Hopefully, you can answer to your question below, or find further information
on it at least. If not, then we are happy to help - please just click
here to contact us.
Please click on the links below to expand and collapse the questions/answers.
Cats can share a run, so long as they get on
and obviously they need to be same "family" members, we also need to
have a sharing run available. However, if we feel one of the cats is being
"bullied", we may then separate them accordingly, for animal welfare/husbandry reasons.
09:00-10:00 & 17:00-18:00, closed Sundays,
Christmas Eve & Bank Holidays for arrivals and departures.
We hope you appreciate that looking after your cat is a 24/7 commitment,
so after our opening hours we like to keep the majority of Sundays and
Bank Holidays for our family, as otherwise we are open to the public all year round.
Sure, we would recommend you come and visit
and make sure that you're happy with us and our facilities, but you don't have to view and
not everyone does, has the time, or lives close enough by, especially for last minute
bookings. Since Covid19 however, numbers of people viewing are limited to 1 or 2 at a maximum,
adjourning to outside for any points of clarification, unless of course the weather is desperate!! Whole families
can no longer come into the cattery, as it carries too much of a risk from a viral perspective.
Your cat is in excellent hands whilst it's at Cats Country Club and will be cared
for very well. Consider how much more secure and so safer it is to have your cat(s) secure in a cattery
and not in a position to run past a friend/relative or catsitter's legs disappearing into the night. Over
the years we have had so many horror stories like this and new customers pertaning to this kind of outcome,
or the cat simply clearing off. However, if you're anxious, we understand that and so to try and address this for
you, we can try and place a photo or short video on our
Facebook page, so long as your cat(s)
are amenable to having it done of course - longer stays can be easier to do this in - please see our page
Keeping in Touch for details.
More generally, cats can take a small amount of time to settle in, this is not uncommon, it can range from
needing virtually no time at all, to several days. Also in terms of cat personalities, there are both ends of the
spectrum in terms of either "fighting their corner", or simply being more accepting of the situation, sometimes
a mixture of the two behaviours. We have cats that just settle in and immediately get on with it and also cats that
have never rally let their guard down, yet have been coming here prior to us being here in 2004, but in actuality
they're happy enough, it is just how they deal with the situation before them - we have seen and dealt with
them all.
If your cat is on daily medication/supplements, we are
happy to administer these - up to insulin injections, so long as your cat is happy to receive it/them. Due
to the prevalence of medications/supplements, we now have a fee structure for administering
medications/supplements. The nature of any
medication/supplement needs to be discussed at the time of the booking. However please ensure that your
cat does not require ongoing medical supervision and should not actually be boarded at your veterinary
surgeons.
Medications we have regularly administered include, but are not limited to, Felimazole
tablets, given to control hyperthyroidism, Metacam and Gabapentin to provide pain relief, Fortekor for kidney
disease, Katalax aiding the elimination of hairballs. Epifen (phenobarbitone) for epilepsy, Thyronorm for an
underactive thyroid, Omeprazole an antacid for digestion and Amlodipine for high blood pressure.
Bringing the diet your cat is completely
happy with is fine with us, we can also supplement and/or augment yours too,
as in our experience they can change their dietary "likes" sometimes whilst here.
We get heavily booked over peak periods, so it
is advisable to try to book as far in advance as you're able to, especially
if you plan to go away during the peak holiday periods. We can accommodate
changes to bookings in line with our T & C's.
The more in advance any changes are, generally, the easier they can be facilitated
- we do also try to accommodate last-minute bookings wherever possible.
We have discussed and looked at imposing an upper
age limit, to help minimise the extent of any potential age-related complications,
but we have not enforced one to date, this decision remains the preogative of the
owner, but would be overidden by us, irrespective of age, should the cat appear
unwell on coming to the cattery. So, if the cats are old enough to be owned/innoculated,
then we consider they're old enough to stay with us! However please see Q26 for younger
age limits in relation to neutering. Getting cats used to staying away when they're young makes it a lot
easier in the years to come too - kittens adapt really quickly actually. Conversely, we have had cats
stay as old as 22 yrs - although they tend to not go outside very much and
more often have an internal-only run, kittens often likewise. It is worth
saying however, that as a cat gets older, its' immune system does become
reduced and this may make it more susceptible to getting infections associated
with being in high cat concentration areas, like a boarding cattery, an
animal shelter, or simply by taking it for a checkup to your Vet.
