Frequently asked questions about our cattery in Gardenvale

Cattery FAQ

What are your office hours for cat boarding and how do l make a booking?

We are open 7 days a week:

Monday to Friday: 8:30am-6.30pm
Saturday: 8:30am-2pm
Sunday: 10am-2pm
Public Holidays: Closed

To make a booking or an enquiry phone the clinic on 03 95964804 or email us If you wish to drop off or pick up your cat out of the above hours, but within normal veterinary clinic hours, arrangement can be made by contacting the clinic. No pick up or drop off is available on public holidays

What vaccinations does my cat require?

Your cat needs to be up to date with vaccinations against Feline Enteritis and Feline Respiratory Disease (F3, F4 or F5) at the time of boarding. He/she needs to have been vaccinated within the last 12 months and the vaccination needs to be current during the whole of the boarding period. Presentation of a current vaccination certificate is also required on admission if the vaccination was not done at North Road Veterinary Centre. Do not hesitate to give us a call if you require clarification. Does my cat need to be wormed or given flea treatment before coming in? Cats are required to have been wormed within the last 3 months and to be flea free, so we can protect all our boarders. If your cat is not up to date, we can do this for you at a small cost on admission.

What type of accommodation do you provide?

Our cattery is a small indoor purpose built cattery attached to the rear of,and part of,the veterinary clinic. It was established in 1993, and continues to have an impeccable reputation.It is one of the few purpose built catteries in the area operating in conjunction with a veterinary clinic. We have two types of accommodation- multi-levelled walk in runs, and private, cosy two-levelled cages. We also have an outdoor adventure playground, enabling cats to exercise or lounge outdoors.

Who will be looking after my cat?

Our cattery is professionally staffed by our veterinary nurses. All our nurses are involved with looking after your cat, and will provide the highest standard of individual care consistent with our veterinary clinic, as well as plenty of cuddles for your feline friend!! Our vets are also always available to check your cat if our nurses are concerned.

What are your rates?

Our rates are very reasonably priced and are charged on a per night stayed basis:

$23/night for single cats
$35/ night for two cats if boarded together

Please phone the clinic for rates for boarding more than 2 cats. Rates are subject to change without notice. Payment is finalised at the time of departure, we accept cash, cheque, credit card and eftpos. See below for additional surcharges that may also apply.

Is it more expensive to board my cat over school holidays,weekends (Fri,Sat,Sun) or long weekends?

Yes, we do apply surcharges over these periods. An additional $5/night/pen is applied. Public holidays incur an $11 surcharge

Do you require a deposit?

No deposit is required out of school holidays periods, but we do ask you to give us reasonable notice if you need to cancel a booking or change dates. Non-refundable and non-transferable deposits are required over the school holiday periods to enable us to manage the cattery efficiently, so we ask you to choose your dates carefully during these times. We will send you a deposit confirmation letter for school holiday bookings about 5 weeks prior to the start of a school holiday period.At this time you will be required to confirm your dates and pay a deposit amount of 50% of the boarding fee.

Will l be charged if l pick up my cat early?

Can l come and have a look before l make a booking?

Do l need to book a long way in advance?

The longer in advance you can book the better. Our cattery does not accommodate a large number of cats. School holidays generally book out several months in advance, we also offer waitlists for these busy periods.

What food do you provide?

We understand cats can be fussy and it is important that we feed your feline friend what he/she is accustomed to eating. We provide a wide range of high quality, dry food maintenance diets(Hills and Royal Canin - adult, kitten and senior diets), Whiskas canned food, and fresh meat. We also provide a range of Veterinary Prescription dry foods (Hills and Royal Canin-obesity,dental,intestinal and furball). If you require your cat to be fed an alternative food to the abovementioneddietsweare happy for you to provide this. There is no discount if you wish to supply a specific food; we do not chargeextra forproviding the service of individualising feeding regimes for each cat.

Do you have heating and cooling?

Climate control is important to keep your cat happy, cool in summer and warm in winter! Heating and cooling is provided in our cattery, ensuring that the environment is as comfortable as it should be.

Do l need to bring in bedding or toys?

Comfortable bedding is provided in our cattery. Fluffy rugs, cat cacoons, scratch poles, cat toys; we have them all! It is also not a problem if you would like to bring a "touch of home" for your cat during his/her stay, but we ask for any items to be clearly labelled and to be machine- washable, otherwise we cannot guarantee a safe and clean return of belongings. It is also not advisable to bring any precious items or small toys in case they are accidentally mislaid or damaged.

Can you look after old cats or cats that require close veterinary supervision?

Yes. As our cattery operates as part of the veterinary clinic, we are able to cater for the boarding of senior cats and cats with health issues. Our cattery staff are also veterinary nurses in the clinic, and so are qualified to monitor for health concerns at a professional level, our vets are also close by to check your cat if there are any health concerns.

Can you administer medication?

Any required medication, short-term or long-term medication, can be professionally and efficiently administered by our nursing staff. A small surcharge of $1.10/night applies, diabetic cats or debilitated cats requiring intensive monitoring and treatment incur a higher supplement of $5.50/night

How do l know if my cat is ok?

Our nursing staff closely monitors each cat daily. We have hospital sheets attached to each pen, where we document your cat's general behaviour, food and water consumption and litter usage. We also understand you will be missing your feline friend. We welcome postcards, phone calls or emails from you during your time away, our staff will be more than happy to keep you updated.

Can my cat have a veterinary examination or procedure whilst boarding?

Yes. It is quite common, for various reasons, for owners to request to have their cat examined by one of our vets whilst boarding. It is also possible to perform veterinary procedures e.g. dentals whilst your cat is in boarding. Normal veterinary fees apply. Examinations or procedures to be done during boardingneed to be prearranged and booked in prior to, or at the time of admission in to the cattery.

What if my cat gets sick whilst boarding, and will you contact me for treatment options?

Even though we provide a complete and fully professional level of care to your feline friend, unforseen illnesses can still occur. You will be required to provide us withcontact details of yourself and a secondary contact whilst you are away, as well as your normalvet if your cat is not normally under the care of our veterinary clinic. Rest assured, should yourcat become unwell we will attempt to contact you or another authorised person in order todiscuss any required treatment and associated costs. In the case where no contact is possible, we will treat your cat to a level deemed necessary by the attending veterinarian. We are not able to take responsibility for any costs incurred from an illness that develops whilst boarding, or for any complications arising out of a pre-existing illness. It is the responsibility of the owner to pay all associated costs for any treatment at the time of departure.