Cat Parent taking the time to read this article is clearly researching on the best options for their beloved pet. As a parent, only you’d truly know the lengths to which you go to take care of your kitty. If you have been boarding your cat at a cattery, cat hotel or other types of cat boarding facilities, this article shares deep insights on the challenges faced by your cat in a facility. On the contrary, it also explains strong benefits of In-Home Cat Boarding with the help of a Professional Pet Sitting Company.
Although some of the facts might get you stressed, don’t worry! There is a perfect solution to solve this problem. Don’t miss it !
Before we dwell into the specifics of comparing cat sitting and cat boarding, let’s look at what really is cat sitting? If you are already well aware, we suggest you to skip the section below.
What is Cat Sitting ?
Cat Sitting is a professional service aimed to keep cats safe, comfortable and happy when you’re away from home.
Instead of boarding it in a cattery, cat hotel or a boarding facility, your cat enjoys the freedom of an entire house.
The cat parent has the options of either boarding the cat in the comfort of their own home, or alternatively, boarding the cat at a trusted pet sitter’s home.
Either way, this service provides personalized 1-1 attention and care for your beloved cat.
It is important to note that all Pet Sitters go through a strict background check along with an extensive onboarding process. Most of the professionals in this space are staunch pet lovers and passionate about animal care.
Sadly, most cat parents are unaware of the stress their cat undergoes in a cattery or a cat hotel. It almost completely goes unnoticed & unrecognized.
But not anymore…
Now…the following facts mentioned below will provoke your thoughts and steer you to make the right choice for your cat.
#1: Is your cat boarding facility boarding dogs too ?
We don’t even want to think about the worst case scenario but…
A cat which was feeling so secure in a homely environment suddenly is exposed to loud barks and different smells. In almost all cases, this atmosphere is certainly super scary and stressful for your kitty.
Cat’s auditory frequency range far exceeds that of humans. Anything more than a sound intensity of 60 dB, leads to 100-200% increase in plasma corticosterone levels in cats.
With all the sounds, barks and noise, they would be experiencing the same effect as industrial drilling machine in constant motion right next to your ears. Not even joking!
They become so stressed that, several cats have been reported to pull out their fur by mouthfuls – resulting in large balding patches around their tail and other body parts. Studies clearly indicate that cats undergoing psychological disturbances cause self-inflected hair loss.
This causes a snowball effect on them, as this inadvertently causes excessive hair ingestion, leading to constipation.
#2: There is a reason why it isn’t easy to socialize cats.
Fundamentally, cats are territorial animals by nature. They defend their turf against another cat, dog or other animals. In a cat boarding facility, due to numerous sounds and scents floating around, your cat is likely to perceive other cats from neighboring boarding cells as predators.
A quick fact check.
Did you know that cats have scent glands under their chin?
It is known to have one at each corner of their mouth and one beneath the fur located in between the eyes and ears. Besides this, they have several hundred kinds of of olfactory receptors as well.
Why am I mentioning this?
It is important to note that this level of sensitivity can help them deduce information with the slightest hint. With urine smells and scent mark coming from other cats in the neighboring boarding rooms / cells, it gets them really worked up. This constantly causes stress and induces high levels of anxiety.
Furthermore, some of the symptoms that can be witnessed are pacing or restlessness, hiding, decreased appetite, vocalization, hypervigilance, trembling, salivation, and excessive grooming.
#3: Is your cat really protected from diseases?
There are so many stray cats being adopted or rehomed on a daily basis.
That’s why it strongly calls for a stringent verification of vacci-checks and vaccination reports to ensure a safe experience.
With so many cats boarded under one roof with common areas, it highly increases the probability of contraction of diseases.
Some of the diseases like rabies, feline distemper (FVRCP) and feline leukaemia prove to be fatal to cats. Contagious diseases are nothing to brush off, especially if there is even the slightest chance of spreading the infection.
80-90% of contagious upper respiratory problems stems from feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus, both of which spread from sneezing, coughing or common cleaning tools for washing water and food bowls.
In some catteries or cat hotels, cats have common social areas. They are let out free by turns, for a very brief period during the day. Even if one cat is ill or diseased in the entire lot, it can spread like wild fire.
