[MissingAll4Seasons]

My husband and I are planning to relocate to NH in the next couple of years. We are strongly considering the White Mountain area, nothern Grafton County or southern Coos County. We've been investigating townships in that area and think that's a perfect fit for us, but are not adverse to crossing the river into Northern VT. We currently work in high-tech computing (him FT and me freelance) but we are sooo tired of that and would really only want to continue as a secondary income if necessary.

After a recent health issue with our cat, we've become very interested in starting our own home-based boarding cattery that offers premium, holistic boarding care for cats (and possibly dogs with cat families). I've done some internet research in NH & VT and have noticed that the majority of boarding options are either only for dogs or have cramped containment cages for cats (with the exception of the Cats Pajamas in Littleton). Getting accurate pet statistics has been rather difficult, so I thought I'd post some questions here in hopes that you all can provide me with better info. We would appreciate any help you give us... hopefully we can make the move earlier and provide optimum service if we can get a great business plan together!

1. Do you have a cat in your household? Are there a large amount of cat parents in the area, or are dogs still the majority household pet?

2. If you have a cat, do you have more than one? Would you say that most cat households have more than one?

3. Does your household have both cats & dogs? Do most pet households have both dogs and cats?

4. Are the majority of cats indoor, outdoor, or both?

5. Do you, or anyone you know, have a cat with health problems (diabetes, arthritis, kidney issues)? Are you having a difficult time finding resources and boarding option for your special needs cat?

6. Do you, or anyone you know, not go on vacation or worry about being absent because they don't feel comfortable boarding their cat in "standard" kennels?

7. Would you, or a cat parent you know, be relieved/happy to board their cat(s) in a high-quality, loving cat hotel that emphasizes proper environment, nutrition, and activities for all cats and is capable of administering required medications and medical treatments (such as SubQ fluids) for a special needs cat?

8. Have you, or anyone you know, had a bad experience boarding your cat? If so, would you be comfortable giving me details?

9. Have you, or anyone you know, had a great experience boarding your cat? If so, would you be comfortable giving me details?

10. Do you know of a kennel/cattery that boards cat and is consistently overbooked or underbooked? Would a new premium facility be beneficial?

11. What services and factors do you consider most important when considering a caregiver for your cat? Would you travel farther (i.e. across the river) to take your cat to an excellent facility that offered all or most of those? If so, how far would be willing to travel?

Thanks in advance for sharing your information, I'm sure it will help us provide the best services possible for the cats that come under our care. Please feel free to post any links or contact information for boarding kennels in the area, whether they be good or less than good.

Thanks,
Jennine

(P.S. I have posted this on the NH board as well)

[arel]

Hi. I am a cat person. I have 5 indoor cats. I currently live in Brooklyn, NY and have not (yet) moved to Vermont. I know little if anything about northern Vermont, as, right now, my stomping grounds are in the southeastern part of the state.

That said, I have a lot of experience with boarding cats, especially special needs cats.

One of my cats, Sammy, is diabetic. He is off the insulin, thankfully, and, at least for now, is diet controlled. But because he is no longer allowed to eat dry food, I have to board him when I go away. That way, he can have his canned food and I can leave dry food out for the other cats. He also has to be given daily medication for another condition (lymphocytic plasmacytic gingivitis). Before Sammy became diabietic, I had another diabetic cat, Alex, who was on insulin for about 6 years.

I have always boarded my diabetic cats at the vet's. I hate doing that, as it is difficult for them. It is difficult for me, too. It is hard to leave the cat. I worry, and I feel so guilty taking him out of his home and putting him into a cage, with the noises and smells of other animals and people all around him. I try to reassure him, explaining to him why I have to leave him there and promising to bring him home. I doubt he understands. But you never know what an animal can pick up from the tone of voice, the context, and, perhaps, even the words. And also, from repeated experiences of having been boarded and then brought home.

