Cats Country Club Boarding Cattery Blog

Twitter goes live!!

2009-05-31T23:47:00.002Z

Polydactyl - how many toes?!?

2008-04-27T17:41:00.031Z

This article is long overdue, as Tigger has been a guest here at Cats Country Club on and off now for some time! Tigger is one of two polydactyl cats who stay at Cats Country Club boarding cattery in Shillington, 6 miles north of Hitchin on the Beds/Herts border.

Whilst you may think that the name Polydactyl has more of a place in a Monty Python sketch than relating to a cat, it actually is the generic name that describes animals that have more toes(digits) than they typically should have! In this case, a cat with more puds/toes/claws - nothing to do with Monty Python, a Norwegian Blue and beautiful plumage!! Feel free to read about it by clicking here (opens a new browser window).

Meet Tigger:

Most pet cats have 18 toes - five on their front paws and four on their rear and although Tigger may not have quite the number of toes (at twenty-four toes, seven front & five rear) that Des (opens a new browser window) sports, (he has twenty-six toes) he's not far behind.

Anyway, who's counting, certainly not the cats!!! Tigger also has a very cute and cuddly "sister" called Millie who sports the more normal complement of eighteen toes - you can see them both here at the Cats Country Club Picture Gallery! (opens a new browser window.)

So Long 2007 / Hello 2008

2008-01-25T13:35:00.000Z

Happy New Year . . . .

2007 Has sped by

Now, we need to face 2008

There may be risks involved

We may need to face roadblocks

So stay alert

Share time with friends

Jump over obstacles

With care

And caution

Face challenges

Remember to laugh

Cooperate

Discover

Make new friends

Above all...be ready for adventure

Stick together

And you will be able to go far

Very far....

Well, not quite that far....

Always take time to smell the flowers

Don't forget to relax and enjoy

And never forget to love those dearest to you
Have a Great 2008 from Cats Country Club, Shillington!

Web design changes

2007-05-28T23:25:00.000Z

Several links to more general informational pages have recently been taken from their established position on the standard webpages that we've always served and their location on the page has been moved. Some new headings have also been created to reflect what we're doing and they all now appear as footers on each page of the website.

The reason for this was that in our view the pages were starting to get a little cluttered and the pages in question were all deemed not core to the cattery in respect of the services we offer, but nonetheless contained important information about our operation of it. These links can all now be found at the bottom of each page and currently they include:

faq | terms & conditions | important info. | privacy policy | site map | accessibility

Online Booking Checker

2007-05-28T22:57:00.000Z

It struck us that no cattery we'd ever been to prior to running this cattery ever gave out "appointment" cards for when cats and their owners were being expected either in or out. We also remembered that it was sometimes a worry, particularly if you were not used to the reliability of a particular cattery, that it was a kind of "hope for the best" process and trusting that the cattery booking over the phone was going to be true to the owners word, less than ideal perhaps from a customer perspective!!

So we've done something which is innovative and new to help both us and those customers who either book their cats in with us a long time in advance or simply would just like to be sure that we're sure of when they're coming in to drop off and pick up and all without a phone call, although please feel free to ring if you'd like to!!

It simply works like this - once a booking is confirmed with us and entered into our system, the booking details then get published onto the Cats Country Club website. As you would expect, no personal details are published, but cat names coming in and going out on any particular day can be viewed via the web to help provide a warm feeling about the service we offer and aid the fact that no appointment cards are provided or sent out by us. Not surprisingly it is a password protected service and to keep up with any userid/password changes, you'll have to be both a customer and have an email address lodged with us for any changes/updates as they occur.

Anyway, it's there if you need it, there's a link to it from every page, but we think it's a useful tool for us and we'll be using it internally anyway and hope that it's going to be useful for you our customers too.

Boarding Fees Increase - Feb. 2007/2008

2007-01-19T18:30:00.000Z

Boarding Fees are increasing from Feb. 2007/2008. The first increase for 3 years, when we actually put boarding fees down by providing the collection day free of charge. It is inevitable that our daily cattery consumables have gone up in that period, but more significantly however, these increases have been dwarfed by the increases in energy prices, of which we are all aware and have little respite from.

Continuing to provide the collection day of your cats "gratis" effectively brings down our nightly rate significantly for our customers and this will remain the case as we move into 2007/2008.

Skype VoIP - goes live!!

2006-04-05T08:37:00.000Z

I wasn't sure whether to do this, but in the end couldn't help myself (!!) - we now have a Skype "smart button" (this shows our on/offline status!) on the homepage of Cats Country Club. Now you can see when we're available to take calls via Skype by simply looking at the Skype Button status on the CCC homepage!!

