FAQ'S
The App
We pay for our client app and absolutely love it. It contains all info about your kitty and acts as an emergency contact for our family if one of us should be unable to care for your cat (illness, accident, emergency). We feel that this backup system is priceless and have tried to plan ahead just in case. All scheduling can be done through the app. You can click on the calendar and see your dates as well as make changes, pay your invoice, or contact us.
Drop Off and Pick Up
By appointment between the hours of 9am and 6pm Monday through Saturday.
If you wish to pick up outside of these days/times- there is an additional $20 fee.
Drop off day counts as a whole day and pick up day counts as a whole day, regardless of the time dropped off or picked up. This is to insure that your suite is your suite on your dates.
Cancellation Policy
Please note that once your cat is dropped off for boarding or home visits start, we cannot offer a refund for services that are ended early.
7 days before services start- no cancellation charge (8pm cutoff)
After 8pm 7 days before services start- 50% of invoice cancellation charge will be applied.
After Hours pickup- $15
Any refunds will be given as a credit towards future services.
Sick Policy
We cannot board cats that are showing any signs of illness such as sneezing, sniffling, weepy eyes, lethargy, etc.
We want to insure all our kitty guests have a healthy, happy stay with us.
Holiday Rate
We work all year with minimal vacations, which means we give up our holidays to spend with your kitty.
At this time, there is a $10 additional charge for all holiday dates.
Holiday 2023 dates
Martin Luther King Day Jan 13 - 16
Presidents' Day Feb 17 - 20
Memorial Day May 26 - 29
Juneteenth June 16 - 19
4th of July June 30 - July 4
Labor Day Sep 1 - 4
Veteran's Day Nov 10 - 12
Thanksgiving Nov 23 - 26
Christmas and New Year's Day Dec 22 - Jan 2
Payment
Invoices are sent when you confirm.
A 50% deposit is required and is your confirmation that your spot and dates are held just for you.
The remaining 50% is due at drop off or start of services.
Parents can make credit card payments directly through the online app and we also take check or cash.
What to bring to boarding
If possible, please label all items with your cat's name. this can be as simple as a piece of masking tape labelled with pen/sharpie.
Please bring your cat in a carrier.
Parents will bring food and any supplements or meds that will be needed.
Please have medicine in their labeled bottles from your veterinarian.
Litter is recommended but optional. We feel it is best to keep it the same as home.
Please bring a comfort item if you wish. These can include toys, blankets, t-shirts, or a towel that smells like home.
We will try to accommodate personal items such as beds, if they fit.
Please know that sometimes toys can get misplaced so if it is an irreplaceable toy, it is better left at home or please let us know at drop off.
About Boarding
We are a small family business. Our cat suites are 3' by 3" by 7" tall. They have glass doors and walls. Adjoining walls are solid and have shelves for climbing and perching. We thought a lot about what suites we wanted to offer. Do we go with what's out there- smaller suites and board more cats? Or go with large luxury suites with fewer suites? That was an easy one for us. As large as possible! Our suites are roomy and have lots of vertical space. The glass allows your kitty and us to see one another and hear one another. We didn't want cats who stay with us to feel they were just in an unattended room alone. We want them to feel as much as a part of our family as we can. We want them to have companionship and attention.
All cats do have time to come out into the main room (not with other families of course). Some may want more time out than others (elderly cats may want to nap more than a young kitten). Some feel comfortable in their suite and prefer to watch. We never force any kitty out- we offer them the choice and respect how they are feeling. Gwendolyn has Fear Free training as well as behavior training. Respect, love, and consent- yes, consent- are all values we adhere to.
Litter boxes are cleaned at least 2x a day, more often as needed for cats that pee more due to kidney issues, etc. Water is cleaned 2x a day and meals are fed as close to your home schedule as possible. Does this include middle of the night snacking? Yes! It is best for us to know your home schedule so we can give the best care possible. If your cat usually goes outside, has a set schedule, or a daily human food snack, it helps for us to know. No judgement and no shame. Really. Your cat is going to think they are getting the same with us, so they will be expecting us... or telling us :) and we want to know what it is they are looking for from us.
Something We Wish for Parents to Know
We are pet parents too. Our 2 cats and our chihuahua are not pets- they are our children, our family, as much our flesh and blood as any other relative. We understand that you may be anxious leaving your child, wondering how they will do, or just the thought of being without them might bring on a panic attack. We totally understand. It's often like the first day of school and we just want to say that it is usually harder on the parents than the kids. It is common for parents to feel separation anxiety. We do our very best to give the very best care we can. We aren't like big kennels or veterinarian offices- not that we are downplaying what they do- we are all in this service community together to care for pets. We don't have lots of space for lots of pets and we don't have other services. We also don't want to. We want to be different. We want to be small. We want to be cats only (with the exception of our tiny chihuahua Daisy May). This allows us to love what we do and to give the best care we can. It also means we need to charge more than the bigger businesses to pay our bills and stay in business. We appreciate the fact that you care so much for your kids and it is heartwarming for us to be part of your journey.
We don't have a secretary, bookkeeper, cleaner, etc. We wear all the hats. We wish all we did was play and snuggle with your kids, but wearing all the hats is good too. This way we know how much they eat, are keeping an eye on health, bathroom habits, energy levels, and communication with parents isn't filtered down to employees or weekend help. We work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 50 -52 weeks a year. We love talking to parents but kitty care is our first and foremost goal. Sometimes we have senior cats or cats with medical diagnoses that require more care. Sometimes we have to bring a cat to the vet for a routine visit. Sometimes we are dealing with an emergency- a client who was suddenly hospitalized and there is no-one to care for kitty (this happens a lot more than people realize). It can be very emotional and there can be a lot of practical figuring out to be done- taxi, pet food shopping, etc. If you need to have immediate communication with us, a phone call is the best way. We don't want to worry anyone unnecessarily, but if we have a question, we will reach out. Even if we just aren't sure if something is normal or not- we will reach out and ask. (ie- it's day 3 and your cat hasn't pooped). We appreciate your understanding.