Dr. Jane from Scientific World Journal states that 75% of the cases they treat, root from catteries, cat hotels or cat boarding facilities.
#4: Cats Hate Change in Routine
At home, cats just love their consistent routine: they nap when they want, get up when they want, eat their favorite food promptly etc.
Each cat is from a different household and has their own routine. In a cattery, cat hotel or cat boarding facility, no matter how comfortable it may seem, your cat’s routine is ruined.
An extensive research done by Ohio State University, funded by the National Institute of Health has conducted a study on the impact of disturbing a cat’s routine.
Results demonstrate that the healthy cats got sick 1.9 times a week, while the others twice a week.
They experienced FIC (feline interstitial cystitis), an often painful, inflammatory condition of the bladder and urinary tract.
Surprisingly, they returned to perfectly normal health when they returned back to their routine and the stress had passed.
Cats thrive on predictability and are ‘control freaks’ so when their routine is disturbed, they engage in what experienced cat behaviorists term it ‘defensive aggression’.
This sure sounds stressful at best and dangerous at worst.
#5: Health and Hygiene
For cats, hygiene is of paramount importance.
In cattery, cat hotel or other types of cat boarding facilities, we often look at how clean, bright & fancy the room is.
<p”>Health and Hygiene goes way beyond the way the facility or the rooms look to the eye.
Have you ever thought of the cleaning products that are being used? Is it harsh? Is it pet friendly? Does it have a scented smell?
Are the sanitary products capable of killing infectious germs while being pet friendly at the same time?
Whether there is use of wood based products or plastic?
<p “>You must be wondering how are these important. Well… <p “>Heavy duty citrus smelling cleaning products can emit an unpleasant smell and often aversive to cats.
With their heightened sense of smell, it causes great discomfort to them. It’s like keeping a durian fruit right in front of our nose. It’ll definitely gives us one nasty headache. Similarly, for cats, this contributes to added stress that causes diarrhea or watery stools.
As for wood, it tends to soak in urine, other liquids, or germs making it extremely difficult or impossible to clean. This potentially leads to spread of diseases. Did you know Parvo virus can survive on equipment and in the environment up to 12 months? Shocking right!
Especially for kittens, immunity isn’t strong yet as it is in the process of developing. This posses as a massive risk to them.
For cats staying in catteries or cat hotels, there have been so many cases reported for feline infectious enteritis (FIE) and cat flu. Sadly, FIE disease has a high mortality rate and on occasion, outbreaks have also been witnessed.
They could also contract Feline Infectious Anemia (FIA) or tapeworms while at the facilities, if necessary precautions aren’t managed well.
#6: Quality of human-cat interactions
A study conducted at the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine demonstrated very compelling evidence on the connection between stress caused by humans and illnesses in cats.
Did you know that cats are highly sensitive to energy? But, are you wondering, how this is related?
PhD holder, Dr. Judi Stella, a post-doctoral researcher at Purdue University has stated that the staff should approach cats very slowly and speak in soft voices. If their acclimatization period is accelerated, then, they get highly stressed.
In a cattery, cat hotel or other cat boarding facilities, with so many cats around, the staff is often put on a strict roaster. They go from one boarding room to another doing their job focused on their cleaning routine. Their pace of cleaning is also fast and the noises created as a result puts the cats under tremendous stress.
It is witnessed that they experience increased adrenocortical output (increased urine cortisol concentrations). Stressed cats exhibit decreased activity levels and increased attempts to hide.
This might sound trivial to us but it has a heavy bearing on your cat’s health. Especially, considering that they have been placed in a totally new environment.
#7: Importance of sunlight for cats
In your home, you definitely do have abundant natural sunlight coming in with many windows all arounds.
Have you noticed your cat attempting to actively sit directly within the sun’s rays. This exposure is vital to regulate and balance their body temperature and stay in good health.
Another benefit is they tend to relax and soothe their bodies which really calms them down mentally. Furthermore, just like humans, Vitamin D from natural light helps them absorb calcium better.
For the entire during of your vacation or travel, your cats are in a very fancy but, isolated, enclosed space with no exposure to sunlight. They would be definitely longing to revert back to their routine.
