Most people who visit our cattery are intent on seeing their cats settled in their pens, or on that sweet moment when they come to pick up their cat (and often the cat dives through the cat-flap into the outside space, just to be a complete joker). A few have noticed the licence displayed on the wall. I’d like to take this chance to tell you what goes into earning that licence, because we are very proud of our five-star rating.
Under the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018, every business whose activities involve the care of animals must be inspected by their local authority on a regular basis. The rating given depends on whether the establishment has met just the minimum level required (one to three stars, depending on whether the inspection found minor failings or none at all) or has achieved the higher welfare standards as well. How often that inspection is done depends on the rating the business had on its previous inspection; the lower the rating, the shorter the licence period granted. As our five-star rating was renewed in 2021, we were allowed the maximum licence length – three years.
That licence expires at the end of this year, so we applied for the licence to be renewed and invited Braintree District Council to send an inspector to the cattery. However well prepared we are, this is an anxious time. Have we missed some minor change in the inspection routine? Will the inspector agree that we’ve put every measure in place? The requirements for a well-rated cattery cover ten pages – there are over seventy different questions needing a positive answer, covering matters such as cleanliness, diet and clear written procedures covering things like evacuation drills and keeping cats safe and happy. The best requirements look at whether the cats have enough space to lie stretched out as cats love to do and are given fuss and affection.
One of our smaller pens set up in readiness
We had nothing to worry about. The inspector agreed that we had met all the requirements for a five-star rating. She commented on how large the pens were in each block, and was impressed that we remembered the names of all the cats even though we had no names attached to the pens (well, of course – cats are characters! How can we forget their names?) Being awarded a five-star rating isn’t the end of the matter, though. At any time over the next three years, we could have an inspection held with no warning – so we can never let our standards slip.
We don’t want to let our standards slip at any time. We aim to give your cats a holiday of their own every time you leave them with us. We know that pets are part of a family – that you want them to enjoy their stay with us and return home happy and relaxed. We’re out there every day making sure we deserve that five-star rating.
Would your cat give us five stars? If so – why not leave us a Google review on their behalf?
