Catteries.. Now need advice and your thoughts...

Well... as holibob is booked, we had a drive up to the cattery that we put Mads in a couple of years ago... the woman remembered her! LOL! Its a lovely place, we feel safe with it, its up a dirt road, so no where near any traffic and looks out over fields and they get field mice doing suicide runs through the enclosures LOL! Which would keep Mads entertained, and Bramble.... well... we'll just bring her donut-ball toy LOL! Anyway, they are really busy but the nice lady is going to have a look tomorrow and see if she can rearrange things to fit them in... *fingers crossed*

Good luck with that, it makes such a difference knowing they are fine and well looked after.

Fingers crossed for you Helen. It sounds a lovely spot. Typical me though, I must have missed the thread about your holiday being booked *toddles off to find it*

LOL, its in Kaths' 'speaking of holidays' thread.

It is a lovely spot Nicki and what I didn't mention was when we went up yesterday, the lady was a little upset over one of the cats, as they had been very ill and she couldn't contact the owners so was taking the poor thing back and forth from the vets, and that it was serious and it was obvious that she geniunely cared, so I completely trust her with my two, that if they get ill, she'll do her best them, which is great... Anyhoo, hopefully we'll get a call back this afternoon and if she doesn't have spaces I believe there's someone she can recommend.. I seem to recall that from last time anyway...

Right, well the nice lady called and she can't fit them in! Boo Hoo!

Soooo, I had a quick internet looksie and there's a cattery 5-10 mins away called Purrfect Cattery 2, so I gave them a call and a gruff voiced man answered and said yes they have places, by all means call round whenever to have a looksie at the cattery, so I said we'd pop round tomorrow, then of course we called in today 'to catch off guard' lol. Anyhoo, the man was friendly enough and took us straight in to see the cats and I must say it was a different set up....:

The cats all had fairly large indoor pens within an indoor enclosure, at one end there was a reasonably large indoor area done like a kitchen with a kitchen table with chairs, and armchair and hand built floor to ceiling cat-tree with 'tunnels' running along the ceiling for them.. this 'kitchen' area lead out to a nice sized outdoor enclosure, with ladders, climbing tree, drift wood etc. Now comes the unusual bit... the owner of the catteries lets the cats out in groups, so that they mingle together to have some excercise time... he does this slowly, to make sure there won't be fighting, and if there is then he gives the fighters seperate excercise time. But we were amazed when we went in by how the cats taking excercise time together got on so well and apperently they were all from different households.
The place was a bit tired, but there were no smells and the cats that were there absolutely loved him and were all over him when he was in! LOL! He doesn't seem too knowledgable about cats but comes accross a genuine cat lover.

Its just so different to other catteries we have seen, so what do you think? He didn't ask about vaccinations, but my two are up to date on theirs, oh and my mum has just been on the phone and she's sure thats the place that my sister got her two cats from (he also does work for social services, takes in cats from homes that can't look after them, and I mean, my sisters two were in a right state when rescued and he was able to bring them back to more health), he has a vet on call 24hours that comes to the cattery in case of any problems. Oh and its £10/night for the pair of them, but not bothered about cost really. So as I say, whats your opinions on this 'communial excercise time'?

The only thing that bothers me is the fact that he didn't ask about vacs. Now I know not everybody agrees with vacs, but you have vaccinated yours and if he puts them with unvaccinated cats and they get something, you would feel awful. But you've seen the cattery, I jsut can't imagine one like it. LOL Go with your gut instincts, if you feel it's right, do it.

Now this sounds bad of me to say, but if someone is daft enough to put their unvaccinated cat in a 'communial situation' then really, thats their lookout! (oh gads, I'm an uncaring bitch, but yes you are right I would feel bad if someone elses got something from mine).

