Starting a cat hotel

[Patrycja]

Paige had posted a thread about the Kitty Charm School cage free cat hotel. I'm actually very interested in starting one here in Oklahoma. I had read on the site that she had started by using some of her bedrooms in her home and slowly built up to the building she uses now. We plan on renting a duplex/house when our lease is up in May and I'm hoping to be able to use a bedroom or two for this purpose, just to test the waters before I fully commit to paying rent for a building, etc.

My only question is about any medical conditions the cat may have. Do I need to be certified in any way to administer medications to a cat? The legal issues that could come up scare me to death! Also nail clipping, etc.?

 

[Per Lausund]

If cats from different households socialise in an environment like that you´re going to have your hands full trying to prevent disease from spreading! Nail clipping is a piece of cake in comparison.

 

[Patrycja]

Well of course I'd keep them separate if they weren't from the same household, but with only one room I could only do one cat. I thought about a divider of some sort so I could have two kitties. I just want to see if central OK is in the market for something like this. I don't want to waste my time and money in a business that is doomed to fail!

 

[Patti]

It sounds like an interesting endeavor Patrycja. I'm not sure about the legal ramifications of administering medications, etc. but I think if an animal comes with its own medications that the owners are giving it then you should be able to as well. You should also insist on them being up to date on their vaccines, and have their nails trimmed before they are dropped off. They should always be given the option of bringing familiar toys and/or bedding but they should be freshly laundered/washed to avoid other creepy-crawlies inadvertently being introduced into your environment. It goes without saying that you would have to have some sort of contract to protect yourself from the freak accident or illness that might occur. I think some of the sites actually have their contracts online for you to read.

 

[Trish Allearz]

I think Patti is right on all counts

 

[admin]

You also should probably do some research to ensure that your area is a good one for such an endeavor...you could visit the vets in your area and see how many of them board and if their clients are looking to board, etc.

 

[Pam Flachs]

I think it sounds like a great idea, Patrycja! I agree, doing the research first to see if it will work is a good idea. You might want to start by cat sitting at people's homes (visiting several times a day) for instance, to build a client base. Make up some flyers and business cards (Vistaprint.com is a good inexpensive online website to get cards), and post them at pet stores, vet offices, advertise on Craigslist, etc. Best of luck!

 

[admin]

Great suggestions Pam!!! I think patrycja has a great idea as well!

 

[Patrycja]

Thanks everyone for the replies!! I'm really excited about this and I hope it kicks off. Your suggestions have really helped!