Leaving your beloved feline friend in the care of another person is often a very stressful task on its own. You probably wish you could duplicate your home and reinvent it into the place that you are taking him to. But we all know this is not possible – well for most of the time, so we just have to hope and pray that they will be in good hands and enjoy their visit where you have chosen to leave them while you are away.
Let us look at the options one needs to consider for choosing a good cattery:
1. Are you able to visit the Cattery before you make the booking?
If you are unable to see the premises, then its best you go elsewhere.
2. What are the regulations regarding vaccinations?
Up-to-date vaccinations against upper respiratory tract disease and feline infectious enteritis are vital to minimize any risk of cross infection in the cattery. If there is no regulation on vaccinations, then chances are high that you will be coming back to a sick kitty once you return. Its important that catteries enforce this regulation.
3. How will the Cattery treat my cat if he becomes ill?
A good cattery will monitor their boarding cats daily (if not more) to ensure that they are in good health. They will ask you to sign an authorisation form to give them permission to take your cat to the vet if he becomes ill.
4. Units must be Individual Units
There is no way you want to expose your cat to other (strange) cats. They might be aggressive to one another and you have the problem of your cat becoming ill due to another cat. Where you have a lot of cats together there is a chance to spread viral or bacterial disease. Your cat must be in his own unit. If you own more than one cat, they can be placed in 1 unit together.
5. Will your kitty be warm in winter and cool in summer?
The enclosure should have a safe heating and cooling mechanism inside the in-door section.
6. Will your kitty be able to enjoy the fresh air outside, yet still be warm (or cool) and safe inside?
The enclosure should have a cat flap to separate them from the world outside, keeping the air inside according to the season that you are in.
7. Does the unit have a Safety door?
Cats in confinement are masters of escaping. You don’t want your kitty to be able to escape while you are away. A safety door (double-door) helps keep them secure every time the door is opened for feeding and cleaning the unit.
8. Will your cat have enough space to move around freely?
If the cattery is well built and the runs are about 1.8m by 1.2m, with shelves to sunbathe on, and the run is equipped with something for cats to play with and sharpen their claws on, they’ll be very content.
9.What will the food be like?
Confirm what the cats are being fed and if you can provide your own food for the duration of the stay. Will this affect to daily fee?
10. Is this a cattery and a kennel facility?
Cats are more stressed around dogs – especially barking dogs - and its best to make use of a cattery that does not have kennels or dogs nearby. They will not enjoy the sight, sound or smell of dogs which will inevitably stress them out too much.
To keep your cat from being bored and lonely, remember to leave them with blankets and toys that you bring from home.
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