The cats without special needs are left alone at home, with extra food and water. If I am away for a while, I have a cat sitter visit every other day to sift the litter boxes, change the water and replenish the food. If I were to leave Sammy home alone, I'd have to have a sitter come twice a day to feed all the cats their canned food. I don't separate Sammy from the other cats, so I have to feed them all canned food unless Sammy is boarded. Also, Sammy and another cat need their gingivitis medications. I'd also want the sitter to be able to visually monitor Sammy for diabetic symptoms, and to be able to test his blood sugar if necessary. He no longer has to be tested twice a day, or more; he is on no glucose-lowering medications and there is no danger of hypoglycemia.

I would love to be able to board a cat at a luxury facility, with lots of toys, stimulation and other amenities. But it is important to me that his regular vet and his staff, who know the cat, can monitor him and intervene if there is a problem. Also, cats are creatures of habit and any change in routine is upsetting to them.

If you could provide a cat service with trained vet-techs and an onsite, or at least on-call vet, I think you would do well, especially if you offered in-home cat sitting services at a reasonable fee. I definitely would travel to an excellent boarding site that could safely accommodate a diabetic cat.

BTW, someone I know left her cats in the care of a sitter. The sitter accidentally let out one of the cats, who was never seen again. The owner believes the cat fell prey to a fisher cat.

Well, this is a Vermont forum, not a cat forum, but I hope this helps. There is a cat forum on this site, BTW.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Thanks Arel! My Odin is also a diet-controlled diabetic and has early-stage chronic renal failure. He was recently hospitalized and I can't imagine ever voluntarily boarding him at the vet's... but I understand that is sometimes the only option available for special needs furbabies. I am also very concerned about pet-sitters or friends stopping by since there is not 24-hr monitoring should something go wrong, regardless of whether there is a special needs kitty involved... not to mention the escaped kitty scenario.

If you did find an excellent cattery to board Sammy, would you consider boarding all your cats there in a large suite together if there was a multi-cat discount or if you were required to be away longer than a week or weekend? I know that traveling and changing environments is difficult for cats, but do you feel that an appropriately designed facility and staff trained to minimize stress would make a difference?

BTW - what food are you giving Sammy? Have you visited the Feline Diabetes Message Board? I would also strongly advise that you not feed any of your cats dry kibble if at all possible, as dry kibble has been linked to several ailments (diabetes, urinary stones, and CRF to name a few). You can "free feed" with canned food, it doesn't hurt to leave it out for a few hours as long as it's not sweltering hot in your house.

I also posted on the cat forum

[arel]

Sammy eats Wellness, Merrick and some Triumph. The Triumph is not as high quality as the other two, but it is better than supermarket cat food.

Because the cats eat from each others' dishes, I now feed the canned food to all the cats. Once I took Sammy off the dry food (Hills w/d), I had to take all of them off it. Otherwise, Sammy would have eaten it from whatever dish it was in.

Yes, I have used the Felinediabetes.com Message Board. I stopped using it because I got irritated with people who second guessed my vet and told me what to do. They are not vets, except for one or two of them, and even so, they have not personally examined my cat. And then if I didn't do what they said, I got scolded. On the other hand, I got a lot of support from them when I needed it, and I was able to help others with my knowledge and experience.

Would I use an excellent cattery under the conditions you described? Perhaps, if there was 24 hour monitoring, vet techs as staffers and access to the cats' primary vet.

But cats prefer to stay home. I would much rather have them stay home and have a responsible sitter come to my house. But if a cat were on insulin, or oral diabetic meds, I would want any potential hypoglycemia to be caught immediately. And I would want the cat to be under the supervision of a vet.

With my diabetic cats, it was always me or the vet. No one else. I would be hard pressed to change that, but it is true that I hate leaving Sammy in a small cage while I go away to have fun.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Thanks Arel - I am very protective of my cats so I completely understand. If I do decide this is the business venture for me, I will get my vet tech credentials because I personally would feel much better caring for someone else's furry family members with the proper training. I'd also make arrangements with any and all local vets for on-call & periodic support - just to be on the safe side. We're planning to live on premises, because I agree that 24-hr monitoring is essential.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

1. Do you have a cat in your household? Are there a large amount of cat parents in the area, or are dogs still the majority household pet?

