Okay, so I needed to find a place for my cat, Jasper, a few months back. Had a family thing come up suddenly, couldn’t take him with me, obviously. Started asking around, you know, looking for a good spot, somewhere I felt comfortable leaving him.
Heard about Willow Springs Cattery, think it was a neighbour who mentioned it. Decided it was worth checking out. Didn’t want to just drop him off anywhere without seeing it first. So, I gave them a ring, set up a time to pop over.
First Look Around
Went there the next afternoon. First thing I noticed, it didn’t have that strong ‘animal’ smell some places do, which was a good sign. Seemed pretty tidy. The person I spoke to, think her name was Carol, showed me where Jasper would be staying. Little individual spot, looked cozy enough. Had a window perch thingy too.
She asked a bunch of questions about Jasper, his food, his habits, any meds – none for him, thankfully. Felt like she actually cared, you know? Not just like ticking boxes. I looked at the other cats there, they all seemed pretty relaxed, not stressed out.
Things I made sure to ask about:
- Feeding schedule (they were flexible to match his home routine)
- What food they provide (they had his brand, but I offered to bring mine anyway)
- Playtime or interaction
- What happens if he got sick (they had a vet on call)
Felt alright about it after the visit. It wasn’t fancy like a cat hotel or anything, but it seemed safe and clean, and the staff seemed genuinely fond of cats. That’s mostly what I was looking for.
Dropping Off and the Stay
So, I booked him in. The drop-off day came. Packed his usual food, just in case, and his favorite old blanket. Filled out the paperwork, emergency contacts, the usual stuff. Saying bye was a bit tough, always is, right? But he trotted into his little room like he owned the place, sniffing everything.
I was gone for about five days. Didn’t get constant updates or photos, which was fine by me – sometimes no news is good news. I just trusted they’d call if anything was wrong.
Picking Jasper Up
Went to collect him on schedule. Paid the bill, which was pretty much what they quoted. Carol brought Jasper out. He looked good! Not skinny or looking ruffled. Maybe a bit sleepy, but seemed totally fine. Gave me a quick rundown, said he ate well, used the litter box fine, was generally well-behaved.
Got him home, and he settled back in almost immediately. Sniffed around a bit, ate his dinner, then curled up in his usual spot on the sofa. No hiding under the bed or anything weird, which he’s done before after staying somewhere else years ago. That told me a lot.
So yeah, my little venture with Willow Springs Cattery worked out okay. It did the job, Jasper came back happy and healthy. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, just a solid, decent place. If I needed to board him again short-term, I’d probably use them. Felt reliable.