When Skype have the PDA client ready for my PDA, that will be very regularly, more often than us just needing to be in front of the laptop answering emails and so on!

So now there's no call charges to speak to us, wherever you are holidaying from. For those long stays away in Oz, India or NZ or wherever you're enjoying yourself, we can arrange streaming video with audio and a Skype chat with us and the cat members of your family!

Hope you like it?!?

All @ CCC...

Cat Litter - our final "current" conclusions!!

2006-02-22T00:11:00.000Z

After further testing between the OkO wood pellet, which is quite a chunky diameter pellet and another one - Comfey Pet, which is pine scented and slightly smaller in diameter than the OkO pellet.

We believe it's the Comfey Pet pellet that has it, it is also from the UK!!

The main difference is that when cats wee a lot, yes some do (!!) that the OkO pellets have a tendency to turn to wet and clingy sawdust, whereas the Comfey Pet pellet degenerates more completely into dust, albeit obviously damp. But as Marjorie Dawes says on Little Britain - "you can't beat a bit if dust" and with Comfey Pet it falls through the litter scoop so much more readily in this state than with the OkO, the latter is also pine scented for what that's worth. (Though if the cats are kept clean it makes little difference really). Whilst we do lose a small amount of the smaller Comfey Pet pellets through the scoop, as they're smaller in diameter, generally that's a price we're prepared to pay for general ease of use.

It would be great if OkO plus was available in bigger pellet form for those heavy weeing cats, because the clumping properties in those circumstances are just great, however as it's so small and so also quite dusty, it gets trampled everywhere and so is a relative "nightmare" for us at a Cattery at any rate to clean up.

For now at any rate Comfey Pet it is!!!

So what exactly goes on in Cats Country Club?!?

2005-12-23T11:59:00.000Z

It's a 365 day regime with little respite, (!!!) although there are quieter times - however other than being secure, your cat(s) can expect the following, in terms of animal husbandry and welfare management:

1. Morning session - greeting, run and litter tray clean down, a bedding shake out, food replenish and freshening of the water. Administration of any medication, if required, this may also happen at other times of day - oh how the cats love that part!!

2. So long as the cat is amenable, it's also fuss time!! We take our lead from each individual cat - cats may just go outside into their run and give us the cold shoulder!! After a time with us however, this is when cats may initiate play with what we call the "broom game" which may also pertain to a dustpan brush - where they show interest/grab and pluck at the brush with gusto, less so older cats, but it's surprising sometimes, they were all kittens once after all!!

3. The evening visit is largely a repeat of the above, but centres around making sure everything required for the night is in place. In the peak of summer, at times of extreme heat (remember the heat wave?!?) we may also feed wet food, as when it's really hot (like around 30C or more) it simply dries out and gets fly-blown in the heat of the day, a time when cats tend to not be really that bothered with food anyway!

4. Late night visit, not always made, but if it is especially cold or we're concerned about any particular cat or there's a medication requirement for example, then it will be.

5. Unlike catsitters (sorry catsitters!!) we are here all the time - so there maybe trips and/or viewings and ad-hoc trips to empty dishwashers, replenish cattery supplies during the day - these are also chances for interaction with the cats to provide further animal welfare management and so a chance for them hopefully to feel more at home.

6. Lastly our Free Range chickens and almost completely stray children provide hours of daylight feline entertainment, without even being aware of it, particularly the children!!

Cat Sitting Vs. Boarding Cattery

2005-12-23T11:50:00.000Z

So what do you consider are the merits of each...?

Prior to running a cattery, we had a maximum of four Burmese cats of our own, two boys and two girls. We currently have three cats, the eldest being Sarah who is nearly seventeen. It was really quite an extra additional expense going away and having to deal with up to four cats, as we'd never come across a cattery with a "family run" like we have here - designed with three or more cats in mind - which at least goes some way towards making it a little bit cheaper for people with multiple cats, but obviously it's still an expense item.

So what do you do, well for a weekend away, sometimes we used to get a neighbour to feed them and leave a large litter tray down and then usually we'd block off the cat flap, as one of the cats used to remove it from the back door if it was just locked but not physically obstructed - sound familiar!?! We endeavoured to stop them venturing out - that way we'd feel happier about their security and the likelihood of them being there on our return!! For slightly longer stays away (depending on the "neighbours" we could find and our house/roads at the time) we would reluctantly let them have outside access, as leaving a litter tray down, however large, was not an option when the neighbours agreed only to feed them!! It was always a worry - the neighbours weren't always "cat people" for example, or were simply just busy in life. (again, sound familiar!?!) At the first house we lived in, there were quite a few busy roads around too, sometimes a cattery was the answer, however short the duration of our stay away was destined to be!!

