Cattery as bolt on enterprise?

[DrWazzock]

Apologies if this has been covered before but has anybody had any experience of running a cattery for people to leave their cat while on holiday?

Surely an old shed with a few hutches in it or whatever they need and a few tins of whiskas can't be that expensive and looks like easy money to me.

What can go wrong?

 

[milkloss]

Cats are prolly OK, it's the owners you got to keep happy!

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Cats are prolly OK, it's the owners you got to keep happy!

Same with horses ..

 

[7610 super q]

Apologies if this has been covered before but has anybody had any experience of running a cattery for people to leave their cat while on holiday?

Surely an old shed with a few hutches in it or whatever they need and a few tins of whiskas can't be that expensive and looks like easy money to me.

What can go wrong?

What happens if Tiddles escapes?. What happens if little Timmy kicks the bucket?.Maybe I'm being pessimistic.

 

[llamedos]

Contact local council and see how easy it is then

 

[DrWazzock]

I reckon the Mrs could handle it. £8 per cat per night sounds alright. If you could get 10 in it would be a nice little earner. I have a pair of leather welding gloves for the awkward customers. But generally I get on alright with cats, so much so, that my ex girlfriend said I was a witch and the cats were my familiars or whatever that meant. They wouldn't go near her.

 

[DrWazzock]

Most folks round here tend to avoid the council.

 

[Thick Farmer]

We run a boarding kennels and cattery.

The cats are easy - a fraction of the work of the dogs for the same money.

We tried with the rough and ready look, but got no takers - cat people are fussy as feck. Ended up refitting the whole shed and installing heating, cat toys, decorations etc. It was worth it cos it's usually full now!

 

[llamedos]

Most folks round here tend to avoid the council.

https://www.gov.uk/animal-boarding-establishment-licence

 

[Lincs Lass]

We run a boarding kennels and cattery.

The cats are easy - a fraction of the work of the dogs for the same money.

We tried with the rough and ready look, but got no takers - cat people are fussy as feck. Ended up refitting the whole shed and installing heating, cat toys, decorations etc. It was worth it cos it's usually full now!

Too right we are fussy ,,don't think my two boys would be very happy iff they didn't have heating ,nice bedding and the telly to watch

 

[DrWazzock]

https://www.gov.uk/animal-boarding-establishment-licence

A licence for everything, but anyway, if we can pass farm assured livestock, I don't think it would be too onerous.

i reckon the biggest money spinners are where you tap into something like sentimentality over animals, not busting a gut doing hard physical labour or spending thousands on plant and machinery.

 

[multi power]

We run a boarding kennels and cattery.

The cats are easy - a fraction of the work of the dogs for the same money.

We tried with the rough and ready look, but got no takers - cat people are fussy as feck. Ended up refitting the whole shed and installing heating, cat toys, decorations etc. It was worth it cos it's usually full now!

who the heck sends the cat somewhere when they go on holiday? dogs i can understand but any cat i ever seen is happy to come n go n fend for themselves

 

[DrWazzock]

who the heck sends the cat somewhere when they go on holiday? dogs i can understand but any cat i ever seen is happy to come n go n fend for themselves

Agreed, but we are not talking logic here, we are talking rural diversification and money for old rope, which is what we need.

Its like designer clothes, women's cosmetics and all that. Nobody needs them, but they generate more cash than busting a gut labouring building something or growing something.

 

[multi power]

Agreed, but we are not talking logic here, we are talking rural diversification and money for old rope, which is what we need.

Its like designer clothes, women's cosmetics and all that. Nobody needs them, but they generate more cash than busting a gut labouring building something or growing something.

yes i keep forgeting townies think different

 

[Notquiteretired]

@DrWazzock im worried by your flippant remarks as to how much of a success this will be for you. Before you spend a single penny on this please research every cattery within a 30 mile radius, this includes phoning them up with 3 cats to stay, what do they charge and how do they charge? How were they on the phone can you do the same? Next visit each one unannounced "passing by / in the area" this is what you are competing against. Can you do the same? What can you offer that's different so people come to you? Looking at a map where are your clients coming from? How do you get them to know about you?

See example here http://www.alicatscattery.co.uk/

 

[DrWazzock]

yes my remarks are a bit flippant and maybe it's not the right line of business for me, but compared to a lot of diversifications it does look a lot less risky and capital intensive. I take your point that you have to assess the local competition and if it's good, well established and already soaking up demand, then it's probably not such a good proposition.

despite my flippant remarks I do genuinely care for the welfare of all animals that I keep, and for me that genuine care has to be a core value of any business involving animals.

 

[Chickcatcher]

Apologies if this has been covered before but has anybody had any experience of running a cattery for people to leave their cat while on holiday?

Surely an old shed with a few hutches in it or whatever they need and a few tins of whiskas can't be that expensive and looks like easy money to me.

What can go wrong?

Have a look at the competition longcroftcathotel.co.uk really smart franchise going to downgrade to part time solicitor on the back of it (sorry not me a solicitor I Know)

 

[IH 684]

There's a fair few around my way, Chung lings, wotthefukulukingat, sunrise garden, these chaps offer a collection service.

 

[Badshot]

Local one here has two cats in for proper boarding, and about 30 from the cats protection league.

 

[Lincs Lass]

There's a fair few around my way, Chung lings, wotthefukulukingat, sunrise garden, these chaps offer a collection service.

They all sound more like chinese takeaways,,Ide be getting worried about them collecting ,,