It is June. Christmas feels like it is months away, because it is. And that is exactly why you should be thinking about your cat’s holiday boarding right now.
Every year, without exception, the same thing happens: December rolls around, people start planning their summer break, and within a week of school holidays being announced our cat hotel is fully booked. The calls we receive in mid-November from owners who have just realised they have not sorted boarding for their cat are genuinely difficult to field. There is simply nothing we can do when there are no suites left.
If you are planning any travel between December and late January, including school holidays, Christmas, New Year, or the Australia Day long weekend, the time to secure your cat’s suite is now.
Why the Cat Hotel Books Out So Far in Advance
The Companion Cat Hotel operates as a boutique boarding experience, not a high-volume cattery. We keep our guest numbers intentionally small so that every cat receives the individual attention, monitoring, and clinical care our cat hotel standard requires.
That means we have a finite number of suites. During the peak Christmas and January school holiday window, those suites are in high demand from a large client base, many of whom are returning guests who book the same period year after year. By the time owners who are newer to the process start thinking about it in November, the available spots are gone.
The pattern is consistent enough that we now flag it actively at every June and July appointment. If you have a cat and you travel at Christmas, please book now.
What Makes This Different to a Standard Cattery
For owners considering holiday boarding for the first time, or those who have previously used a standard cattery and are curious about the difference, it is worth understanding what a vet-run cat hotel actually means for your cat.
Our cat hotel operates inside Companion Animal Veterinary Hospital. That means:
- Every cat is monitored by qualified veterinary nursing staff, not general animal care workers
- A registered veterinarian is on site every day during opening hours
- Any change in appetite, behaviour, litter box habits, or clinical signs is noticed promptly and acted on
- Medications can be administered, including insulin injections, oral medications, and subcutaneous fluids, making us the right option for cats with medical needs who cannot board at a standard cattery
- The environment is Fear Free accredited and designed specifically around feline stress reduction: separate from the dog ward, pheromone diffusers, quiet spaces, and gentle handling throughout
- We are a Gold Level Cat Friendly Clinic, the highest accreditation available in Australia for feline-specific care
For cats who are anxious, elderly, medicated, or simply accustomed to a quiet household, this environment is meaningfully different to a standard cattery.
What to Bring When You Book
Once your suite is secured, we will confirm the details and provide a full pre-arrival checklist. The essentials to have ready:
- Your cat’s current vaccination records. Cats must be up to date with their F3 vaccination to board with us. If your cat is overdue, now is also the time to sort that out.
- A list of any current medications and doses
- Your cat’s usual food, because dietary changes during boarding cause unnecessary digestive stress
- Any special instructions from your regular vet if your cat is under ongoing treatment
The Dates That Fill First
Based on previous years, the windows that reach capacity earliest are:
- The week before Christmas (around 20 to 25 December)
- Christmas through to New Year (24 December to 2 January)
- The first two weeks of January school holidays
- The Australia Day long weekend in late January
If you are travelling during any of these windows, treat the booking as genuinely urgent.
Book Your Cat's Christmas Suite Now
Availability is limited and the peak period fills months in advance. Contact our team via the cat hotel page or call us directly on (02) 4261 9838 to check availability and secure your dates.
We are happy to answer any questions about what your cat’s stay will look like, how medications are managed, and what the day-to-day routine involves. For first-time boarding guests, a brief introductory visit before the holiday period is something we can arrange.
Plan now. Your December self will thank you.
Companion Animal Veterinary Hospital
Address: 38 Baan Baan St, Dapto NSW 2530
Independently owned since 2009.
Fear Free Accredited • Gold Level Cat Friendly Clinic.