We have four indoor cats. Well, they go out into a fully-enclosed cat pen and we walk two of them on leashes. There are MANY people with cats here. Dogs, too. Pet lovers everywhere.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

2. If you have a cat, do you have more than one? Would you say that most cat households have more than one?

Varies. I know lots of people with multiple cats but also households with just one cat who would not tolerate new ones. Our 4th cat in, Sammy the Serpent, would never tolerate new cats who came in after him.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

3. Does your household have both cats & dogs? Do most pet households have both dogs and cats?

We have cats only. Lots of people have multiple species.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

4. Are the majority of cats indoor, outdoor, or both?

Too many people seem to let their cats roam. Of course, they're easier to spot. I only know about the ones who have indoor-only cats if we happen to discuss cats.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

5. Do you, or anyone you know, have a cat with health problems (diabetes, arthritis, kidney issues)? Are you having a difficult time finding resources and boarding option for your special needs cat?

We do not board our cats. We hire someone to come and stay at our home with the cats. They sleep there every night we're away as well as tending to the cats during the day. I cannot imagine boarding these cats!

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

6. Do you, or anyone you know, not go on vacation or worry about being absent because they don't feel comfortable boarding their cat in "standard" kennels?

I would have to be in absolutely desperate circumstances to board my cats in "standard" kennels.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

7. Would you, or a cat parent you know, be relieved/happy to board their cat(s) in a high-quality, loving cat hotel that emphasizes proper environment, nutrition, and activities for all cats and is capable of administering required medications and medical treatments (such as SubQ fluids) for a special needs cat?

Possibly. I would be more likely to do this, for example, if our 17-year-old cat declined and needed special care and the young boys (2 8-year-olds and a 4-year-old) were bothering her.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

8. Have you, or anyone you know, had a bad experience boarding your cat? If so, would you be comfortable giving me details?

Can't recall.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

9. Have you, or anyone you know, had a great experience boarding your cat? If so, would you be comfortable giving me details?

I don't think so. Most people seem to board their dogs but leave their cats alone, or at most have someone look in on them once a day or less. I would not want to do this.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

10. Do you know of a kennel/cattery that boards cat and is consistently overbooked or underbooked? Would a new premium facility be beneficial?

I don't know if enough people in the Rutland area have the money or would use it for that purpose. I'd certainly be glad it was there but only if I was unable to get one of the trusted catsitters who normally stays at our home.

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

11. What services and factors do you consider most important when considering a caregiver for your cat? Would you travel farther (i.e. across the river) to take your cat to an excellent facility that offered all or most of those? If so, how far would be willing to travel?

Someone who places the cats' welfare first and is able to "read" them in case they're not doing well. My sister says that my cats are "over-mothered." :-)

Thanks in advance for sharing your information, I'm sure it will help us provide the best services possible for the cats that come under our care. Please feel free to post any links or contact information for boarding kennels in the area, whether they be good or less than good.

Thanks,
Jennine

(P.S. I have posted this on the NH board as well)[/quote]

[pvjd]

Just wanted to say that I think it's a great idea. I can only speak from my experience when I lived in VT, but a lot of the people I knew of with cats really pampered them. One thing I would suggest is making sure that something like that is accessible to the more populated areas, otherwise you might not be noticed. Also, you might need to consider the economics of your target population. Where I lived, a lot of the people were relatively poor or working poor. Good luck though. I worked for Wundrland Pet Lodge (actual spelling), and though it is a great place for dogs, not so much for cats.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

SherylCatMom - thank you for sharing And I don't think it's possible to "over-mother" your cats (or dogs for that matter)... pampered pets are happy pets! As evidenced by the fact that you have 17yo - congrats on being a great cat mommy. I understand your reluctance to board in those standard kennels, I wouldn't want to either. If you did need to board your cats and there was an excellent facility available, would you be willing to travel a little to make sure your cats had the best care?