We cater for most diets, however we can't cater
for absolutely everything, let us know your requirements if obscure and
we can talk it through. Please also see Q.7.
Firstly, all licensed catteries have to
comply with the annual licensing/animal husbandry requirements. Secondly,
particularly in surroundings cats are not fully used to, almost without
exception, cats will tend to find a small corner to "adopt" - if it were
a strange house instead of a boarding cattery, they would probably be
located under a bed or a sofa! In any case cats sleep around 16 hours
a day and so usually just curl up, particularly if unsure of their
position. We feel that satisfying yourself with the
people and the cats environment is
probably more relevant as is security, as distinct from petsitters or
neighbours, who with the best will in the world, may not see the cat(s)
for days at a time if they have outside access, as the cat may be
outside on its' own vacation for extended periods of time.
We are very used to cats of all ages. We
would however advocate older cats have an internal only run, as some with
failing sight, hearing and weaker back legs can find it difficult to get
back inside. Many older cats merely only move to eat, use the facilities
and then return to their bed - great life ain't it!?!
Kittens and younger cats are usually very quick
to adapt to the environment here. Some older cats that have never been to a
cattery may take a little longer and we do our best to help them settle in,
but time to adjust is what is really needed here. Some cats will almost
always keep themeselves to themselves, this is fine, as we always
take our cue from them, you have to! We have many cats who stem from
rescue homes, despite understandable concerns
from owners, about returning their cats to captivity, actually these cats
are very often some of the first to realise that they're actually in a
caring, safe and sound environment, maybe they remember being caged,
well fed and looked after, rather than some of their prior
experiences of abuse. However your cat reacts, it is the surety of
them still being around on you returning from your holiday
which is the bottom line of what you're really buying into with a
boarding cattery such as Cats Country Club.
Certainly, although apart from kittens,
when not actively being played with, grown cats don't really ever
seem to make much use of them whilst here, see Q.11. Some sleeping
materials not freshly laundered and so smelling of
home though, is well worth thinking about bringing however. We
don't provide cat bedding as the norm.
Probably 60% maybe more cats that come here
have been through a re-homing exercise, or have been abused and so re-homed
at some stage. Funnily enough, they're usually the cats that relax quite
quickly - we believe it's because they actually feel quite secure in
a caged/cattery environment - and that they quite literally view it
as being home from "a home" that they once had - caring, safe, warm, fed and no abuse.
Many of the answers in this faq part
address this question, however most cats, particularly if not used to
going to a cattery, tend not to move around very much and just find and
nestle into a corner and this tends to be exacerbated for short stays -
where time to settle is limited. Slightly nervous cats observe and take stock in a way
that only cats can and that cat owners are only really equipped to
imagine..!! Many cats don't eat much for 48 hours, sometimes less,
sometimes more, also, as before, short stays tend to precipitate
this kind of behaviour, as they're just not really sure what's going
on. The general proximity to numerous other cats sounds, smells and
visually may well be unsettling too to start with, rather like taking
a cat to the vet - where they just stay still in their carriers
and "observe". However it is true to say that many also seem to
enjoy "Cat Watch". Youngers cats, particularly those that have been
used to catteries from an early age however, are generally very
versatile and all cats ultimately manage and adapt just fine, it's
just level and degree. Sometimes a cat will ignore its' owner on
their return, or even go outside and be reluctant to return to the
carrier box, by no means is this abnormal, neither will it happen
every time. It may take a while for your cats' behaviour to return
to normal once home again, as it is by then back in another almost
alien/different sounding, smelling environment. It may well be that
your cat fusses you once back home and makes a point of sitting on your
lap and seeks re-assurance and then purrs more loudly than you are
able to previously remember it ever having done before - all these
things can happen and they are typical behaviours - they aren't bad news! :)
Yes - Cats Country Club will administer
insulin injections provided that your cat's levels are under control
and have done for many cats over the years.
However, Cats Country Club takes no responsibility for health issues
arising from insulin injections. We will however ensure your cat sees a
Vet. immediately, in the unlikley event that it shows signs of being unwell.
Whilst your cat(s) are at our boarding cattery,
they are covered for veterinary care, the details of which can be found under
the section Important Information, here.
Also, all cats are checked daily, paying attention to appetite, amount
of water that is drunk, toilet habits and general behaviour, this allows
us to assess situatons/trends quickly and take any appropriate action necessary.
