It’s hard not to appreciate people who care for our cats. The good intentions were certainly there, in this case. I'm revising to reflect our Christmas miracle: After four nights there, Toby came home with his inflammatory bowel disease mysteriously healed! He has not vomited in the 12 days since coming home, without any medication!!! Obviously, we'd already tried everything you can think of and were preparing to schedule an endoscopy with biopsy, in a desperate attempt to diagnose and heal him.
Our cats returned home more terrified than usual after boarding, probably because it was a new place to them. I've heard of the immune system re-prioritizing and initiating healing during sustained trauma. Or maybe it was that Toby sensed a special loving kindness there which precipitated spontaneous healing. Perhaps one or more people there are especially sensitive (?).
They allowed me to go back with them, which was nice; and I recommend this, so you can see the accommodations. There was a strong odor because of the small litter boxes. Also, as soon as we left the reception room, there was a powerful atmosphere of doggie body odor. Possibly they have, or will, upgrade their ventilation. There are only four cat "rooms" (small kennels with tiny litter boxes). We had booked Toby because, for the past 12 months, he needed daily medicine to prevent vomiting. Misty, his mom, was booked to comfort Toby. We had to reserve two adjoining kennels, instead of one (presumably because the kennels are small), but both kennels were not actually available on check in. Their plan had been to give them free run of the cat room, euphemistically termed unit "#5." I explained that--like cats in general--ours, though big kitties, would much prefer to huddle together in the bed I'd brought, in one small kennel; so that's what they provided. They were not sure that the second kennel would become available the first day, but one did and, on request, they texted to let me know. But the booking was deceptive, as they'd planned to use the open room as a holding area--not suitable for cats.
Medication administration and clinical observation are not as you'd find with vet boarding. Keep in mind that this is boarding and dog grooming, artfully called a "resort." They are not trained to give meds in difficult situations. Toby tends to be fearful and, though his claws were trimmed, he hissed and scratched. He's a big guy, and the caretakers were too frightened to continue his medicine. I asked that they put his pills in the wet food I'd provided, in the hope he'd eat it. They didn't try that---no explanation why not. They also misread (or possibly didn't read) the simple typed instructions I'd left for them, so they made a med error which was not serious in this case: gave two pills the first day, instead of one. They couldn't say for sure whether or not Toby had vomited while there. (We think he probably did NOT, because he somehow came home healed.) With vet boarding, they'll be honest about space availability, get any meds right, and tell you precisely what happened with your pet healthwise.
This resort is very popular and can care for a large number of dogs at once. You might like them if you have a dog with no special medical needs.
Not all vets board, but ours does. She charges $20 per night, including holidays, with the price for two cats together in a kennel equal to the price for one. At this resort, we paid $25 per night for each cat, their holiday rate: $200, as opposed to $80, for lower levels of both comfort and medical care.
At least the resort immediately waived the fee for picking up in the afternoon---without us ragging or complaining. They did try in ways to be considerate and responsive. We appreciate the efforts that they made, even though their service is not for our needs. Tasha and John were both very nice when I spoke to them. I didn't interact with the others. Jay, the director, made a thoughtful response to my first review. That's always an excellent indication for...
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