Conference misery::feline_v1

There is a place in Groton, MA about 30 minutes from Nashua, called
Sleepy Hollow Cattery.  As the name implies, they only board cats.  I have
not left my cats there yet, but have reservations for the end of the month.

Each cat has their own cage, with solid walls and a wire front, and an upper
level for sleeping.

24 hour veterinarian service.

The place where the cats are kept is the owners office.  Where he is working
for 8 hours a day.

He trys to let the cats out of the cages for a short period each day
for exercise.

The price is $5.00 per day.

This place is cleanest, neatest and seemingly most well run boarding kennel
for cats that I found.

Sherry

Bulger Animal Hospital on Rt. 125 in North Andover, MA also boards cats.
They are kept in individually air-conditioned cages to prevent infections.
They get love and attention several times a day from the staff.  The cost is
$5/day.  The hospital is about 35 minutes from Nashua, near Exit 43 off of
I-495.

I'm a bit biased because my fianc�e is a veterinarian there, but Bulger's is
one of the best clinics I've ever seen.

					-- Roger

Ideally, though, you _shouldn't_ board cats, particularly indoor cats.
Cats are very territorial and get upset if location or routine is changed.
Also, many boarding kennels put cats in close proximity so that well ones
can catch things from unhealthy ones.

The ideal solution is a cat-sitter.  One who loves cats.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

Unfortunately I have no choice.  I don't know of many people that want to
take on the responsibility of my 2 cats.  All my friends have cats or
dogs of their own.  

The Kennels I have spoken with do require proof of having all their shots
and that they are healthy.  I am looking for a place that they would keep
my 2 cats together since they love each other and don't want to be
seperated...  (My younger cats sleeps right on top of my older cat...  They
always have to be touching when they sleep).

I do hate to have to board them.  I've done it before and I think I feel
guilty for leaving them even more than they don't want to be put in a
kennel.

re .4:

By a "cat-sitter," I didn't necessarily mean that someone would live in
with them or take the cats to their houses.  If your cats are well-behaved
indoor cats, someone who could come over to your place onlce a day and spend
perhaps an hour with them, and obviously change food, water, and litter,
would be sufficient.  I have done that for friends of mine in the past, and
if the cats have an hour with someone who _really_ cares, that's sufficient
for their states of mind.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

I live in Atlanta, Georgia, so this may not help you much, but maybe
you could find something similar up there.  We have been using a
pet sitter service (called Critter Sitters) for five years for our
cats and have been VERY pleased with them.  We found them by looking
in the Yellow Pages under Pet Sitting Services - it turns out they
are also listed under Sitting Services (along with sitters for
children) and under Kennels (even though they're really not a kennel).

They charge $4.00 a day for the first cat, and $1.00 extra a day for
each additional cat.  (We had four cats for a while, so $7.00 a day
was a real bargain compared to what it would have cost to board them
somewhere!)  I think you can get them to come twice a day if you want
to pay twice as much - we didn't see any need for that.  They clean
out and/or change the cat sand; empty, wash, and refill water bowls;
put out food; bring in your mail; water your flowers; and I suspect
you could probably work out a deal for them to do anything else you
wanted done - like turning lights on and off, etc.  They come visit
you before you leave to pick up the key, meet your cats, and find
out where everything is.  They fill out a form with your cats' names
and what they look like, your vet's name and phone number, and a
phone number where you can be reached while you're gone.  They ask
you to phone them when you return - if you don't show up for some
reason, they continue to take care of your cats until you do get
back.

We have had the same lady come take care of our cats every time we've
been out of town during the last five years (probably a total of ten
different times).  She loves cats - has three of her own plus is a
foster parent for the SPCA.  She even sends our cats Christmas cards!

Hope you can find something similar up there - it's MUCH better for
the cats than having to stay in a strange place!

Jane

re: .6

Sounds like a great service but unfortunately there is nothing like
that up in New Hampshire.  I hope someone up here comes up with the
same idea as a sitter service for pets.

Thanks for the idea.

The Meow Motel (see another note) has cages about 4x2.5 feet, and
we put two cats into one.  But these are smallish cats, and one was
a kitten.

One cat came back with some kind of flu, and the kitten was sneezing,
and we vowed to never again board our cats.  More for our peace of
mind than anything else.  (We worried about them all the time we
were gone.)

I board my dog at the Nottingham Kennel in Amherst. I've noticed 
that they also board cats...and at one point I did make 
inquiries. They provide good size kennels with beds, perches, and 
litter pans. They will also keep two cats together in one kennel. 
I think they quoted a $5 price...an additional cat was only $1 
more.

