If you think hairdressers and tattoo artists only work on humans, you’re in for a shock. Since pet grooming is still a new practice in Russia, it means that those who provide the service have even more work to do.

Yes, the art of pet grooming and decorating really is expensive, particularly in our hard times, but professionals of this unusual trend insist their craft is not only a luxury.

At a whisker short of US$200 for a standard dry-cut are no a snip financially speaking, but it can transform mere moggies into their owners' cutting-edge feline fashion fantasies.

“The foremost purpose of what I do is to make it easier for the owner to look after their cat or dog. Also, it is for the pets' own health,” says Alfred, a pet groomer, whose client list reads like a roll-call of Russian celebrities and their pets.

Pet grooming is becoming ever more elaborate, but is causing a lot of controversy. You can even find an artist to tattoo your furless sphinx cat under general anaesthetic.

“The ethical thinking about animals in Russia lags behind the West. People here mostly buy animals for selfish reasons. Everything else that happens to them afterwards is a consequence of that,” points out animal rights activist Irina Novozhilova.

In statistical terms, pet grooming, particularly in its extreme forms, is still very rare. But the industry is expanding rapidly and remains unregulated, with no barriers to the charlatans who compete with the professionals.