What are the vaccination requirements for dogs and cats?

We can not accept unvaccinated pets or pets whose boosters are overdue. You will need to make sure that their vaccination programme is up date several weeks before you plan to board. No pet should board within 7 days of a booster vaccine being given (ideally 21 days) and pets that have never been vaccinated cannot board until 14 days after the course is complete.
We need to see an electronic copy (photo or scan) of the vaccination record ahead of arrival.

Dogs require routine vaccination against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis and a further vaccination against Bordatella Brochiseptica and Parainfluenza (Kennel Cough). Some of these vaccines must be given annually, others every 3 years. Consult your vet for further details.

Cats require annual vaccination for Feline Enteritis, Feline Herpes and Feline Calcivirus. We also recommend vaccination against Feline Leukaemia. It is possible you currently only vaccinate your cat every 3 years if they are solely a house cat. Unfortunately a cattery isn't a home environment and we require annual vaccination. Consult your vet for further advice.

Can I come and view?

You are most welcome to come and view. We can show a maximum of 2 adults only around and this must be by prior appointment. Please contact us for details.
 

What should I bring for my pet's stay?

Dogs
You will need to bring him on a lead. We'll need to see evidence of vaccination ahead of arrival. We accept beds, bedding and toys. We provide a bed and deep pile vetbed fleecy quick dry bedding.

Cats
Cats should arrive in a secure carrier and we can accept items of bedding, toys and scratch posts.

What shouldn't I bring with my pet?

Please don't bring food & water bowls, litter trays, wicker baskets, rawhide treats, extending dog leads, polystyrene bean bags or other bedding with large amounts of stuffing or filling. If we can't wash and dry it easily we won't use it.

Do you dispense medications?

Yes. Bring along your pet's prescription with the dosage instructions clearly marked and we will give the medicines according to the directions. We generally do this free of charge but if the prescription regime is complicated (multiple daily tablets, time critical tablets or injections for example) then we may make an additional charge. This will be explained on booking. You should also be aware that - like most insurance policies - existing medical conditions are not covered by the kennels insurance scheme.

Do you accept diabetic pets?

Yes. We have lots of experience of managing diabetic regimes. We may not accept a newly diagnosed diabetic until the condition is stabilised and will usually require a trial stay if we haven't boarded your pet before. Please contact us for further details. 

Do you accept out of hours collections?

For a £10 fee - and by prior arrangement only - we offer collection on a Sunday between 3pm and 4pm. Otherwise we only accept pets for check in and check out during our standard opening hours. Currently 9am - 12noon and 3pm - 5pm Mon - Sat and 9am - 12noon Sunday.

Do you require a booking deposit?

We take the greater of £50 or 20% deposit for peak time bookings. We may ask first time clients for larger peak time deposits. Peak time is typically school holidays but also includes May, June and September. Outside of peak times we don't generally ask for deposits. The remainder of the booking total is payable on arrival. Deposits are refundable in certain circumstances, see our terms.

Can I see where my pet is staying on arrival?

We would rather encourage you to come and have a look around in advance so you have already seen the accommodation.
It is less disruptive to your dog (and all the others) to say goodbyes in reception than with an audience of other dogs voicing their opinion. It makes for a calmer kennel and happier dogs.

Will my pet have to change pens during a stay?

We try not to, it makes for additional work, but there are times when it is necessary for cleaning or harmony reasons. We may also move a longer term boarder periodically for a different outlook.

Do you board puppies and kittens?

Provided they have been fully vaccinated for at least 30 days, yes. Practically, that means we can take them from around 4 months of age.

Do you board elderly pets?

Yes, of course - provided they are fully vaccinated. Please be sure to let us know of any special needs they may have.

Do you have any surcharges?

Our boarding fees are inclusive of insurance, food, exercise/playtime and heating. We do have some extra charges, most of which are optional:

Christmas Stays - £30 for dogs, £20 for cats per room one off supplement
Extra Exercise/Playtime - £6 for 20 minutes
Bathing and Grooming - from £12
Certain Medications - by individual quotation
Collection - from £10 depending on location
 

Are you open over Christmas?

We are open to pets over the Christmas holidays. We operate our regular opening hours every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's day. On those 3 days we are closed to people. Also Christmas Eve and New Years Eve we close at 12noon.

We apply a one off surcharge - £30 per pen for dogs and £20 per pen for cats - for stays over Christmas Day & Boxing Day. Like any other organisation that needs it's staff to work over Christmas our costs increase.

Do you offer Work Experience placements?

Yes, with some limitations.
We can only accept extended - more than 5 days - college placements from students studying Level 3 or above in Animal Management, or similar.
We offer limited 5 day placements for schools work experience.
Our work is demanding and we are a doing rather than a watching placement. Taking care of many dogs or cats is a completely different proposition to taking care of one. We ask candidates to attend an interview to assess suitability before offering a placement.
We don't have general volunteering roles available but can offer some opportunities for volunteering connected to Duke of Edinburgh awards.
 
Contact Us for further details.

Do you have any Jobs available?

We don't recruit very often. Many of our employees have been with us for a  long time. When we do need to recruit to a role we'll advertise it on our Facebook page or Indeed. We generally require applicants to have, or be studying towards, a Level 3 Qualification in Animal Care or similar.