A little while after adopting our fur babies, the time came for a much-needed holiday. Having recently immigrated from the UK, I didn’t have any family here, and our friends had their own commitments—whether it was children or pets of their own.

At first, we weren’t too worried as there were plenty of catteries around, so I started researching my options. That’s when I discovered the shocking reality of traditional catteries.

People are paying hundreds of dollars just to have their cats locked in cages while they were away. Some even charged extra for the ‘luxury’ of a cage with blocked-off sides, so cats from different families couldn’t see each other, even though it is well known that seeing/interactive with unknown cats can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for your feline friend.

The worst one I found had a tiered pricing system—at the basic rate, they’d feed your cat twice a day and scoop their litter. But if you wanted your cat to receive cuddles, pats, or playtime, you had to pay them extra. I was horrified.

That was the moment I realised there was a gap in the market—a need for a place where cat parents like us could leave their babies, knowing they would be loved and cared for just as they are at home.