Tips For Choosing A Cat Boarding Facility While You’re On Holiday

If you find a good cat boarding facility for your cat, there are considerable health advantages for your cat. Here are some guidelines on choosing the right facility.

One clear advantage in choosing a cat boarding facility to board your cat while you are on holiday is that the staff are trained to find signs of illness that friends and neighbors are not. Some signs of illness are quite difficult to spot to the untrained eye. These include:

* lethargy – which can be mistaken for simply sleeping
* blood in the urine – it cannot be seen on the grass, and this can be a symptoms of urinary problems
* blood in the stools – most people don’t think to check for this, and it can signify serious intestinal problems

Of course, choosing a facility where staff members are knowledgeable of current cat health developments is important. Veterinarians are a good source of recommendations, and you can always phone the American Boarding Kennels Association (719-667-1600) to see if a pet care center is accredited with them.

Here are some tips for choosing a cat boarding facility:

* Visit the prospective facility. Is it clean, does it smell? It should not smell, and they should not have any parasites, dirt, or a build up of feces. They should be disinfected regularly, preferably with professional disinfectants.

* Phone a boarding facility first to see if they can take your cat. They may be overbooked, or they may not be able to take more specialized cases, such as very young kitties, or cats on particular medications or feeding schedules. If a facility can take a cat on a special diet, they may ask you to bring in a supply of the food for the duration of your cat’s visit. These sort of details will generally be covered before the time comes to drop off your cat. It’s a good idea to give the facility your vet’s name and phone number.  Also if you have a cell phone or a phone where you can be reached, this is a good idea too.  In case of emergency, leave instructions on where your cat is to be taken.