Cat boarding services care for feline pets while their owners are away. Cat boarders are typically animal lovers, trainers or people who work in animal health. They provide lodging for cats at their home or kennel. Many cities and counties require special licensing for a person to board cats and other animals in their home, so make sure that professionals are in compliance with local regulations.
For a fee, cat boarders provide pets a space to sleep, feed them meals, ensure that they have fresh water and keep them on their daily routine. Many boarders administer medication if needed for an additional fee, depending on the business model. Most cat boarders advertise that they offer love and affection along with keeping an eye on the physical well-being of pets.
Professional cat lodging varies widely in terms of the setup. Some boarders provide space for a small number of cats in their private home, while other boarders have dedicated facilities built specifically to house the animals. Several factors affect the cost of boarding a cat.
Prices for cat boarding vary depending on the specific type of accommodations, the services included in the nightly rate and the geographical region. Boarders in areas with a higher cost of living generally charge higher rates for all services. Other factors reflected in the nightly rate include the boarders overhead for providing services, insurance costs and required licensing. Here are some examples of nightly rates:
Delania Brooks of Dees Doggy Den in Cleburne, Texas
Overnight rate: $18 for the first cat
This is a dedicated animal boarding facility with a section built specifically for cats. Each suite accommodates four cats and has perch shelves, beds and a private litter box.
Each additional cat lodged in the same suite costs $13 per night.
The facilities have a monitored security alarm, smoke alarms, fire sprinklers and surveillance cameras with a DVR to keep animals safe.
Supervised playtime with other cats in the cat daycare is included in the nightly rate.
Night time cuddles and treats cost $3 per session and include cuddles, massage and tuck-in service.
Allison Weeks of Perfect in Escondido, California
Nightly rate: $25 per 24 hour period
Cat boarding requires a minimum of $100 to book.
Pet owners can get a 25 percent discount for two or more pet guests.
Owners must provide the pets food, medications, treats and other supplies such as bedding, leash and toys, along with any special care instructions.
The facility provides TLC time and supervised playtime, pet feeding and care routine, photo text updates, and administration of medicine as arranged.
Pets can check in anytime after 6 a.m. and be picked up anytime before 10 p.m. the day of check out.
Cat boarding costs can be affected by factors beyond the cost of lodging. Many cat boarding professionals also offer 'pet taxis' to pick up cats and return them to their owners if they are unable to do so prior to travel. Costs for pet taxi services are often based on mileage along with an initial flat rate. Most cat boarders prefer that owners provide their pets food, but some will provide meals for an added costeither a per-day rate or a per-meal rate. Fleas and mites are taboo at shared pet accommodations. If boarders find fleas on pets during their stay, owners will likely have to pay for cleanup services later. Here are some examples of potential add-on costs from Perfect:
Flea, mite or tick treatment: $250
Pet taxi service: $12 per 15 minutes of drive time
Early drop off or late pickup: $2 per hour