I had always said that I would like to run a boarding cattery should I ever stop breeding cats and in 2003 I had all my cats spayed and neutered and they were all transformed from working studs and queens into our pets.

So after living with cats and breeding cats for over 20 years I felt that I had acquired the necessary qualifications to run a public boarding cattery, all I needed was a boarding cattery to run.

After deciding where we would site the buildings and drawing up all the plans necessary for planning permission I started looking at what I would want from a boarding cattery as a customer, what kind of cattery would I want to take my cats to.

For my cats to be happy they would require access to the outside world and for me to be happy that access would have to be secure and sheltered. So outside runs with a roof that would allow the light in and keep the elements out were added to my list.	(click for larger image)
My cats would want a place to relax during the day, to bask in the sun and watch the world go by in comfort. This added a bed by a window with a view of the house and garden to my list.	(click for larger image)
After a long day my cats would want a warm snug place to retreat into where they could spend the night. So a soft heated bed in a private enclosed space had to be included on my list.	(click for larger image)
My cats are used to living in a centrally heated house where the temperature remains at a comfortable level day and night. This added individual thermostatically controlled heating in all the chalets to my list, especially as two of my cats are pensioners who really feel the cold.	(click for larger image)
For me to be happy the food preparation area would have to be clean and all the feeding bowls would have to be washed properly and the choice of food available would suite the dietary requirements of my cats. This started a whole new list that would dictate how the office and reception of our cattery would look.	(click for larger image)

Our Boarding Cattery licence was issued in February 2004 and the Boarding Cattery was officially opened in April 2004 after many months hard work by my husband Chris and myself. There were still some small jobs to do and I suspect that there will always be 'jobs' that require our attention.

Our first customer, a tortie female called 'Penny' came to stay for a week in late April and since then we have had a number of guests and we both look forward to many more over the coming years.