However, whenever possible, I leave my cats at home and have 
someone look in on them. Lots of my friends have cats and we all 
sort of take turns looking after each others animals whenever 
necessary. You might also look into the possibility of hiring a 
neighborhood teenager.

In Nashua, there is also a new service thats been advertised in 
the Telegraph. They specialize in running errands, housesitting,
etc. You might want to try and contact them...I wouldn't be 
surprised if they offered a service similar to the one in 
Atlanta.

-nn

Thanks for your replies.  I did run into Nottingham Kennel in Amherst.
Thats where I decided to leave them.  They did seem to be very good.
The price they quoted me was $7 for both cats which I felt was very
reasonable.

Gee, am I glad to find this (and other notes.)

I will be moving back to Littleton between Christmas and the first of the
year.   I have three cats that will need to be boarded.   But...   They will
have to be "shipped" by air and since I won't be there to retrieve them,
someone would have to pick them up at the airport (Logan)   Does ayone know
if any of these kennels offer that service?   (Or, anyone, like the shuttle
services, that will pick up and deliver?)

Thanks.

Glad to see Anthony (Tony?) Priborsky's note here, as I was about to 
post a copy from one of the several (ASKENET, BOSTON) other files he's 
posted it in.

As I've been travelling a lot, I've been having someone come in and cat 
sit my cats.  The young lady is a teenager from the neighborhood, has 
cats of her own, does a very good job, and has been very reasonable at 
just $20.00 per week (including bringing in the mail and newspaper, and 
she likes cats enough to sit and play with them -- when she stopped by 
this morning, my Harold went right over and rubbed against her legs, but 
then he does that with everyone).  So, when possible, getting a 
catsitter is the best approach.

As for Tony's problem, maybe some of us can arrange to pick up the cats 
when they arrive and get them to a convenient kennel.  That's not too 
much to ask, and if I'm around at the time, I'd even be willing to do 
it.  I doubt any of the kennel services are set up to do it, and it is 
really a good idea to be right there when the cats arrive.  (It would be 
even better if the owner could be there, but if that's not possible, so 
it goes.)  Apparently he plans to be moving to the Littleton area -- are 
any of you in that area, and can recommend a good kennel?

Tom

Copy of Tony's note from the BOSTON file follows:

================================================================================
 TROUT::PRIBORSKY          The World's Greatest City          27-NOV-1985 11:10 
 Note 50.0               -< Needed: Boarding Kennel >-             No responses 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone have recommendations for a reputable boarding kennel that
takes cats, and will pick up at Logan?    I'm moving back there after
the first of the year, but our house won't be done until mid-January.
The liklihood is that the cats will have to be boarded from mid-December,
or about 3-4 weeks.   Also, since I won't be there, someone would have
to pick them up at the airport.

I'll be working in Littleton, so the closer to that area the kennel is,
the better...

Please MAIL responses to BISON::PRIBORSKY since I don't regularly read
this NOTES file.

I may have an arrangement with my broker to pick them up at the airport
and deliver them to the "Boarding Kennel of Boxboro".   Does anyone
have recommendations (either way) about that place?   It is close to
the broker's house and so is his preference...

When I lived in Acton, my vet (whom I was crazy about) used to recommend
this kennel...i've never used it, but based on his suggestion, I'd say
it's probably the best in the area...

	karen

    This may sound a little silly, but do cats feel the cold?
    
    We're going away this weekend (Friday to Monday) and will have to put
    Georgie in the cattery.
    
    The one we've chosen is one that's only a five minute drive from home but 
    the trouble is it's a bit spartan compared to the one he goes into for
    longer stays.  He's stayed there before, but not in cold weather.
    
    The weather here in England has turned very cold and it's forecast to be
    even colder over the weekend.  As the place where he'll be staying is a 
    wooden building with only the wire mesh of the doors between him and the
    cold I wondered if he will feel the cold too much.  He's pretty used to
    the "good life" and having a heated blanket in the other cattery.
    Do you think I'm worrying unnecessarily?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Karen
    
    
                  

    Karen,
    
    Don't use the unheated cattery!! It's far too cold for that. Percy and
    Pookie need their heat. You'll only worry if you leave him there - and
    I know what I'd prefer if I were a cat!!
    
    
    Lisa.
    
    
    

    I guess you've probably got no option now, Karen; if you really
    do have to leave Georgie in Sparta-on-Thames take an old jersey
    along for him to snuggle up into and he'll be okay. You'll find
    he looks a bit depressed after the weekend, though! Cats really
    do love the warmth; they have a higher body temperature than us,
    too.
    
    Shayne (New Zealand - where it's getting warm!)