geriatric, or behaviorally sensitive cats
- communication between practitioners during active care
- client communication and case framing where appropriate
Because this is a live clinical setting, each immersion is shaped by the real cats scheduled during that period.
Observation of a Working System
Most grooming education is delivered through demonstration, theory, or controlled teaching scenarios.
Clinical Immersion is different.
It takes place inside the practice where the TANDEM Cat® system was developed and refined. The value lies in seeing how the method functions across real variables: time pressure, case variation, behavioral complexity, team coordination, and moment-to-moment decision-making.
Participants are not learning an isolated technique. They are observing a working system.
TANDEM Touch™
Experience how synchronized, two-person handling changes access, precision, timing, and feline tolerance during active care.
The Edge
Observe how positional logic is used to create safer transitions, clearer body access, and more stable handling during difficult procedures.
Best Suited For Professionals Already Working With Cats
Clinical Immersion is intended for:
- professional cat groomers
- veterinary staff and technicians
- feline care teams working with complex cases
- experienced practitioners seeking a deeper, structured approach to feline handling and grooming
Participants should already have hands-on experience working with cats. This is not an introductory grooming course.
Especially Valuable If You Want To
- move beyond force-based or restraint-heavy handling models
- better understand high-risk feline grooming
- improve clinical observation during grooming
- see how trauma-informed care functions in live practice
- understand how team-based handling changes outcomes
- deepen your grasp of TANDEM Cat® before or after certification
Current Structure
Clinical Immersion is currently offered in a limited onsite format at Cats in the City in Portland, Oregon.
- one-day or two-day immersion
- limited attendance to protect the clinical environment
- observational learning with guided discussion
- selective hands-on participation only where appropriate
Because the work is live and the environment must remain stable for feline patients, participation is intentionally limited.
The Welfare of the Cats Comes First
Observation does not guarantee hands-on participation, and not all cases are appropriate for direct trainee involvement. The level of participation is determined by case needs, team judgment, and the stability of the environment on that day.
This structure protects the integrity of the work while allowing serious professionals to learn from it.
Team-Based Access
See how coordinated positioning creates calmer, safer access for procedures that typically trigger resistance or shutdown.
Where TANDEM Cat® Was Built
Cats in the City is the real-world practice environment where TANDEM Cat® was built.
This is a feline-only system developed through high-volume work with cats who are often medically complex, behaviorally sensitive, shutdown, matted, or commonly referred elsewhere for sedation. Clinical Immersion provides access to that setting as a learning environment, while preserving its primary function as a place of care.
Relationship to Certification and Published Work
Clinical Immersion can stand alone, but it is also part of a broader TANDEM Cat® educational pathway.
Foundational concepts are introduced through certification and supported by published materials including TANDEM touch™ 10 and The Cat Grooming Encyclopedia. Immersion offers a chance to see those principles operating in a live clinical environment.
Request Information
Participation is application-based.
Because space is limited and the environment must remain aligned with feline welfare, inquiries are reviewed for fit, experience level, and training goals.
Clinical Immersion is an opportunity to observe how complex feline grooming is actually performed. For professionals seeking more than isolated techniques, it offers direct access to a structured clinical method developed through real work, real cases, and a deep commitment to better care for cats.
Clinical Immersion is limited in order to protect the stability of the environment and the welfare of the cats receiving care.
Shawn and Dan are the inventors and developers of TANDEM Cat® Care, the founders of Cats in the City, and the founders of The TANDEM Cat® Institute. This method is a safer and more relaxed experience for your cat. When the TANDEM Cat® Grooming technique is used, two or more professional groomers attend to your cat, comfortably and naturally positioning them while the lead groomer focuses on the coat. Solo grooming involves only one groomer, which is unsafe and stressful.