Cattery experience

[tab]

Im sorry you had such a bad time with the cattery. The one I take mine too I take 2 cats, 2 beds, 2 toys, tablets and a tin of cat tuna. I go down to the pen and spray it with feliway then leave the bottle saying if they seem stressed it should be resprayed. I put the beds in, let the cats out, Amber usually goes straight to bed although Mogs has been known to walk up and down the room and look at the other cats expecially when one was in the pen she'd had before. Last time Helen hadnt given the cats the tuna as she was going to give it that night but I came home and as she said if she gives them tuna on day 1 they wont anything else thinking that she'll give them tuna again 
I think everyone is right in saying complain and look for a different cattery. I dont think mine is FAB but it is fab if you know what I mean 
love
Tab

[Cathy Biscuits mom]

its such a shame you have a bad experience with a cattery. luckily Biscuit has stayed at her FAB chosen cattery two times so far and is also booked in for September, and shes never had a problem. Beverley the lady who runs it knows every cat individually and as mentioned before she knows the life story of everyone of her "guests". I also see Biscuit into her pen and i bring her cushion and scratching post and toys and their there waiting for me when i collect her. Beverley also makes a point of finding out what each cat eats and then gives them the same, regardless of make.

hopefully you'll find another cattery that you are happy with and can trust.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am sorry you had such a bad experience cos leaving your best friends in a cattery is so hard.

I searched for a good cattery round here in my first year but the one I left Misa and Sasa in was very bad it turned out and that is the reason that Sasa is as bad today as she is. Before she went there I could stroke her when she was 2 steps above me on the stairs and she was improving all the time but since then I can not even walk past her withouit her running.

I hope I never have to leave them in another one but now I can drive I would drive a long way to put them in a good one, if I was forced to do it.

My experience was also very bad and I was told that Misa hid in his carrier and Sasa hid in the little house and I asked them if they would try and make friends with Misa cos he is very loving but just scared. They didnt attempt to and none of the toys and a shirt I left were brought back and I asked them to return everything that was my cats....they were dumped in a bag outside my front door in the rain.

I also gave them food cos I knew Sasa would only eat one type of biscuits but most of the food came back and I dont think either ate much for the 5 days.

The other cattery I saw belonged to a british blue breeder but I was told that she would throw my cats toys away if she didnt like them and I could not take food or bedding or anything.

I beleive there was only one FAB cattery around here, dont know if its still here, but must go and check it out just incase of emergency.

I hope you are able to find the right cat hotel next time cos its hard enough leaving them, and you need to be sure they are going to be looked after right.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

I can recommend a cattery.
It is FAB registered and in Bexleyheath London

My cats have just spent a week there and it is 100% BRILLIANT.

PM me for more details

I really cant speak highly enough about this place and believe me i know alot about catteries having worked in one

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I agree with everyone else ...you have to look at the cattery as if it were an hotel for your cats.  I would never leave a cat if I hadn't been able to see the pen they were staying in ... just for my own piece of mind.  You want to know the pen is clean and safe before your babies are put in.

Sorry to hear you've had a bad experience but  at least they were safe and were fed (even if it wasn't exactly as your requested) so I suppose it's not all bad.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I'm sorry you've had a bad experience.  My cattery is not like that - they are excellent in every way.  If I want to settle them in (or collect them from their pen) I do have to take/collect them after 1pm otherwise it's a leave them in reception job - that's because they're cleaning the pens out in the morning so can't have people traipsing up and down.  But they make that clear when you book (they send you written confirmation which also has that on) so that you know in advance and can choose then whether you want to take them morning or afternoon.

I take loads of stuff with me when I go (sometimes even a 3ft cat tree!  and one year I took their own litter tray because I thought they'd be happier with it  ) and they are fine about that kind of thing.  They also feed what I want when I want, and I take stuff like feliway which they spray around each day, heat pad for Jaffa etc. 

Do look around for a better cattery because they are out there.  It's not the same as home but staff at a good cattery will go out of their way to make your cats comfortable and happy.

