When going away for vacations, many cat-owners have to leave their pet cats behind to be taken care of by pet-sitters or by leaving them at a cat boarding facility for the time being. A cat boarding is also known by other names such as kennel or cattery (make sure it’s not a breeding cattery!) or other fancier names such as cat spa or cat hotel. This place is like a baby day-care centre where instead of babies, cats are taken care of while their owners are away.
Picking the Best Possible Facility
Once you have decided to leave your cat at a boarding facility, you must visit all potential facilities in the area to choose the one that is best. To do so, follow the instructions given below:
* Double fencing Make sure that the facility you choose has a two-tiered fencing to avoid any possible mishap of losing your cat when it tries to escape. This means that the facility must be surrounded by a bigger periphery of fences, so if a cat escapes one fence, it is guarded from the rest of the world by another one.
* Cat’s Enclosure Make sure that your cat has a decent-sized space to live in. in this respect, the height of the enclosure is very important. It must also preferably have an outdoor run that is completely enclosed so that your cat may also take a breath of fresh air whenever it wants.
* Disease Prevention Before signing your cat in at a facility, make sure that the facility always asks for vaccination evidence of all cats. The ventilation must also be good. All cats must have separate enclosures and must never come in contact with each other at all. There must also be a reasonable distance between 2 enclosures and they can be easily disinfected. Hence, the use of surfaces such as carpets must be avoided as they are germ-friendly.
* Daily Routine You must know the daily routine of cats in the facility. They must spend a considerable amount of time playing, grooming and accompanying their care-takers. It must also be noticed if each specific breed is given attention along with the optimum amount of feeding according to its attitude and character.
* Exclusivity It must be made sure that the facility you’re sending your cat too must have a separate area for cats. It is not necessary that you opt for the facility that exclusively deals with cats. Just make sure that the one you choose has a peaceful, special space for cats.
* Trust Your Instinct When finding the right place for cat, do go around and visit a few facilities before coming to a final decision. Spend a little time at each facility to know how everything works and it would be good if you also talk to the staff`. However, if you have a bad feeling about some place, trust your instinct!
Preparations of Bringing your Cat to a Boarding Facility
Normally the staff of the facility will guide you on the requirements but these have also been given below:
1) Always carry your cat in a carrier whenever you leave your house, even when bringing it to a boarding facility. Provide all medical papers required which would include proof of vaccinations and if your cat has been spayed/ neutered (whatever the case maybe). Also give the number of your cat’s veterinarian in case of emergency.
2) Give the number and other details of a guardian of your cat who will take decisions pertaining to the cat on your behalf while you are gone. You can also give the number of the place where you would be, if possible. Also, bring with you anything that your cat might be very fond of and do not wash it before doing so. This way, it will still have the smell of home and hence, belonging for the cat.
3) In case your cat is on medication or eats a certain kind of food only, you must write down any such details and give them to the staff. You might also be required to provide the staff with these.
Since vacations are to relax and enjoy, you don’t want to be worried about your cat while you’re away. So, do your homework well in advance when making decisions about your cat’s boarding facility. Also, it is harder to find good facilities during national holiday. To avoid such trouble, book in advance.
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