Question about cat boarding

**MummaSue** · November 13th, 2010, 06:21 AM

Hey guys,

We had our cat in a cattery when we were in the UK. They came and picked her up for us and we went and got her when we got back.

Now, when we picked her up, she was in a tiny cage, with a bed, litter tray and her bowls next to the litter tray. When I say tiny, I mean that she could stand up but there wasn't much head space room for her.

We paid $17 per day, I was led to believe that she would have her own "space" and on their website it showed like larger sized spaces. Almost like narrow rooms with scratch poles etc.

It's playing on my mind that she has been in this cage the whole time, she has come home a totally different cat - flighty and scared of loud noises etc. She wasn't really like this before. And she is clingy as hell. Just won't leave me or DH alone and is even sitting within proximity to DD at times (which is VERY unusual).

When we went to pick her up it was 5 minutes before closing time, so I am wondering if maybe the cats are put into these little cages overnight. Maybe I am just trying to talk myself into that to make me feel better about leaving my poor fur baby in a cage for 3 weeks.

I want to ring them and ask them - but what good would it do?

I feel so sad that we did this to my poor kitteh!

So I guess the question is, is this normal for cat boarding?

**Lulu** · November 13th, 2010, 06:28 AM

Maybe she was in there ready to go home?

I dunno - I've only boarded a cat once, and it was a little old lady with cages in her backyard. They were VERY spacious, plenty of room to climb and puss was more than fine when we picked him up.

I imagine kitteh didn't like the place as much as home....and I hope she goes back to normal soon xoxo

**MummaSue** · November 13th, 2010, 06:30 AM

Thanks Lulu, I did think that. DH was FURIOUS when we picked her up and I was just really upset.

I might just ring them - I'm just a bit scared of the answer.

**Daydream Believer** · November 13th, 2010, 07:49 AM

Where the IL's take their cat, the cages are really big & the cats are let out to play in special rooms a couple of times a day for a few hours.

**Miss.September** · November 13th, 2010, 08:05 AM

I did work experience in a kennels/cattery once and the cats were all kept in large cages, but on the day that they were to go home, they were put into a smaller one to wait for collection. Same with the dogs. You can always ask the people for a tour - if they are decent and reputable, they will have no issues with this.

**~Hestia~** · November 13th, 2010, 09:48 AM

I'd definitely be ringing or emailing just to set my mind at ease. You're not going to want to use them again if that's the conditions they're in! But I hope she was just in there to wait for you.

FWIW we put one of our cats in a cattery for a couple of nights while we were doing some renos. I know for a fact she was in a nice roomy cage with access to an outside area of her own; still came home all freaked out! She took some time to calm down that's for sure lol!

**Ahurani** · November 13th, 2010, 10:13 AM

I recon she was just in there because she was coming home. I had my baby in a cattery while we went away and he always comes back so hungry lol. I must overfeed him haha

I think if your really upset you should ring and ask. There's no harm in that for some peace of mind

**meow** · November 13th, 2010, 10:19 AM

I think you need to find out either way. It's not normal though. I visited a stack of places when we moved here to check them out before we chose a place to board our cat and there was one dodgy place so I guess they are around. If it's the first time boarding your cat will be unsettled after coming home regardless of how comfy she was. She'll calm down again

**ss_storm** · November 13th, 2010, 10:20 AM

poor kitty. I'd say she was just in there so she was easily accessible when you came to pick her up. has she ever been boarded before? She could just be a bit traumatised by the whole experience..cats can be a bit funny if their routines are broken. At least it's nice to know she missed you?! (unlike our idiot dog who we boarded for about 10 days a couple of christmases ago, we came to pick him up and he acted like we'd never even been gone! Lol)

**helle** · November 13th, 2010, 10:37 AM

My parents had a dog that would sulk for a week when they put him in the kennel for holidays. Maybe she just disnt enjoy her stay away from home?
Where there bigger rooms there or were they all small cages? I'd say call em. Worse case is you know not to take her back there again.

**Elocin** · November 13th, 2010, 07:23 PM

Just like Helle, my parents dogs would always and act different when they got home from the kennels.

How is kitteh tonight?

**christy** · November 13th, 2010, 07:42 PM

Yep I've worked in a vet clinic that had a cattery, on the day they were going home we would bring them up and pop them in a smaller bed just to make getting them easier when the families came to pick them up.

**MummaSue** · November 14th, 2010, 06:07 AM

Hey guys,

Well, i rang them and she DID spend all that time in there.

*sobs*

Won't be using them again. We should have checked the place out first!

**ss_storm** · November 14th, 2010, 06:10 AM

oh my goodness, that's horrible! So she wasn't let out of that cage at all? No wonder she's so traumatised! Is there an agency in your state that "manages" boarding facilities? Like some department that sets out guidelines for boarding businesses and carries out inspections? Maybe the RSPCA could help..because surely that would be considered animal abuse if all the cats there are being kept in tiny cages for the duration of their stay?

ETA: it's not your fault hun, you weren't to know they were like that. After all, we put our trust in them that they'll take of our animals almost as well as we do, that's what they are there for...to provide peace of mind for owners that their pets will be well looked after while they are away!

**MummaSue** · November 14th, 2010, 07:03 AM

I have been thinking about doing that ss_storm! Tomorrow I am going to ring the RSPCA and see if this is standard practice. I expressed my concerns on the phone to the cattery and they said that I should have paid extra for play time.

*Sigh* Poor kitteh!

**ss_storm** · November 14th, 2010, 07:07 AM

they said that I should have paid extra for play time.

What the?!? Play time/space to actually be able to move shouldn't be an optional extra you have to pay for! I'm sure you would have already paid them enough to board her there for however long you were away..the basic needs of any animal include freedom to move and express their natural behaviours!