Therefore, if you have any specific medical concerns or history
relating to your cat(s), it is important that you tell us about it, so
that we can note it on your cat(s) booking record accordingly, or if something
should re-occur during boarding here.
Our chalets are cleaned, disinfected and
sprayed with a feline friendly virucide (we use Trigene, an industry-recognised
effective preparation, used by Vets., boarding catteries and animal shelters)
prior to your cats arrival and then freshened daily. Litter trays are cleaned
morning and evening and/or as soon as they become soiled, if we are in the
cattery at the time.
Cat flu - background:
Two virus', Feline Rhinotrachitis (Herpes) virus and Feline Calici virus
cause "feline upper respiratory disease" or "cat flu". These viruses are
not related to human influenza and are not transmittable to humans. Like
human flu these viruses cause symptoms which vary from mild to extremely
serious and sometimes may cause death. All cats coming to Cats
Country Club are required to be innoculated against these two causes of cat
flu before boarding here.
Cat flu is extremely common, especially in kittens and old or debilitated
cats. Just as you can catch a cold when you're feeling run down, cats
can catch flu when their resistance is low. It is very contagious and
spread by aerosol. When a cat catches herpes flu that cat will carry the
virus for life. Some cats become constant shedders while others can shed
the virus when under stress even though they show no symptoms.
Some cats will show disease signs all the time. When a cat is under stress,
or ill, herpes can again cause disease. (Feline rhinotrachitis is in the
same family group as the human cold sore virus and behaves in the same way.)
Clinically Feline Calici virus appears to also have a chronic disease state
but is not carried like Rhinotrachitis virus. There are multiple strains
of Calici and the vaccine does not appear to be cross-protective to all strains.
Cat flu - prevention:
Perhaps it's no surprise then that vaccination will not totally prevent cat
flu in all cases, but most vaccinated cats will avoid the disease, or only
develop mild symptoms if exposed. Source:
The Cat flu excerpts above are from several Veterinarian sites off the Internet.
We thank them all for their invaluable information.
For further reading about Cat flu, please click
here.
Cat behaviour varies, but before they even
get home, we have seen it all! Sometimes a cat will not want to be put
back in its' carrier and will hide/cower at the back of the chalet,
but not necessarily always. This however is not because it doesn't want
to see you or 'has the hump', neither is it because it has had an
absolutely brilliant time here, although clearly it will have had!! It
is because they can be aware that cat-carriers equate to change and this may well
mean 'the Vets', which usually equates to sharp and or memorable things
being done to them!! Of course, they may also not like the travelling
experience, which is also understandable. Once they are home, we have had
reports of cat's typically just giving you more of a range of given
behaviour patterns, but also, after a few moments, they may not
necessarily be any different from normal:
Overly affectionate
Totally ignoring you
Not eating at all
Eating like there is no tomorrow
Being totally as normal, as though nothing has happened at all
Eventually however, normality will be resumed, so there is no real
cause for concern, try and enjoy the moment, as it won't last long!
Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) in the UK, although,
you can reduce their chances of contracting FIV through fighting by having them neutered. It is estimated
that around 4% of the UK feline population is FIV-positive, your cat's status can only be established by
blood tests, perhaps prompted by some symptoms being exhibited. Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV), however,
for which there has been a vaccination available for a long time now, but is not a current DEFRA cattery
boarding requirement, is prevalent in less than 1% of the UK feline population, largely due to a
vaccination being available and being widely used, we obviously recommend FELV vaccination, especially
if your cat ever goes outside.
We will and most catteries probably will accept known Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, (FIV)
positive cats, if they are not showing other signs of infectious disease – aggressive,
close contact is required for the virus to be transmitted. The virus is delicate and easily
killed by disinfectants, or simply a 24 hour period outside of the cat's body, therefore simple
precautions and routine cleaning procedures will prevent transmission of the virus in our
boarding environment, where cats are housed separately, which of course, all our accommodation
does.
The immune systems of FIV-positive cats however may be compromised/poor and infections
caught while in a cattery could be more serious for them than for a FIV-negative one. If we are
made aware of a known FIV-positive cat, we will aim to provide accommodation away from other
cats, so it will hopefully reduce the risk of your cat catching any secondary infection.
Yes - Cats Country Club will board any cat (male or female) that is un-neutered
up to the age of 7 months, however we regret we cannot accept the admission of un-neutered cats over that
age, as it can be way too disruptive for all.
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