Tag Archives: pet boarding

Thoughts on a Year at the B&B

Time sure flies when you’re scooping kitty litter! Today is my one year anniversary with the cats-only boarding facility. I’ve learned a lot about our feline friends over the last three hundred and sixty-five days. The first (and most important) thing I’ve learned is a true appreciation for cats. When I first started work at the cats-only boarding facility, I knew a little bit about kitties. I’ve never owned one of my own due to allergies and a general preference for dogs… but after the past year? I could see myself living with a cat someday. It’s the guests themselves … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Home Renovations

Most of our clients at the cats-only boarding facility leave their furry friends with us when nobody will be home — a business trip or family vacation, for example. Lately, it seems we have a lot of guests who are in need of a safe haven during moving or home construction. Why board your pet during home renovations or packing for a move? Reduce the risk of your pet escaping when someone is bringing supplies in or out. If your pet is skittish around strangers, he or she won’t feel safe or comfortable with unfamiliar movers or construction workers in … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: The Worst Yet

Oh, I’m sure there will be many other injuries in my work at the cats only boarding facility, but today I got the worst one yet. It’s a three inch claw mark on the outside of my forearm — almost exactly where my arm hits the edge of the laptop (ow) or rests on the edge of the desk (also ow). I tried to take a picture of it so you could see that I’m not exaggerating… but my camera is out of batteries. Plus, thinking of all the people who were grossed out by Moose’s green barf earlier this … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Saying Goodbye

It’s barely been a month since I started working at the cats only boarding facility. Even in that short span of time, we’ve had some repeat visitors. I’m getting to know the names and faces of the families and felines who are frequent guests. There are cats who leave that I know I’ll be seeing again. It’s a good feeling. I like the sense of community — the familiar faces, the stories from past visits, and more. We’ve had a few cats with us for several weeks, and I’m definitely going to miss them when they go home. One of … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Holiday Aftermath

I’m pleased to report that we survived the holiday rush at the cats only boarding facility! When they said we were expecting a full house, they meant it. We had forty-five cats in the main part of the boarding facility and another twelve housed in the isolation wards in the veterinary clinic side. Plus an extra six cats tucked into various rooms around the building — the x-ray room, a spare exam room, and one vet’s office. Full indeed! The schedule got pretty hectic. Taking care of sixty-three cats can use up quite a bit of time! And that’s sixty-three … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Full House!

I was warned, when I started my new part time job at the felines-only boarding facility, that the holidays would be a very busy time. That was NOT an understatement! Over the next few days, we are at full capacity — forty-five guests in the main boarding facility, plus another twelve in the quiet rooms on the veterinarian side of the office. There’s nothing quite like the chorus of meows that greets me in the morning. And we have all sorts of cats here, too. Lots of cute kittens — they tend to be the most vocal ones. A few … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Syringe Feeding

My new part time job — working at a cats-only boarding facility — has been quite the experience so far. I’ve met all sorts of interesting cats and I’m learning a lot from my coworkers. Today, I learned how to syringe-feed a cat. Let me back up a little. Every other day, we weigh each guest to make sure they aren’t gaining too much weight or losing too much weight. When your total body weight is less than twenty pounds, even a tenth of a pound change can be a big strain on the system. If a cat loses more … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Unhappy Guests

Not every cat who comes to stay at the cats-only boarding facility is delighted to be there. Most of the guests I’ve worked with so far have been friendly, or at least tolerant of strangers. But there has been the occasional unhappy camper, too! Some cats are very vocal about their displeasure. I’ve heard stories from my co-workers about cats who will yowl from the time you open the door to clean until you close it again. That will certainly be interesting! Others will hiss, or just lay their ears back (this is often body language for unhappy cat). Cats … Continue reading →

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: Cleanliness

Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. The bulk of my hours at the cat boarding facility are taken up with cleaning. The first thing I do in the morning is empty the litter pans. Each guest room has a separate, private area for the litter pan. Spray the nook down with a cleaning solution, wipe it clean, and put in a fresh pan and fresh litter. After all the litter pans have been emptied, I take the garbage out. A bag full of last night’s litter and waste can be pretty heavy! Then I sweep the whole room to gather up … Continue reading →