#8: Importance of right temperature setting for cats
Our points of measurement and analysis should be different for every cat.
For a cat that’s always been home and gotten well adjusted to the environment and temperature, their bodies have developed a certain internal routine.
Cats love to keep themselves warm. So, in a homely environment, your cat has heaps of places around the house to snuggle, in order to make themselves comfortable.
At catteries, cat hotels and other cat boarding facilities, they seldom have a separate zone control for every individual room / cell, as it is often centralized.
If for whatever reason a cat has slight sneezing, nasal discharge or fever, that would mean that the air temperatures can worsen this condition for them.
If at home, when we notice the cat being curled up in a ball, we can easily knock down a few degrees on the AC or turn it completely off.
In case of a boarding facilities, it becomes a challenge for them to customize the temperature regulation due to the way their setup has been built.
As a result, it could potentially lead to hypothermia in cats.
Symptoms of a stressed cat
When you return from your vacation, if you find one of these symptoms, you’ll know something is wrong for sure.
Domestic cats are very good at hiding signs that they are stressed or in pain. As a result, it goes completely unnoticed by the cat parents. The reason they hide their stress is instinctively, they are built to protect themselves from being an easier target for predators in the wild.
Nonetheless, witnessing these symptoms with your cat can raise a few alarm bells for you.
Physical Symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Poor Coat Condition
- Irregular and unusual urination / excretion patterns
- Significant variation in weight (weight loss / weight gain)
- Large bald patches or sores on the coat caused by over self-grooming
- Runny nose and eyes (e.g. -Cat Flu)
- Abnormal eating patterns (poor appetite / overeating & drinking)
- Looking lethargic and sleeping more than usual
- Frequent squatting, painful urination with blood in it (e.g. Feline Cystitis).
Behavioral Symptoms:
- Excessive meowing
- Excessive scratching on furniture than usual
- Aggressive behavior directed towards you, your family members or visitors
- Aggressive behavior directed towards other pets in the household
- Spraying urine on the furniture and other items around the house
- Toileting outside of the litter box (may be under the couch, bed etc.)
- Unusual change in your cat’s regular routine and patterns of behavior
- Either Increased dependency or withdrawal on / from your family.
- Unresponsiveness to things around them (not responding to loud noises or quick movements)
- Hesitant to play especially when for those who have been previously being very playful
- Excessive self-grooming
- Repeated pacing when in the home, often accompanies by loud meowing.
- Constant vigilance and jumps at every sudden sound of movement.
Other signs of a stressed cat:
You may witness your cat sitting differently or facial expression changing and exhibiting strange behaviors.
Look for closely for the following signs:
- Ears rotate backwards frequently or flatten downwards
- Staring at the floor with a fixed, glazed expression
- Rapid frequent grooming that usually lasts around 5 seconds, starting and stopping quite suddenly
- Often crouching and looking tense indoors
- Rippling, twitching on their back
- Exaggerated swallowing and quick flicks of their tongue onto their nose
- Wide open eyes with very dilated pupils which makes their eyes look black
- Frequent head shaking
Will you really be able to unwind during your vacation, knowing that your cat is in it’s version of vacation hell?
Now, what’s the best recommended solution for Cat Boarding?
Cats are very sensitive animals. I am sure, that the above information must have provoked deep thoughts and retrospection on how your cat’s boarding can be planned for your next vacation or travel.
If you are worried, and, looking for a solution…
Our first recommendation would be to board your cat at your own home with a licensed cat sitter or a pet sitter. Find a reputed Pet Sitting Company in your area and book a trusted pet sitter. If you need help choosing the right sitter, you can refer this article.
The next best thing would be is to board the cat with a trusted pet sitter at their home. The biggest benefit that your cat would receive is that it isn’t confined or isolated in any way. Moreover, it gets the freedom of an entire house & get pampered with loads of love & cuddles from the cat sitter.
How is your cat receiving personalized care with In-Home Cat Boarding?
The cat sitter has all their attention only on a single cat or cat(s) from the same household, so the focus in undivided.
Each cat parents knows their cat(s) & their routine well. Each cat might have different requirements and a specific way to be taken care of, to ensure the kitty is comfortable.