[Lindyloo]

Sorry you were not happy with the cattery you used but they are not all like that. At the cattery I manage we always let owners see their cats into their runs and come to the run to collect them. Having said that some owners do make a bit of an issue about saying goodbye to their cats! Tears and everything and sometimes they are only going away for a few days! Still we like to indulge people we know how much our own pets mean to us and realise other people feel the same. I know some cattery/kennel owners don't like to let the owners put the cats into the runs because if the owners gets all emotional they think it unsettles the cat. Personally I have not found this a problem the cats usually settle fine  though sometimes it take about 24 hours for them to really relax.
Regarding food we try our best to feed what the owner requests but it is not always easy. Please remember any animal can behave differently in a cattery - sometimes an owner will swear their cat will only eat so and so but it  will steadfastly refuse to touch it when we offer it - well we are not going to let the cat starve so we do offer what ever we think fit until we find something the cat will eat.
We have just such a case in at the moment"Cleo" is on a special diet and 4 tablets a day. The owner bless her not only supplied the food and pills but has a written me a daily schedule of what to feed and when. She brought in her diary so I could write down against each day that she has had her pills and even brought me a pen so I could write it down!.  Trouble is  Cleo  won't touch the food with the crushed up pills in when I offer it to her, luckily she is easy to dose by hand.
If the cattery  you used fed your cats low quality food or  made them ill that is wrong but please be realistic, if your cats are used to dry food, say Hills, and that is what they got is the fact that the wet food was not quite right really so important? After all Hills is a complete diet and really all they need -  they don't need wet food aswell.
I don't really like owners bringing too much stuff from home because it can get lost, get trodden on, get dirty, get forgotten, beds and bedding are okay  but quite often the cat will be sick on it so you have to wash it  and pray it doesn't shrink or go all mishappen and also you have to remeber what belongs to who.
Some owners bring everything bar the kitchen sink - own bed, own toys, brushes, scratching post etc. We supply all of this. I am just waiting for the day when someone brings their own bed in because that's what puss usually sleeps on!
Sorry for going on, I am not complainimng I love my job but it does amuse us sometimes.

I know some people just do not like the thought of leaving their cats in a cattery  but I believe we are doing a good job and judging by the number of regular customers we have people are happy with our service. We do not advertise because nearly all our new customers come by personal reccommendation.

Basically people trust us that is what it is all about. If you do not trust the cattery you used try a different one.

[COSMIC CREEPERS]

alex i have sent you a personal message

[littleKitten_(alex)]

Thanks everyone, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overreacting as I didn't have any experience of catteries. But I have now read some info on the web etc and realised that I should be able to expect more!

Lottie, I am in London, but very happy to travel for the right place! I have already been given a list of catteries by a forum member here, and at the moment I am looking at the list of FAB approved catteries. There are two in Surrey, Pinewood and Cats at Chaldon, both seem great. Will try to contact them this afternoon.

I am glad that at least they were only there for 3 days - I wanted to do a short trial run before using a cattery for a longer period.

We are supposed to go over to Ireland and visit OH's family 1st week of August - his newest niece in being christened, and we have never actually met her even though she was born in January. And we haven't seen the rest of his family since July last year. But now I have to find a new cattery that can take Monkey and Poppy... Fingers crossed. Worst case scenario is that OH has to go over on his own. I am not leaving my babies unless I feel comfortable.

(Originally we planned to bring the babies with us, but parent's in law's house will be full to the brim - OH's siblings & their families will all be staying too. So there would be a lot of young children... I think it would be too stressful for them this time.)

Anyway, at least nothing really bad happened this time. It's just that I don't feel confident that it wouldn't in future, if you know what I mean...

[Team Svartalfheims]

Oh no that's awful you've had such a bad experience   I'd be very very unhappy that they haven't been feeding the wet food to the schedule you asked them to especially seeing as you took the food with you.

