Boarding option for felines

There is a new option for cat owners in Labrador West who need someone to give loving care to their feline friends.

Last Friday Anitra Morris opened up her Comfort Kitty Pet Resort which is a boarding service for when owners are out of town or unable to care for their cats.

Morris has enough cat condominiums to accommodate 20 animals at any given time and, she explained, it's an environment that is very clean and pleasing to the eye.

The mother of three thought about a cat boarding business when she sought options that would allow her to stay home and take care of her children while still getting an income.

Being an animal lover, she gravitated in that direction.

"I first wanted to open up a boarding kennel for both dogs and cats," she said. "But there was no land available. So I decided I would renovate my basement and stick with just cats."

Groundwork

Before getting to the point of opening her business, the venture required a significant amount of homework and legwork for Morris.

"I decided last October that this was what I was going to do," she said. "First I had to find out if there was a need and if people would use this service."

Morris talked to the people she figured would have good insight such as: the local vet, pet storeowner and cat owners. She also conducted her own survey.

"I got positive feedback," she said of her queries, "And the vet told me about 40 per cent to of her clients are cats. I would guess from the information I have gathered that there are about 2,000 cats here in Labrador City."

Extra touches

Morris wasn't satisfied to just have a holding place for cats, she wanted to provide a little more glamour for her clients and she sought out options.

"I looked up on the Internet the way other catteries were set up and I liked the individual condos," she explained. "But when I priced how much each unit would cost; it was very, very expensive."

With a design stuck in her head, she had her husband (Chris) approach a local business to see if the cat condos could be made locally at a reasonable price.

"My husband explained to Brian Brace at the Paintshop what I wanted and he came up with a design that was just great," said the new businesswoman. "So, he built them all for us and I must say, we are very pleased with how they turned out for sure."

Each unit has a separate litter section and each cat has its own unit; that was important to Morris, who said, it has to be about comfort and good healthy practices.

"You can't mix cats because of diseases, such as cat flu," she explained. "So keeping them separate is a good thing, even for playtime.

Custom-made tree

A significant playtime feature for the Comfort Kitty Pet Resort is a custom-made cat tree, which Morris ordered from the U.S.

"It was made by a woman in Florida who does incredible designs," she said of the tree she purchased for kitty play. "It's made from wood and she has this fox fur on it. I chose the tree with a fall design because it was so colourful and my own cats just love it. She also does beautiful waterfalls and castles. I am really happy with it- the quality of her work is just amazing and I love that it's so colourful. I had this idea in my head of what I wanted this to all look like, and it had to be esthetically pleasing to the eye and comfortable for the cats."

Quality care

With all the equipment in place to make her feline guests feel quite at home, Morris said her love of animals makes it very easy for her to provide care to other people's cats.

"I feel excited now that I am opened and, I guess, I feel a bit nervous too," she said. "But I am hoping people will trust me with their cats. I have two Himalayan Persians and I absolutely love them, that is why I decided to get into this."

Morris is hoping cat owners will opt for her boarding service as opposed to leaving the responsibility with neighbours when they are out of town or need to be away for any variety of reasons.

"I mean even if someone wanted to board out a cat that's in heat for a week, this could be an option," she said. "When a cat is in heat, she is meowing constantly. Or, it may be service for someone who comes in here from Goose Bay for shopping, for example, who may like to have their cat boarded out during their stay. Some hotels won't take animals now, so that can be inconvenient for people who have no one to take care of them while they're away.

Summer special

The regular price for Comfort Kitty Pet Resort is $15.00 per day (plus HST), but for the summer months (June, July and August) Morris is offering a discounted rate of $12.50 per day (plus HST).

Included for the price are: food and litter, access to cat toys and, if a cat needs it, dispensing of any medications.

Each cat will be provided with playtime outside of the condos on the cat tree.

"Each cat is let out on the tree individually," she explained. "Because you cannot be sure if they will get along with the other cats and it cuts down on the risk of spreading diseases."

Extra Services

Further to board and lodging, Morris is offering extra services at the cat resort including bathing and nails.

A bath costs $25 while a nail trim is priced at $8.

A pick up and drop off services is also available to customers who need that.

Neutered only

In the interest of keeping the environment clean and healthy, Morris will only take males cats if they are neutered.

"I do require male cats be neutered because they will spray," she explained. "When the queens are in heat, the males will spray over everything because that is what the males do and it's a pungent stink that you can't get out. Once they are neutered, there usually isn't any odour. That is a must because I want to make sure the environment is clean and fresh."

Check it out

In the meantime, Morris is willing to take pregnant cats and provide care as long as owners are forthcoming about the cat's condition.

Morris said she is open to many things when it comes to the level of care for the cats that come to Comfort Kitty Pet Resort and she encourages cat owners to call her up if they'd like to arrange to come by and view her facility.

To contact Comfort Kitty Pet Resort, call Anitra at: 944-7512 or email comfortkittypetresort@gmail.com

"I have two Himalayan Persians and I absolutely

love them, that is why I decided to get into this."

- Anitra Morris

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