They are kept in their own pens overnight and it felt quite warm in there, all the bedding was fluffy and had their own sleeping/climbing trees. I don't know, its so tricky as I haven't seen a cattery like it either! LOL! Now all other ones are looking a bit 'clinical'... it feels more homely and besides the fact that Maddy will no doubt come back twice her size from wandering over and eating everyone elses food LOL, I think my gut is telling me they wouldn't mind it there... I bet Bramble would absolutely love it! And as long as the cat lover didn't try and pick Mads up (as he was picking alot of them up and they were just loving it), but he'd soon learn that was a bad idea... Oh part of me would love to be a fly on the wall to see how they got on with the other kitties! LOL! But yes, I feel comfortable with this one, even tho it does look a little ran down and tired, as there was no smell and the place was clean, and more importantly the kitties were soooo happy, which isn't the first impression I get from a cattery, they normally look miserable! LOL

Exactly, they do, I think you know deep down they are going to be just. Thing is Helen, something can happen to them which ever cattery you put them into, just like anything can happen to them at home. You expected one thing and came across another, but it could be the best cattery you'll ever come across.

Like Kath says, if it feels right, go for it. The fact that the cats look happy and well looked after says loads. You're right to question the owner for not mentioning vacs but maybe he will if you book with him? Or you could ring and ask him, that way you could be sure.

Did it look safe? I was wondering whether it would be possible to escape the communial area?

It looked safe as in no escapees.. as had double door to get in..

However, I've been having a looksie on cattery checklists fab website etc. and they all say to stay clear from places with communal areas... hmmm, so now am having second thoughts as they could come back with parasites or allsorts.. but then again, what could they get that Mads wouldn't pick up from being outdoors anyway? Also Ian has different cats coming into comtact with his bunch, and no harm has came to them from it, so is this just a precaution? As dogs boarding kennels often have communal areas?

Would you put your cats in a place where they had contact with other peoples cats in a communal indoor and outdoor area?

Mads is an outdoor cat, as is Moto and Sophie and so many on here, and do you for one minute think*Oh hold on she might come into contact with a cat with fleas etc*, no course you don't none of us do. I think the thing that would worry me, is if either of my two were distressed by the rest of the cats. Outside they can wander off and find their own secret place, inside the cattery they would have limited areas to escape from.

But that guy woudn't force any cats who didn't get on in to the communial area, would he? It would have to depend on the cats personality and whether the owner was comfortable with it. I would worry about Percy as he hates other cats but if you think Mads and Bramble would be okay then it might not be so much of an issue.

Hmm yes, Maddy hates other cats too and needs her own space. The bloke said that alot of owners end up completely surprised by their unsociable cat 'making friends', apparently its not so bad, as they have their own space and the communal area is neutral territory, so they tend just to walk past each other.... Hmmmm, I'm doing that thing where I think too much about things... argh!

There's the other option of getting someone to come and feed them twice a day at home... but everyone we know has other family commitments, so if a crazed Mads got outside (she loves outside) and then wouldn't come back in for them, its unfair to expect someone to wait around for her to decide she wants back in and if it gets late, she could go over the fence and won't come to anyone other than me or Calvin... or if Bramble got out, she's just too jumpy and good luck to the poor soul that has to try and get her in! LOL! So this is why I'm thinking cattery, as I'll know they are in and safe...

I think because you're on a time limit, the cattery would be the best option, Linda my CP friend as often mentioned looking after mine, while we are away, but I don't let them out at night and could you imagine trying to get the two of them in if they decide they want a night on the tiles. It's not fair to put that worry onto a carer. And I would imagine, if there was someone looking aftre Mads and Bramble, you would spend your whole holiday worrying about them all.

True, true... oh I'm sure they'll be fine.. I've found another couple of catteries nearish and one has places.. may give them a visit tomorrow to see if any feel better.. otherwise I will go with the communal area one as the cats all looked very happy.

Thank you all. x

You'll know best yourself, and you'll know which cattery Mads and Bramble will be happiest in. Trust your instincts.