These days, paid for catsitters maybe quite good and generally, not so much is made of letting less well known people into your house, although currently Petsitting is unregulated/unlicensed and the proprietors may also be uninsured, none of these things can be said of Cats Country Club! Do make sure they're reputable and not looking after more than just the cats' interests - the cats' do get to stay in familiar surroundings which is good and hopefully also get looked after. However one downside is that if your cats' have access to the outside whilst you're away, they may not be seen for several days when the neighbour/catsitter visits, which is not a good thing and we have heard of some unfortunate stories here. Leaving the heating on full tilt in winter "just" for your cats might also need some consideration, perhaps particularly these days?!? We would understand if you said "yes" to leaving it on of course, but being a "grumpy old man" (now!!), I had to point it out of course!!

Many cats do realise the family is away and this can be disconcerting for them, some obviously more than others, so it is not an entirely stress free experience - indeed you may find the results of that on the carpet on your return or simply that the cat has gone "walk-about", or both!!??!! With catsitting, whilst your cat is in the familiar surroundings of your house, if it is at all timid, or perhaps just one of them is, it may not get used to what may become numerous different catsitter faces, doing their various and varied rounds, also what to do if a cat or cats bolt and escape past the door and the catsitter and the cat normally has no outside access - the catsitter can't stay there indefinitely?? Sadly, for the cats that stay here, it's the same old faces at CCC, with few exceptions and of course the double door security - there's no escape!

It is often reported how some cats will "clear off" when they see the holiday bags come out of the loft, this is not a unique experience by any means. It is true to say that whilst there is a small level of stress for some cats with the limited proximity to other cats in a boarding cattery, conversely some cats actively seem to relish it, sometimes it's just the journey they don't like - past thoughts of sore trips to/back from the vet perhaps?!?

By comparison to some casual catsitter arrangements, (come on, we've all been there!?!) the boarding cattery is licensed and well versed in animal husbandry, (well certainly this one is!!) feline needs, medication - we have double door security and we're here 24 hours a day. We can also do real-time video surveillance of a cat if it should be considered necessary, (a cat scan if you like - sorry!!) should we have any particular concern over any cats! The boarding establishment is secure giving peace of mind for owners that their cats will at the very least be present on their return. This should be quite a consideration if the alternative to a cattery when you live on a busy road is to allow your cat outside access whilst you're away.

Whilst a cattery's internal and/or external runs certainly will never be as big as someone's home and/or garden, it is worth remembering that cats do actually spend around sixteen hours asleep every day - what a life hey, they really do have it sussed!!??!! So being enclosed in any way, whether a cattery chalet/run or a cat simply locked in an owners house with no outside access that they're usually used to, is still some kind of a restraint.

If your cat has access to an open cat flap whilst you're away, whether being tended to by a neighbour or a professional catsitter, particularly around Spring, birds, rabbits and all sorts may get brought back into the house. If your cat is anything of a hunter, which of course a great many are - not nice to come back too, particularly if the remains have remained unlocated by the catsitters, even more so if the remnants are now fly-blown - it's always the stomachs they leave isn't it!?! One of our boys has a penchant for baby rabbits particularly at certain times of the year, but basically anything at any time of year that he can get his naughty little puds on and we have the dubious pleasure of having to deal with all of them in their various states and stages of life and rigor mortis, we have actually released several live bunnies, after a suitable period of recuperation for them (and us)!! A favourite live rabbit spot in our house is under our coffee table, just out of cat reach, almost respite for them indeed, but the cats usually manage to flush it out, either as a pair or a trio and eventually we see the tell tale signs during or shortly after!!! Cats don't you just love 'em - hey!!??!!

I guess after bearing some of the above factors in mind, at the end of the day, it boils down to personal preference - if you have the right neighbour/relative or a reliable catsitter firm to call upon/use and that you can be sure that that approach works with the layout of your house, that's a way forward, alternatively you may find a cattery you're happy with, I guess it all depends. However, as with most things in life really, you make your assessment, you pay your money and take your choice...

A note on the money front, Cats Country Club have an online credit/debit card facility to help with cattery boarding fees, as best we can for these times of extra expense - actually the only way we can do really, sadly it was always cash up front in "my day" before we ran this cattery!!! Oh look, I'm back in grumpy old man mode again!!

Interactive Live Webcam - erm.., goes live!!

2005-12-11T23:16:00.000Z

Finally, whilst we've had a Webcam for about a year now, it has never ventured outside and been made available for access onto the web - it has always been inside the cattery. We have now managed to not only place it outside (!!), although its' position isn't permanent by any means, but to also do the necessary to the website to facilitate anyone to have a play with it! You do need IE 5.x or higher though, as it requires ActiveX support to stream the video to you.... Feel free to check it out at: www.CatsCountryClub.co.uk

Feel free to have a look around...!!