The catteries I use let you put them into the pen, sort their toys and bedding out how you want it etc and always feed the food you ask (although they don't seem to leave dry food out all the time which does make me a bit cross), allow me to visit whenever I want and promise me that they will never groom them or put heating on in the pen for them (both of these at my request) and at the end of the cats stay you go into the pen to collect your cats toys, bedding and anything else you left there and of course the cats!

Last time mine were in a cattery in Dorset for a holiday they were there for 8 days and I visited them 3 times that week to groom them and the woman was perfectly happy for me to do this and to spend as long as I wanted in with them and she was telling me the life story of every cat that was in the cattery at the time which made me happy as she loves every cat that stays there as if it is her own and takes a genuine interest in them.

Would you have time to go and visit other catteries before you go away? I suppose the only good thing about this cattery visit is it will give you some questions to ask other catteries in the future ie "will you let me settle my cats into the pen when they arrive" etc.

Might also be worth 'stretching the truth' next time and telling them your cats have to have one pouch of each per day as if they have more than 1 pouch of the complementary or complete in the same day it will upset their tummies.

What sort of area of the country are you in and I'll see if I know of any nearby that are good.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

I agree with Mark. 

Guidence note number 1 in foster care for cats is that any deviation from standard feeding regimes is likely to cause tummy upsets.

Poor practice in my book.

[Mark]

If they are listed with FAB, I would report them. They should realise that most cat owners are reluctant to use catteries to begin with but if they do, the cattery is put in a position of trust which they should honour. I am very anti-cattery and would only use one as a last resort. Even though I have been to an excellent local one (Kopperkins). Sian is lovely and people go straight to the pens. You can see all the cats whenever you want - although most are sleeping which is a sign of contentment (or boredom  )

If they can't follow simple feeding instructions, how would they medicate reliably?

Not On! 

[littleKitten_(alex)]

I've just collected Poppy & Monkey from the cattery, after their first ever cattery stay. It was also the first time I'd ever put any cat in a cattery, so I didn't quite know what to expect.

When I went to visit the place to choose where to take them, it seemed ok and the woman who showed us around was lovely.

When I brought them into the cattery, I was disappointed that I didn't get to see them into their pen, but maybe this is common practice (although they do let visitors go into the kennels/cattery). But it meant I couldn't even give them a goodbye cuddle - I had to leave them in the reception area, and the desk was right next to some open doors, so I definitely didn't want to risk opening the carrier. But I left feeling very upset, both cats had been a bit unsettled during the car journey, and it was so disappointing not getting a chance to cuddle them.

When I went to collect them, I would have liked to collect them from the pen, as it would have given me a chance to see how they were doing there, but again I just got as far as reception. When they were finally brought to me, I was so pleased to see them, and they seemed rather happy too. 

When I got home, I happened to check the belongings they'd had with them, and discovered that various things are missing. Off the top of my head, a full tub of eye wipes, Monkey's red quilted satin cushion, and a couple of my little handmade fabric mice. I didn't write a list of what things I sent with them - to be honest I didn't think I'd need to, and I would have felt rather rude checking things against it at collection...

Also, they haven't been fed the way I asked. Apart from having dry food, I specified that they should share one pouch/tray at breakfast and one at dinner time. One of those should be complementary and one complete. I supplied the wet food, enough for the 3 days plus a couple of extra ones. There should have been 2 left, but there are 5. And the 5 that are left are all the complete ones, so they have only been given complementary ones, presumably one a day. They might have had some other wet food as well, but the point is that they did not do what I asked. I specified this when they were brought it, when they asked me about all sorts of things, and I'd also written a note detailing it.

Like I said, this is my first experience of a cattery, maybe some of the stuff is standard, but I just don't feel very happy. If they can't follow simple instructions for food, what about any medications, grooming or other needs for future visits?

This weekend was a bit of a trial run for when we go away in a month's time - but now I don't feel very comfortable leaving my babies... 

Please let me know what you think, what expectations should I have?

PS: Right now, though, I'm happy. I have a very very very pleased Monkey on my lap. I had worried he'd hold a grudge (he's like that) but he still loves his Mummy.