How to Choose a Cat Hotel: 10 Things to Check

Choosing where your cat stays while you are away is a big decision. Your cat cannot tell you how the stay went, so you have to judge the place before you book. These are the ten things we would check, as people who have run a cattery in Johannesburg for years and seen what makes cats settle, and what makes them miserable.

1. Read the reviews properly

Reviews are the closest thing you have to asking a hundred other cat parents how their stay went. Do not stop at the star rating. Look at:

• How many reviews there are. A 5.0 rating from eight reviews tells you far less than a 4.9 from a few hundred.
• How recent they are. Staff and standards change. Look for reviews from the last few months.
• What people actually describe. The most useful reviews mention specific things: the cat ate well, came home calm, the owner got photo updates, the villa was clean.
• How the business replies. A thoughtful reply to a complaint is a good sign. Silence or defensiveness is not.
• Photos from customers, not just the business's own marketing pictures.

Google reviews are the best place to start, because they are hard to fake at volume and you can see each reviewer's history. You can read what our guests' parents say, or see all our reviews on Google.

2. Make sure cats from different families are never mixed

This is the single most important question to ask, and the answer should be a firm no. Some facilities put unrelated cats together in a shared room or play area to save space. For cats this is a problem:

• Stress. Cats are territorial. Being in a strange place is already stressful, and sharing it with strange cats makes it much worse. Stressed cats hide, stop eating and are more likely to get sick.
• Illness. Cat flu, ringworm, fleas and other infections spread quickly between cats that share space, bowls and litter trays. Fights can also spread infections such as FIV through bites.
• Fights and injuries. Even calm cats can lash out at a stranger when they feel cornered.

Cats from the same household are different. If they live together happily at home, sharing a room at the cattery usually comforts them. Read more in should cats from different families share accommodation?

3. Cats only, with no dogs boarded

A cat hears and smells a dog long before it sees one. In a kennel full of boarding dogs, constant barking and a stream of unfamiliar dogs keep cats on high alert for the whole stay. A cats-only cattery or cat hotel that boards no dogs is far calmer. If a place boards both, the cats and dogs should be in completely separate buildings, out of sight and earshot, which needs a large property, usually out of town. This is why many people searching for cat kennels end up choosing a cattery instead. See what a cat hotel is, and how it differs from kennels and runs.

4. Enough space to climb, hide and look out

Floor space matters, but height matters more. Cats feel safe when they can get up high or tuck themselves away. Look for shelves, lofts, baskets or a covered sleeping box, a window or garden view, and enough room between the litter tray and the food bowl. Garden villas, where your cat can lie in the grass and watch birds, are a bonus for outdoor cats.

5. A strict vaccination policy

A cattery that does not ask for your cat's vaccination card is not checking anyone else's either. In South Africa, a good cattery will ask for proof of rabies and the F3 core vaccine (feline parvovirus, calicivirus and herpesvirus), given within the last 12 months. Ours are explained in our vaccination requirements.

6. Clean, fresh-smelling rooms

A well-run cattery should not smell of ammonia. Ask how often litter trays are cleaned, what litter is used, and how rooms are cleaned between guests.

7. Warmth in winter and shade in summer

Johannesburg winter nights regularly drop close to freezing. Ask whether rooms are heated and whether you can request it. In summer, outdoor areas need shade.

8. Someone on site at night

Ask who is on the property after hours. A cattery where the owner or staff live on site can respond quickly if a cat is unwell or there is an emergency.

9. Attention, updates and medication

Ask how much one-on-one time each cat gets, whether you will get updates or photos, whether they can give medication, and whether you can bring your cat's own food. A sudden change of food is a common cause of upset tummies during boarding.

10. Visit before you book

A good cattery welcomes viewings by appointment. If a place will not let you see where your cat will stay, look elsewhere. When you visit, trust your nose and your gut: are the cats relaxed, is it quiet, and do the staff clearly like cats?

Questions to ask on a viewing

1. Do cats from different families ever share a room or play area?
2. Do you board dogs here?
3. Which vaccinations do you need, and do you check every card?
4. Is someone on site overnight?
5. Can I choose heating?
6. Can I bring my cat's own food and bedding?
7. Will I get updates during the stay?
8. Can you give medication?
9. What happens if my cat gets sick?
10. How much is the deposit, and what is the cancellation policy?

Red flags to watch out for

• Unrelated cats sharing a room, run or "communal play area".
• No questions about vaccinations.
• No viewings allowed, or only of a show room.
• Few reviews, only old reviews, or a pattern of complaints about sick or thin cats.
• Boarding dogs housed within earshot of the cats.
• A strong smell of urine or ammonia.

Once you have found the right place, our first stay essentials guide explains what to pack. And if you are in Johannesburg, here is how The Cat Hotel measures up against this checklist.