Danelle German
Danelle German (born 1968 or 1969)[1] is an American businesswoman and author who is known for her creation of cat and dog handbags. She later founded the National Cat Groomers Institute of America (NCGIA) located in Greenville, South Carolina.
Cat breeder
From 1999 to 2005, German bred Persian cats for Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) shows, earning several regional awards for her cats, completing her show career in 2005 with a third place premiership (spayed or neutered cats over eight months old) for her cat, GC, GP, NW Chantilylace Groucho Marks of Bara, DM.[2] In preparation for the CFA shows, German and her husband had built a cattery and grooming operation for her Persians in their home.[2] At the request of The Cat Clinic of Greenville (South Carolina), German opened her doors to the public in January 2001 to create The Catty Shack.[2]
The Catty Shack
By 2003, the business was so successful that German moved The Catty Shack to its current location in neighboring Simpsonville (located southeast of Greenville).[2] German sold her business to Morgan Reynolds in December 2009 to focus on the NCGIA in Greenville which she founded in May 2007.[3][4]
While at The Catty Shack, German created a side business that created handbags for cats and dogs.[1] This was done out of the cat hair that was shed at her South Carolina office on a daily basis.[1] It led to the creation of Catty Shack Creations, a handbag business that would be mentioned on the Persians part of Animal Planet's Cats 101 in December 2008.[5] The comments varied from interesting to disgusting.[1][5]
National Cat Groomers Institute of America
Prior to the NCGIA's founding in 2006, German had presented seminars regarding cat grooming. By late 2006, German realized the need to train people to properly groom a cat. This was evident in the amount of phone calls and e-mails received from frustrated groomers and disappointed cat owners alike. This resulted in German creating the NCGIA, the first feline-specific grooming instruction of its kind to be formed.[4] Since the NCGIA's formation in 2007, German is one of three instructors in the Certified Feline Master Groomer (CFMG) as of 2010[6] and one of only seven Certified Feline Creative Groomers (CFCG) as of 2010.[7]
German is also an author on cat grooming called The Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia.[4][8] This encyclopedia focuses on the cat grooming business, CFA-approved cat breeds, feline behavior, grooming and handling techniques, feline health, and case studies on cat grooming.[8][9]
Personal
German is married with five children.[2][3] Her oldest daughter, Olivia, works on the staff of The Catty Shack.[3] With her husband, German developed the patented CattyShack Vac drying system which is used to dry a cat once they are washed.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Look what the cat dragged in: Animal groomer crafts handbags from feline fur." The Daily Mail (London, United Kingdom) 4 February 2009 article accessed 22 June 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 History of The Catty Shack in Simpsonville, SC featuring German. - accessed 22 June 2010.
- 1 2 3 The Catty Shack staff. - accessed 22 June 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 National Cat Groomers Institute of America (NCGIA) profile of German. - accessed 22 June 2010.
- 1 2 "Cat fur sweaters for everyone". Lemondrop.com - 2 January 2009 article accessed 22 June 2010.
- ↑ National Cat Groomers Institute of America Certified Feline Master Groomers list as of 22 June 2010. - accessed 22 June 2010.
- ↑ National Cat Groomers Institute of America Certified Feline Creative Groomers as of 22 June 2010. - accessed 22 June 2010.
- 1 2 The Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia book from the National Cat Groomers Institute of America - accessed 22 June 2010.
- ↑ The Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia Table of Contents - National Cat Groomers Institute of America. Accessed 22 June 2010.