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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Is this what a lot of catteries are like now?

15 replies

zafferana · 09/02/2022 20:29

I grew up with a cat. We always used the local cattery when we went away. We'd make a courtesy call on the day to check a convenient drop off or pick up time, it was all quite relaxed.

I'm using a local cattery for the first time. Owner has VERY restricted hours when she'll accept cats and pick ups. Within those very restricted hours you have to make a formal appointment and she's extremely rigid about this. If you can't drop off during her extremely limited opening hours there is zero flexibility, other than putting your cat in for an extra day or days and once again you're limited to her fixed times (which are when most people are at work). I won't be using this cattery again, because dealing with her and trying to fix suitable slots to drop off and pick up is absolutely doing my head in, but is this common?

OP posts:

Daphodils · 09/02/2022 20:34

I guess running a cattery could take over your life, and she's trying to ring-fence her free time and not to let the cattery become a 24/7 demand. She might have gone too far (although I suppose the only test of that is whether she's not getting enough customers)

alrightfella · 09/02/2022 20:36

Yes our cattery/kennels has two pick up and drop off times 9-10.30 and then 3-4.30 I find it incredibly annoying but having tried a few it seems they all do similar.

SpikeySmooth · 09/02/2022 20:37

I used a cattery that was like this. my cat caught a kidney infection there and we never went back

Other family have said the same thing.

I think it's because catteries are often run in conjunction with other services like cat sitting and dog walking.

Whiskyinajar · 09/02/2022 20:38

I don't think all catteries are like this.

I use only two locally, one is a small cattery and the owner has a two hour window for dropping off and picking up twice a day.

He does ask for a time but then spends a good while settling the cat in with you present. I like the time he takes and the effort he puts in to maki g sure each cat has what they need.

The other cattery has longer hours but is huge and tbh it's not my preferred option although both my cats are well looked after if they stay there.

gunnersgold · 09/02/2022 20:39

Yes , otherwise they could never leave ! I think it's fine , I have had to pay for an extra night before which I'd rather not but I understand .

Easterbunnyiswindowshopping · 09/02/2022 20:41

Since Covid our kennels and cattery are drop off /pick up by appointment only.

Toddlerteaplease · 09/02/2022 20:43

My cattery is open 9-5 and you can drop off or collect at a pre arranged time. It's the only one I've tried with such good opening times. The others are quite restrictive.

RunningFromInsanity · 09/02/2022 20:45

I worked in a Cattery with long opening times and it was so frustrating and counter productive to have people collecting/dropping off at random times.
Trying to clean/play with cats etc and having to stop and pack everything away to answer the door, wastes so much time.

I then worked at a Cattery/kennels with shorter opening hours and we got so much more done.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/02/2022 20:47

Ours was restricted hours but I used to drop off a day early.

WonderfulYou · 09/02/2022 20:49

This is very common.

Not only is feeding and cleaning etc based around these times but it can also be quite stressful for cats and dogs to have new people and pets coming in all day.

Wingingitsince2018 · 09/02/2022 20:49

I worked at a cattery when I was a teenager and there were 2 periods per day then, 15 years ago

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 09/02/2022 20:50

My parents ran a kennels and cattery while I was growing up. They always had set drop off and pick up times, because they had to actually look after the animals that had been left in their care in between owners doing long winded good byes and listing out every type of food they've ever tried and the reasons fluffy doesn't like it, or what order you should place the food and water bowls down for Rex.......

They never had a single day off, we would be walking dogs and cleaning up cat sick on Xmas morning. If it was raining, hailing, wind storm we would still be out cleaning kennels, making sure dogs were walked and comfortable. We'd get calls at midnight from social services because they'd had to section a woman who had 46 cats or thereabouts and were desperate for help catching them and getting them somewhere safe, or at 3am because someone's parent on the other side of the country had been rushed into hospital and they needed to get there so could they please drop off their dog in half an hour for us to take care of.

Having set times was necessary and simple for customers to adhere to.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 09/02/2022 20:52

Since covid it’s become stricter. But we have always booked an appointment. Now my Cattery doesn’t do any collections/drop offs on Sundays. So I have to book an extra day.

This doesn’t bother me. So long as they look after DCat properly.

Bellyups · 09/02/2022 20:57

Normal to have set pick up/drop off times. They have to actually look after animals in their care too. If the times don’t work you usually take pets a day early/pick up a day after you get back

Original poster

zafferana · 09/02/2022 21:03

Right - so it seems fairly standard and I understand about the disruption, etc, if there are people coming and going all day long. I guess I'll know the score in future and be a bit better organised.

OP posts:

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