Deciding to go away is fun but the thought of leaving your cat isn’t. Who will look after them whilst I’m away? Will they miss me? Will they hate me for leaving them? These were just some of the questions I had when I first decided to go on holiday and leave my baby, Lola.
I was heartbroken. Not just because I was leaving her with a stranger but because I knew how much attention she was used to. After getting a couple of recommendations and looking online to see what was available, I found a cattery and booked her in. It wasn’t until I dropped her off that I finally saw where she was staying. I left her in her little pen and walked out in tears. I spent 10 minutes crying in the car before driving off.
When the day finally arrived to collect her I was over the moon. I’d only actually left her for 3 nights but it felt like two weeks. As soon as I saw her I knew I shouldn’t have left her. Cowering in her bed, I left her with, I had to lift out her weak shaking body. She stunk of wee, she clearly hadn’t eaten either by the look of her thin body. I was mortified. My confident little girl had been abandoned and it was all my fault.
My biggest regret for leaving Lola was not going and visiting the cattery before booking her in. If I knew where she was staying, I wouldn’t have left her. I would have done more research to find somewhere suitable for mine and Lolas needs. If only I had spoken to the owner beforehand and told her what Lola was like, she is my shadow, she craves attention and affection. Maybe she would have taken her time to help Lola adjust, and then she would have eaten. But maybe if I didn’t experience that I wouldn’t have created The Great Catsby!
I wasn’t a crazy cat lady, just a worried cat mum
After listening to other peoples worries and fears about leaving their cats I realised I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t the crazy cat lady every one thought I was, there were others who also wanted the best for their babies. When planning The Great Catsby I wanted to create somewhere I would want to leave my own cats. Somewhere I could trust that they would be looked after just like they would at home. And being house cats I wanted somewhere safe and warm, where they had space to move and play. Finally, in May 2017 The Great Catsby Cat Hotel was born.
Happy birthday to The Great Catsby!!!
This year marks our second birthday. Over the last two years, I have had the pleasure of looking after hundreds of precious babies. Each with their own special personalities. My lovely customers were all once like me, worried about leaving their cats. If you don’t believe me check out their feedback on my website, facebook page and Find Pet Boarding. I have lucky enough to have appeared in the local newspaper and a national newspaper (on the 2nd page too)!!
To celebrate our birthday I’d love to invite you to an open day. You can drop in, have a nosey and a chat about your cat…I love talking about cats!!! Normally I ask that visits are by appointment only, I have cats coming and going throughout the days plus my own family to manage. However, on Saturday 11th May 2019 12-2pm my doors will be open for visitors. Just click on the link if you’re interested in coming along. If you can’t make the open day then just drop me a message with your preferred times. I’ll check the diary and get back to you.
Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Visit a number of catteries and cat hotels before you decide where to leave your cat. Look at the websites or Facebook pages, ask for recommendations. Go and see the places for yourself, pictures don’t always show everything you need to see. If you feel happy whilst you’re there then the chances are your cat would be happy too!