Anyone who has ever brought their cat to stay with us sees fifteen minutes of our day, the time it takes to settle their cat in a pen. I thought it would be useful to give you all an insight into what goes on at the cattery for the rest of the day.
Good Morning!
Our day starts early – when we’re busy, that can be around 7am. We give out the morning medications, check the water bowls, feed the cats and clean the pens. One short sentence, but it takes hours. During one week this summer we had thirty pens occupied and fourteen cats needed medication of some kind. And of course, some cats delight in scattering litter as far as they can, so we have to sweep the whole pen!
You may have noticed the whiteboard in our reception area. We list every pen with the occupants’ names, notes of any medications required and their preferred food. We do remember the names – how can you forget names like Rhoobarb and Custard? Whiskey and Brandy? – but we always check the food requirements just to be certain.
Daytime
We need a lot of litter and cat food, so after the morning appointments are finished and all the cats are fed and watered, we’re often out on shopping trips to top up supplies. If we have any serious concerns about a cat’s health, we may find ourselves taking the cat to our veterinary partners for a check up and treatment. We do also offer a transport system for cats by prior arrangement, as I described in the blog post ‘Globe Trotting Cats’. It’s not every day or every week, but a long-distance trip can take all day.
At some point during the day we spend time with each cat. Some like to be picked up and cuddled. Others prefer to keep their paws firmly on the ground but love some fuss and attention. The kittens always want to play (or sleep!).
Good Afternoon (and Evening)
In the afternoons, we’re open four days a week for customers to bring their cats in or collect their cats to take them home. Seven days a week, we do the rounds of the pens to administer any evening medication, feed the cats, clear the litter trays and clean up any mess. It’s not all work. The cats make sure they come to inspect what we’re up to and chat about their day, and we take the time to give them some attention.
It can be a long day, but time spent with cats is never dull.
