Cats in the Red Deer area now have their own resort while their owners are off on holidays.
Rob Ducharme, owner of Central Alberta Cattery - Feline Vacation Resort, opened his cat-only boarding facility in late July in Clearview Industrial, at 172 Clearview Dr, in Red Deer County.
Ducharme, a long-time cat owner, said other facilities in the area board both dogs and cats and there was a real need for a facility that catered only to cats.
“Even if cats are in an area that’s isolated well enough that they don’t really hear the barking, the people servicing the cats are also servicing the dogs a lot of the time so they are going to smell the dog on them,” Ducharme said.
He said the Edmonton area has four catteries and in and around Calgary there are seven.
Ducharme, who used to work up north doing instrumentation on drilling rigs, said he had to find a new way to earn a living thanks to the economic downturn. Last December, a friend jokingly suggested he look into boarding cats and the idea stuck.
Cats reside in 1.8-metre high, multi-level enclosures called condos on the main floor of Central Alberta Cattery and have access to a large open area with ramps and windows on the second floor.
“There’s an aquarium up there. I call that the live entertainment. There’s cats that will spend a lot of their time chasing the fish from the outside of the glass. Keeps them entertained.”
He said a few of his frequent feline clients run right upstairs when they arrive.
“Cats need to be entertained. I realize dogs need a lot more attention. But cats don’t like to be left alone for extended periods of time either. It does affect them psychologically.”
For more information visit www.cacattery.com.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com