All the instructions provided by the cat parent are sincerely followed whether it is feeding them at a particular hour or administering medication if any. Furthermore, the cat sitter would proactively try to understand if the cat has any food allergies, any specific dos and don’ts. This helps the cat get a stress free experience.
A tailored service specific to your cat gives you great moral confidence that they are absolutely safe and secure.
Skandashree, the CEO of Pawland, a Pet Sitting Company based out of UAE said that “In our experienced of 1000s of cat boarding sessions, we witness that cats generally tend to take only a few hours to get adjusted to the new cat sitter. Once they get acclimatized, they become super comfortable, confident and happy around their new care takers.”.
She further goes on to say, ”Moreover, their biggest confidence comes from the fact that they aren’t caged or confined. The cats end up snuggling with the cat sitters while they watch TV or when they go to sleep. They are practically treated like family”.
How does In-Home Cat Boarding solve all of the aforementioned problems?
To reiterate, the biggest advantage is that you never have to confine your cat in a small isolated room ever again.
This sure would give you a huge sigh of relief! Phew !
The cat is in its most comfortable place if it is boarded in it’s own home. Alternatively, if you decide to board at a pet sitter’s home, it still gets a whole home to itself.
Either way, it receives 1-1 attention and personalized care as the pet sitter boards only one cat at a time. The only exception is if there are more cats from the same household.
A professional & trusted pet sitter from reputed Pet Sitting company goes through a detailed background check and onboarding process. A reputed company generally provides a guarantee to keep the confidence of the customers high.
If you have a pet monitoring camera at home, you’ll be able to login at anytime to check on your pet’s health at any given point in time. In addition to this, the cat sitter / pet sitter would be sending a periodic photo & video updates of your kitty.
The aforementioned challenges and risks completely get mitigated with professional in-home cat boarding services provided by a trusted Pet Sitting Company.
Reputed Pet Sitting Companies use the 4H Policy – Happiness, Home, Health, Hygiene.
Now, let’s look at how each of the above problems are addressed with In-Home Cat Boarding.
Solution #1: Dogs being boarded in the same facility
CASE 1: Cat boarding at home
If the cat is at home, it is already acclimatized to the situation. As it is in its own familiar environment, this would never be a reason for your cat’s stress.
CASE 2: Cat boarding at Pet Sitter’s home
With reputed pet sitting companies, cat specialists in their team completely understand cat behavior. As part of their company policy and quality assurance, they clearly state that a pet sitter can only host one cat at their home at a given point in time. The only exception to this would be if there are more cats that belong to the same household.
This policy clearly removes the risk of dogs being boarded in the same facility.
Solution #2: Cats being stressed due to more cats around in the same cattery / cat hotel / cat boarding facility
This will never be the case with reputed pet sitting companies, as only one cat is accepted per pet sitter or cat sitter for a given cat boarding service.
As a result, this challenge is completely mitigated, thus, giving your cat a huge comfort and a stress free experience.
Solution #3: Is your cat really protected from diseases?
It’s all boils down to the risk levels and the probability of your cat contracting the disease. More the cats, higher the probability right ?!
With In-Home Boarding, the probability has just hit rock bottom. The safest option of them all.
CASE 1: Cat boarding at home
If it’s boarded at your own home, there is little or nothing to worry about. The standard process of keeping the entire home hygienic for your cat is ensured by the cat sitter.
As your house is going to be maintained in the same manner as instructed, it’ll continue to be as safe as it always was.
CASE 2: Cat boarding at Pet Sitter’s home
Reputed Pet Sitting Companies adopting the 4H policy, makes hygiene one of the most important aspects of the service.
The Cat Sitters are expected to completely sanitize their home prior to the start of each service. The Cat Parents are always welcomed to inspect the house during the Meet & Greet session or during drop off. This way, you’ll be assured of the quality standards being maintained in the house that your cat is boarded in. Moreover, Cat Sitters would do it for their own safety and hygiene as well.
Another big advantage with professional In-Home Cat Boarding Service is that the cat sitter or pet sitter would immediately recognize if a cat is ill. With their experience of several cat sitting / cat boarding sessions, they’ll be able to easily identify the symptoms of illness and alert the cat parent.