PVJD - yes, I've noticed that many boarding kennels seem great for dogs and cats appear just an afterthought. We're investigating potential sites for our facility now, unfortunately most zoning regulations mandate that kennels (even for cats only) need to be outside the city/town limits - but we're trying to find a location right off a major road to make it accessible for more clients (and possibly offering pick up/drop off service as well). I understand what you mean about target economics and it's something we're taking into account. Thanks!

[Sherylcatmom]

I agree -- there is no such thing as over-mothering a cat or other animal. You obviously love the little monsters, too. :-)

As a very first choice, my husband and I prefer that our cats stay in our home with an excellent cat sitter who stays here with them. That represents the least stress for the cats, who hate being anywhere other than home. Even my crazy Bailey, who is willing to be leashed up and go shopping with me, wants to go back to his home to sleep.

That said, our second choice would definitely be a very trusted boarding facility, like the one you're describing. I would drive an hour to get our cats to a place like that if no one could stay with our cats at home.

The problem, once again, is that travel stresses our cats horribly. Bailey loves being strange places, but they all hate riding in the car and usually get carsick. I would feel awful about driving them somewhere and then leaving them there, too. Poor babies!

Maybe they'd do better than I imagine.

Seventeen years ago, I lost Wicca, a beloved cat who used to travel everywhere with me. Wicca and I drove from state to state and stayed in motels and hotels together. She really seemed to enjoy it. None of my current cats travels well like Wicca did.

[goatwoodward]

1. Do you have a cat in your household? Are there a large amount of cat parents in the area, or are dogs still the majority household pet?

There are a lot of cat owners, but many don't seem to "baby" their animals like people in cities do.

2. If you have a cat, do you have more than one? Would you say that most cat households have more than one?

I have 2, all the cat owners I know have 1-2 (only occasionally 3) cats, unless they live on a farm.

3. Does your household have both cats & dogs? Do most pet households have both dogs and cats?

No, but many do.

4. Are the majority of cats indoor, outdoor, or both?

My cats are indoor, but my vet tells me that they are the minority.

5. Do you, or anyone you know, have a cat with health problems (diabetes, arthritis, kidney issues)? Are you having a difficult time finding resources and boarding option for your special needs cat?

n/a

6. Do you, or anyone you know, not go on vacation or worry about being absent because they don't feel comfortable boarding their cat in "standard" kennels?

I have put my cats in a kennel in the past, but they are much, much happier when they stay in the house & receive care here. There are plenty of college students & pet sitting companies (must be insured!) in my area already.

7. Would you, or a cat parent you know, be relieved/happy to board their cat(s) in a high-quality, loving cat hotel that emphasizes proper environment, nutrition, and activities for all cats and is capable of administering required medications and medical treatments (such as SubQ fluids) for a special needs cat?

Maybe if I had a special needs cat, but my cats get freaked out in the car & dislike staying places other than home.

8. Have you, or anyone you know, had a bad experience boarding your cat? If so, would you be comfortable giving me details?

Yes, they were boarded at a dog kennel and came back with big, scared eyes and looked like they hadn't slept or eaten in days. Lots of barking...

9. Have you, or anyone you know, had a great experience boarding your cat? If so, would you be comfortable giving me details?

Yes, Pet Fairy was great, as are other in-home services. I wouldn't board my cats if in-home was an affordable option.

10. Do you know of a kennel/cattery that boards cat and is consistently overbooked or underbooked? Would a new premium facility be beneficial?

Underbooked, maybe. My vet's office's kennel is occasionally overbooked, but in general, there are more pet services around here than can stay in business. I'd say dog sitting make more money than cat sitting though - just look at Gulliver's

11. What services and factors do you consider most important when considering a caregiver for your cat? Would you travel farther (i.e. across the river) to take your cat to an excellent facility that offered all or most of those? If so, how far would be willing to travel?

Caring, noise, space, toys or lack thereof, cost, food they will serve - Probably no more than 20 minutes.