Litter - Here we go again!!

2005-12-08T15:15:00.000Z

We're still striving for the ultimate cat litter, one the cats seem to readily like, which is not really a problem as all cats adapt very well in this department, but it needs to be easy and quick to keep clean, as "dust free" as possible, environmentally sound and that doesn't get kicked everywhere by the cats!!

In this search for the Holy Grail of litters, I believe we're moving back to wood pellets!! We're going to be trialling the OKO wood pellet, (not the OkO Plus clumping litter, which we've already trialled, please see previous posts) which is quite a chunky pellet and another one - Comfey Pet, which is pine scented and slightly smaller in diameter than the OKO pellet. We will report back on them both in due course, bet you can't wait!?!

The Heat is On!

2005-12-08T15:07:00.000Z

New electric thermostatic heating has been arranged from November 2006 for the main cattery and this has proved invaluable during the cold spell a few weeks ago in November. These two Dimplex 2.5 Kw (max) convector/blowers are in place in the main cattery to supplement the 1.8Kw (max) quartz heaters at either end of the cattery.

This upgrade has facilitated redeployment of the free-standing convector heater that was in the main cattery into the family run and also a smaller Dimplex convector heater into the isolation pen. This will provide more regulatable and reliable warmth at times of severe cold to all the runs - higher standards all round!!

Customer Testimonials go Live!!

2005-12-08T15:01:00.000Z

It's always useful and so far nice to get feedback from our customers. Now we are letting other people, both current and prospective customers, know how existing customers perceive how it's going here at Cats Country Club but how the service we provide is being received by people.

Feel free to have a read via the link on our main site www.CatsCountryClub.co.uk

OkoPlus Cat litter Vs Yesterdays News

2005-09-26T12:09:00.000Z

Having used the wood based clumping OkoPlus for around 2 months, we've found it very good, BUT, - the cats do shuffle it everywhere. It could do with being bigger grained and less dusty, so less likely to get scrattled and spread around so much by our feline visitors. So we've decided to try yet another biodegradable litter, in the search for the Holy Grail of litters, called Yesterdays News. It originates from Cananda and is effectively processed/pelleted compressed newspaper, hence its' name!! Prolly a pretty good use for most newspaper content in fact. Anyway, so far so good, but it is a non clumping litter, so that's a slight downer already!! More Later..

Credit/Debit Card Payments goes !! Live !!!

2005-08-08T11:04:00.000Z

Cats Country Club credit card payments system has now gone live - so clients can now pay by credit/debit card should they so wish. Hopefully it will be well received and provide another service and some flexibility for our current and future customers who may wish to use it as an alternative to existing payment methods.

Credit/Debit Card Online Payment Option

2005-08-06T23:13:00.000Z

We're about to shortly facilitate a web payment mechanism via www.CatsCountryClub.co.uk which will allow for payments for cat boarding to be made (free of charge) to our clients using all the major credit cards and debit cards too, should they prefer.

We recognise that going on holiday or perhaps it's the coming back (!!), is usually an expensive time and apart from providing the flexibility commensurate with the 21st century, it will hopefully give CCC clients the choice of how they pay and obviously defer payments using credit card facilities should they so wish.

We hope the effort involved in doing this will be both welcomed and successful, as currently we can only take cash or cheques - the system should be live for use during the coming week....

OkoPlus Cat litter

2005-08-06T22:32:00.000Z

We have now switched litter brands, certainly for August, to OKO Plus wood litter. It certainly seems less dusty, as the wood pellets clump when wet rather than turn to dust, which is what the previous litter we utilised used to do. It would appear to allow us to keep the litter trays cleaner and more easily so, which has got to be good for all, although it is quite a bit more expensive. We'll see how it goes over August and if it seems to be as we've initially found, we'll stick with it.

Litter - time for a change...?

2005-07-19T23:10:00.000Z

Here at CCC we think we're about to change the litter we use, it will still be wood based, as environmentally we feel this is more of a renewable resource, but perhaps it will have "clumping" capability. Chemical agents are added to make the clumping happen. It's entirely safe, even if kittens eat it, as of course they inevitably do, even if only for short durations in their kitten lives...

Welcome to the Cats Country Club Blog

2005-07-08T21:05:00.000Z

It's probably about time CCC did a Web log! We're not sure quite what it's going to contain yet, but doubtless time will tell! Please check back often and see, hopefully we'll have found some topics to air, if you haven't..!!

Please feel free to contribute...