The Cottage Cattery is owned by Eric and Fiona Manson. Social media is managed by their daughter Anna.

Living next to a runway can undoubtedly be noisy. However the airport is not overly busy but there will be noise from aircraft. This was factored into our decision to site the Cattery at the back of the garden, and we have fully insulated the building to reduce noise. Windows and doors are double glazed to also reduce noise. What we would say is come and visit! If your cat is very nervous about noises then this may not be the best cattery for them. Having lived here for over 30 years with pets, we can safely say the noise has never been an issue - you get used to it!

Unlike other catteries, we don’t have set open times. All arrivals and departures will be agreed individually. We eventually plan to trial self check in and self check out to accommodate early mornings and late afternoon/evening check ins and departures should you be using Prestwick Airport. We will use our holding pen to enable this to happen in order not to disturb the other guests.

While we get to know everyone and their cat (s), we would prefer to be on site for check in. However we appreciate that some people will be using the Airport and might benefit from a flexible check in approach. We will trial this once we are more established but are excited to try it!

There are many reasons for people to need to use a cattery and we are always happy to discuss any individual situations and offer advice to customers without obligation. We also strongly encourage new or prospective customers to come and have a good look around the cattery so that they can see the facilities and beautiful countryside surroundings that we offer. It also gives them a chance for them to meet us and have a chat about their cat’s needs and to answer any questions or allay any worries they may have

We have developed the cattery to ensure we can meet the needs of both indoor and outdoor cats. The indoor section ensures that they can stay warm as they are used to at home, whilst there are great views and fresh air for them to enjoy. On one side, the rooms look onto a safety corridor which gives protection against the elements whilst not restricting their outside views. On the other side of the room is a door to the outside which gives views of the garden.

Our cattery adheres to strict regulations that stipulate that all cats in the care of a cattery must never have any contact with another cat throughout their stay. This minimises any health and safety risk and also ensures that a high standard of infection control is maintained. Every cat remains in the unit for the duration of the stay and is not even allowed out into the safety corridor under any circumstances.

Most kittens settle really quickly and we always pay particular attention to them to ensure they have plenty to do. We have some extra special scratch posts that we use for the kittens to make their accommodation more exciting to explore and to encourage play. Always remember to bring plenty of toys for them to play with but we do have toys available. All cats will get a lot of attention to prevent any boredom!

We prefer to feed the cats staying with us whatever they usually have at home. Some cats are happy to eat any food, others can be fussy eaters, so we do encourage owners to give us as much information as possible about the cat’s likes and dislikes.

We keep a daily record of what your cat is eating so that if there is a problem it will be quickly noticed. We also have a feeding chart in the food preparation area so that all your cat’s preferences are noted

WET CAT food

​Felix As Good as it Looks in Jelly

Felix original in Gravy

Whiskas in both Jelly and Gravy

Purina One

Sheba Fine Flakes

Dry​

Purina 1

Whiskas

IAMS

If any for your cats normal foods are NOT listed above, you will need to supply that - including any special prescription diets.
Please contact us if you have any questions.

Yes! Although we do provide, beds, mats, scratching posts, litter trays and grooming equipment, we do recommend that you bring something from home – be it a favourite bed, blanket or toy, that’ll be fine! You do not need to bring “hard items” such as litter trays – we have our own and the processes for cleaning them.

Cats can be very particular about their toileting habits and can have problems if things are not ‘just right’! We usually use wood-based pellet litter in the cattery and many cats adapt easily to this - even if they are used to using a different litter, or used to only going outside. We also normally carry Catsan white grit.

However, some cats have a strong preference and do not like change. If your cat is used to a different type of litter or prefers a hooded tray we can accommodate this without any problem - however, you will need to supply cat litter if it's not our normal stock item.

Regulations stipulate that all cats boarding in a cattery must have a valid certificate for cat flu (feline herpesvirus and feline calcivirus) and feline enteritis (feline panleukopenia virus). Some vets also use additional vaccinations against feline chlamydiosis and feline leukaemia virus. These additional vaccinations are not essential for cattery boarding as the cats will not have any contact with each other during their stay.

Vaccinations should have been done at least seven days before arrival at the cattery. If they are done less than a week before there is a risk that your cat’s immunity levels may be low and they may not be fully protected against infection.

We regret that we will not accept any cats into the cattery if they have never been vaccinated

Vets recommend that all cats receive flea and worming treatments. Totally indoor cats that never go outside and never encounter other cats are at low risk and generally only need worming treatment annually. Outdoor cats should receive flea treatment monthly and worming treatment every 3 months although there are some products that your vet may recommend which last longer than this. Generally speaking the products recommended by vets are more effective and reliable than those bought over the counter.

We request that all cats coming into the cattery are up to date with flea and worming treatment for their own protection as well as for the protection of others. We prefer to administer both flea and worming treatment if necessary on arrival if your cat is not up to date. This is not only for your cat’s protection but also for the protection of the other cats in the cattery.

We always take full contact details of your cat’s vet at time of booking just in case anything happens while you are away. We also request as much detail as possible of any past and current medical conditions. In the event of any illness we always make every effort to contact you to keep you informed of what is happening. We also request that you sign a form to give us permission to act on your behalf in the event of any emergency. This form is usually signed at the first visit and then kept on file.

If your cat is ill we prefer where possible to take the cat to his/ her usual vet. This is because the vet has the full medical history particularly in long term conditions and also because we know you have full faith in the vet you have chosen. We are happy to take the cat to the vet if required and to administer any medicines that have been prescribed.

We also have the option in the event of an urgent problem to take the cat to the Dalblairs Vets in Prestwick. The vet here can get in touch with your own vet as needed if any background information is required. This local vet is also on hand to attend any emergency at the cattery if it were needed.

Asking for Veterinary assistance is rare, but we have robust processes in place if help is needed.

It is extremely useful to have some details of any past history as this may alert us to a possible problem much more quickly if your cat shows signs of illness. Even something simple such as an ear infection or urinary infection can be recurrent and most importantly may develop as a sign of stress when your cat is away from home.

Yes! We are happy administer your cat's daily medication needs as long as we have full written instructions from you and that the medication is prescribed by your Veterinary Surgeon. We ask for as much medical information from you as possible about your cat/s at the time of booking. And if there have been any changes since the previous stay, we ask that this is disclosed too.

We are also experienced in caring for Diabetic cats and giving injections. As long as your cat's condition is stable and has not been diagnosed as Diabetic recently.

If your cat/s has any medication needs and you have any concerns, we are happy to discuss this with you.

Many families have more than two cats and although our units are only large enough to comfortably accommodate two cats from a family, we do have 2 adjoining units which can open up to make lots of space for up to four cats.

Wise cattery owners advised us that in order to provide a flexible service and navigate around requests for cancellations and other changes, it’s easier all round to avoid online booking. The most efficient way is to complete a booking request form and we can take it from there!

We can’t board cats who are not vaccinated or treated for fleas.

All male cats need to be neutered

We would not be able to board any cats who have complex medical conditions but would always welcome a conversation around this.