The cat parent is presented with the opportunity to immediately act on this information. Upon consent, their cat can be taken to their preferred vet clinic. With this proactive approach, the situation doesn’t deteriorate and is resolved well in advance with early diagnosis.
This proves to be one of the top benefits of providing personalized care to your cat.
Solution #4: Change in your cat’s routine causing them stress
Pet Sitter or Cat Sitter ensure that they take the complete instructions from the cat parent on the routine, dos and don’ts.
Personalized care combined with your cat being in a homely environment, is the biggest USP of Pet Sitting Companies over Cattery or a cat hotel.
CASE 1: Cat boarding at home
In this case, cat is in its familiar environment. Hence, the cat’s lifestyle and routine remains completely same under the care of the cat sitter.
CASE 2: Cat boarding at Pet Sitter’s home
The Cat Sitter / Pet Sitter would ensure that the cat takes his own sweet time to get acclimatized to the homely environment by letting him explore the expanse of the entire house.
As there is minimal stimulus for stress, cats quickly get comfortable and continue their usual routine with constant aid and personalized care, attention and love from the cat sitter.
Solution #5: Health & Hygiene
The risk of health and hygiene issues are seldom a concern with Pet Sitting.
The Cat Parents are always welcomed to explore the Cat Sitter or Pet Sitters home during their cat’s drop off or during Meet & Greet Session.
CASE 1: Cat boarding at home
In this case, the same products that were previously being used for sanitation will be continued as a standard process. There will be a change only if instructed otherwise by the cat parent.
In these cases, the cat parents needn’t even be stressed.
CASE 2: Cat boarding at Pet Sitter’s home
None of the Pet Sitters or Cat Sitters use any industrial cleaning products or any scented products which creates discomfort to your kitty.
Prior to the each service, Cat Sitters / Pet Sitters sanitize their home as a standard operating procedures. More importantly, they follow a standard guideline on cat proofing the house, using recommended pet friendly products etc. The homely environment keeps the pet stress free and happy which gives cat parents like you, complete peace of mind.
With a licensed & reputed Pet Sitting company, you’d definitely be returning to a healthy and happy cat in your arms.
Solution #6: Quality of human-cat interactions
Most importantly, Cat Sitters / Pet Sitters are passionate about pets. Their happiness thrives on their pure love for animals.
With years of experience and a detailed briefing from cat parents, they exactly know the techniques to get a cat comfortable around them. Cat Sitters from reputed Pet Sitting Companies often undergo periodic assessments, upskilling and training sessions to maintain the quality of service to clients.
Within a matter of days, they develop a healthy bond with the cat.
Kejal Jhaveri, COO of Pawland, a 5 Star Rated Pet Sitting company headquartered in Dubai, says “More often than not, we witness the cats greeting our cat sitters with so much of love during their second pet sitting session onward.” She goes on to say, “This shows the quality of bond they have built during their first session and the comfort levels they share with each other.”
Solution #7: Importance of sunlight for cats
If the cat is boarded at their own home, then it continues to enjoy its daily luxury as usual.
If it is boarded with a Cat Sitter; unlike a cattery or a cat hotel, the indoor movement of your cat is never restricted. Moreover, the precautions of cat proof the house makes the environment safe & secure.
In a homely environment, there are always plenty of room for natural sunlight to enter. Your cat would have the complete freedom to choose the desired location to relax and enjoy the sunlight.
Solution #8: Importance of right temperature setting for cats
Cat Sitters from reputed Pet Sitting companies are given clear instructions to maintain temperatures between 86-96 degrees during the summer and 78-80 degrees during the winter.
Albeit, the standard operating procedure of daily routine checks done by the pet sitters would ensure the correct assessment of the cat’s health. If the cat is feeling unwell, necessary temperature adjustments will be made to accommodate the complete comfort of the cat over their own.
True pet lovers treat your cats as family.
FAQ to address your curiosities on Cat Boarding
Is cattery, cat hotel or cat boarding facility cruel to cats? Is it stressful for my cat to stay in a cattery ?
