cat boarding

It is our goal to keep your cat as comfortable as possible, therefor we suggest, keeping them on the same diet that they have at home. Keeping their diet consistent, helps them stay healthy and reduces stress while they're boarding. However, we can provide our food for them at no extra charge. If your cat requires medication of any kind a highly trained staff member can administer it. We require cats to be current on their FVRCP and Rabies vaccines before visiting our facility and we always recommend contacting your vet to see if they suggest any other vaccinations before boarding. 

 Keep in mind that cats react much differently in a strange environment than dogs. Cats are instinctively solitary animals. They do not run in packs as dogs do. Therefore, when confronted with strange surroundings, a cat’s normal response is to withdraw physically and mentally into a protected, solitary state. For this reason, cats enjoy the “protected” feeling they get from being caged while in the kennel.

While it is true that most dogs want to run around and get acquainted, your cat will probably want to sit in the corner of his enclosure and stare, until he feels comfortable in the new environment. Human contact does not normally accelerate this period of acclimatizing; it has to take place at the cat’s own pace. A common reaction of cat owners to the idea of caging is “kitty loves to run around.” Perhaps he does at home, but while he is in unfamiliar surroundings, his cage gives him a feeling of safety.

“But what about exercise?” Here again, the difference between a cat and a dog must be understood. Dogs need space in which to get their necessary exercise, whereas cats exercise isometrically. This means that if a cat has enough room to stretch, he can exercise every muscle in his body. When your cat is in strange surroundings, around strange cats, he will undoubtedly much prefer “safety” to “space.” 

 Any animal in strange surroundings suffers from stress. This means that his normal immune process is affected, as well as his eating and digestive habits. A professional boarding kennel will do everything possible to minimize the effects of stress on your cat. You can help minimize the effects of stress by trying to make the boarding experience as pleasant as possible for your cat. Remember that the more often your cat boards, the more adjusted he will be to the kennel environment, and the easier the boarding process becomes for him. Therefore, several short periods of boarding prior to a lengthy vacation will probably do more to help your cat adjust to boarding than will anything else. 

After you pick kitty up from the kennel, you may want to keep him locked in at home for a few days before allowing him to roam. Just as he had to adjust to the kennel, so will he have to adjust to being home again. Allow him to find that “at home” feeling again before letting him out of the house.