Although we have everything your cat needs during their stay with us, there are a few items you may want to include to help your cat feel more at home at our cattery.
Below are our suggestions for what to pack!
General Supplies:
We have plenty of bedding, food, toys, bowls, litter boxes and litter, but we want your cat to feel as comfortable as possible. To keep your cat happy they should have as many items from home that you think they need. Every cat is different, so we leave it up to the cat parent to determine what they want to bring from home. We recommend you bring their current bed (if it's not oversized) or a favorite blanket, a few favorite toy(s), and we recommend you also bring a piece of personal used clothing with your scent, treats they like, and anything else that you feel will make them feel at home. Since space is limited in each suite we do suggest you reconsider bringing larger items with you i.e. a large cat tree, larger cat beds, and cat scratchers from home which may take up too much floor space.
Litter and Litter Boxes:
Our litter boxes are stainless steel so that they are easily cleaned and sanitized daily. We scoop and remove any messes in the litter boxes at LEAST twice a day. Our goal is to keep the litter boxes spotless, to lower odor and possible accidents. If you have more than two cats staying with us, we can provide 2 litter boxes or one extra large box. We do use a paper pellet litter which most cats have no issue using. If your cat is used to other litter types we can sprinkle some of the litter from home along with litter attractant on the litter to ensure your kitty recognizes the litter box. We do have some clay litter available but In some cases we may ask that you provide us with enough litter for the entire stay especially if your cat is very picky about the litter he/she uses. You can easily arrange to ship supplies to us if you forget anything at home.
Food:
Any special diet (including Rx food) that your cat is currently eating would need to continue during their stay with us. All of your cat’s food will be held separately and labeled to ensure they are the only cat that eats it. All feeding instructions should be provided to us in writing either by email or on paper so that we can place it on their individual suite card for accurate feeding. We usually feed wet food twice a day between 7-8 am and again 5-6 pm. If your cat doesn’t eat wet food twice a day, or has a specific eating schedule we will try to maintain this schedule during their stay. If you plan to have your cat eat our food brands, we ask that you do provide a few days of the current food they are eating at home to lower chances of a GI upset. If you prefer we feed your food, we ask that you give us enough food to last through their entire stay as well as a few additional days of food just in case your travel plans change. Again, food and other supplies can always be shipped directly to us.
Collars:
If your cat is used to wearing a collar you can certainly keep their collar on during their stay with us, but it is not required. We have no requirement for a collar on any cat specifically for their stay with us. All cats are kept separate during their stay and we know which cat is which based on their suite number. When your cat is given exercise time each day, they are the only cat in the room at that time. Each cat’s photo is also taken on the day they arrive and saved in our booking system. If they are going to wear a collar please insure it is a “break away” collar which is the safest collar for a cat.
Carriers:
We expect all cats to be leashed or within a carrier to prevent them from escaping when you are entering our cattery. Since space is limited we ask that all carriers be taken back home with you UNLESS your cat prefers to sleep inside a carrier. This is common especially if it is your cat's first stay with us. One standard sized carrier can fit in most of the suites. If your cat is more comfortable with the carrier we can certainly keep it within the suite.
Leave the fleas at the door!
Did you know that even indoor cats can get fleas? YES, people can carry fleas into their home or other pets like dogs that are outside can bring them in too! We take every precaution at Stay Kitty Stay to prevent our cats from getting fleas! All cats at our cattery are negative for fleas and the residents of the cattery are treated with monthly flea and tick treatment (Revolution or Frontline) each month. All guest cats must have proof that they do NOT have any fleas or ticks as they must pass the flea comb test on the day of arrival. A flea comb test is done within the first 15-20 minutes of arrival to ensure that there are no fleas brought into the cattery. If there is a positive flea comb test, we will have to isolate your cat(s) and treat them for fleas immediately to prevent an outbreak. We keep flea and tick topical treatments on hand in case this scenario occurs. All fees for flea/tick topical treatments along with any additional expenses incurred due to the need for flea preventatives within the cattery will be incurred by the cat owner.
We highly recommend that a day or two prior to check-in that you flea comb your cat(s) to ensure there are no fleas or ticks to contend with.