If you are finding yourself worried, thinking about the above questions and seeking answers to them…
Your apprehensions are justified. But, know that you are asking the right questions by contemplating on the right choices to be made for your beloved pet.
Cats staying in a cattery find the overall experience very stressful. Cats are territorial by nature and prefer to stay in a homely environment. Even the very thought of getting into a crate or a carrier and driving them to a cattery can provoke anxiety in your cat.
Almost all cats get stressed when they enter into a boarding facility with dogs. Their excessive loud barks and smells drive them crazily stressed. Furthermore, the added stress of other cats constantly in their vicinity induces further stress. With powerful olfactory receptors, they can smell the urine and other scents from all around.
This article also shares a detailed perspective of the advantages of In-Home Cat Boarding under the care of a professional cat sitter. This is definitely a highly recommended option if the cat sitter can be hired from a reputed and trusted pet sitting company operational in your area.
What is cat boarding? What are the different types? How does cat boarding work?
There are two primary types of boarding your cat.
First, you could board your cat at a cattery, cat hotel or other types of boarding facility. 90% of the cases, boarding facilities accommodate both dogs and cats. The facility would have confined isolated rooms for each cat. It is structured in a manner that each cat is accommodated in a separate individual cell. You have the option to drop off the cat litter, food bowl, food and other accessories. Alternatively, for an additional charge, the facility could provide you with the necessary items for your cat.
On a daily or an alternate day basis the litter is changed and the food is provided to them on a timely basis. In some cases, cats are also allowed to stretch themselves out for a very brief amount of time in a common social area. However, they allow only one cat a time to avoid any accidental fights between cats.
The second type is boarding your cat at home by hiring a trusted pet sitter from a reputed Pet Sitting Company. This option is the most recommended one as the cat experiences the least stress in its familiar environment.
The third type is the next best alternative wherein the cat is boarded in a Pet Sitter’s home. This option avoids all the stress of neighboring cats, noise and constrained environment for your cat. It gets the freedom of an entire home along with personalized care and attention from the cat sitter.
To find out more on the benefits of cat sitting over cat boarding, you may find this article very useful.
What happens when the cat doesn’t get acclimatized to cattery, cat hotel or other boarding facilities?
Sometimes, with all the stress they undergo, they choose not to eat. Their food intake isn’t closely monitored. If they don’t eat for over 24-48 hours, they are at a risk of hepatic lipidosis, a potentially life threatening condition.
Similarly, refer to the symptoms of a stressed cat in the section above. If the cat is experiencing any of the above, it is a clear sign to take corrective action to alleviate the stress for the cat.
Is a cattery or a cat hotel ideal for kittens?
As for kittens, their immunity system is yet to be developed. As a result, they are highly susceptible to infections, contraction of diseases very easily. Until the age of 12 months, the concentration of serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM and IgA) do not reach accepted levels.
Hence, it is important to keep them away from other cats / pets which aren’t vaccinated or ill. More importantly, keeping them away from an environment where it has a high probability of contracting a disease is advised. Importantly, due to a bad experience in a cattery, early on in their life, it may permanently scar them.
As a result, it could potentially change their personality and you may find it hard to correct it.
The best approach would be to board them at your home. Alternatively, you may board them at a licensed Pet Sitter’s home.
Either way, above two options can be very beneficial and safe with the help of a reputed Pet Sitting company.
Is a cattery or a cat hotel ideal for elderly cats, cats requiring medical attention or cats which are sick / ill?
In both of the above cases, the cat requires additional care and attention.
In a cattery or a cat hotel, the things are done in a systematic manner but is extremely robotic. As they have several cats boarding in their facility, it is challenging for them to provide personalized care.
Considering its situation, it probably is already in discomfort or in pain. Inducing further stress is highly advised against.
On the contrary, if an elderly cat or cat requiring medical condition is boarded at the comfort of its own home or with a trusted pet sitter, you can alleviate 90% of its stress. As a loving cat sitter provides personalized care and 1-1 attention, it brings in a strong quotient of love, patience and compassion in their interactions with your cat.
In Pet Sitting, there is no urgency of completing a job in order to move onto to the next cat. Whereas, this is commonly witnessed in a cattery or a cat hotel.
