Commercial Boarding Conditions Cat

General Construction Matters

• Before carrying out any new building or alterations, plans must be submitted to and approved by the Environmental Health Section of the Local Authority.
• Planning permission may be required and the local Planning Authority should be consulted.
• Building Regulations approval may be required and the local Building Control Authority should be consulted.
• The cattery must be structurally sound and constructed of materials that are robust, safe and durable and be well maintained in good decorative order and repair. There must not be any sharp edges, projections, rough edges or other hazards which present risk of injury to a cat.
• Timber, if used, must be of good quality, well-maintained and any scratched areas sealed or over clad. Wood must be smooth and treated and properly maintained to render it impervious.
• Where cats have access to mesh the diameter of the wire must not be less than 1.6mm (16 gauge welded mesh).
• Mesh size must not exceed 25mm in one direction and should be positioned on the inside of the framework of runs to prevent damage of upright by cats scratching any woodwork.
• All wire/mesh fencing must be strong and rigid and kept in good repair to provide an escape proof structure.

Cattery Unit Size and Layout

1. The following minimum areas and dimensions must be achieved in order to give cats a suitable and appropriate comfortable space and for ease of cleaning and management. Size of full height walk-in unit sleeping accommodation:
   • Existing buildings, floor area and dimensions of full height walk-in sleeping accommodation Minimum area Smallest dimension must be a minimum of:
   • Minimum height One cat 0.85m2 0.9m (e.g. 0.90m x 0.95m) 1.8m
   • Up to two cats 1.5m2 1.2m (e.g. 1.2m x 1.25m) 1.8m
   • Up to four cats 1.9m2 1.2m (e.g. 1.20m x 1.60m) 1.8m.
   • Size of penthouse sleeping accommodation:
     • Existing buildings, floor area and dimensions of penthouse sleeping accommodation
     • Minimum area Smallest dimension must be a minimum of:
       • Minimum height of One cat 0.85m2 0.9m (e.g. 0.90m x 0.95m) 1m Up to two cats 1.1m2 0.9m (e.g. 0.90m x 1.20m) 1m
       • Up to four cats 1.7m2 0.9m (e.g. 0.90m x 1.90m) 1m
   • Size of exercise run for full height walk in unit and penthouse style unit:
     • Existing buildings, floor area and dimensions of full height and penthouse exercise runs Minimum area Smallest dimension must be a minimum of:
       • Minimum height One cat 1.65m2 0.9m (e.g. 0.9m x 1.85m) 1.8m
       • Up to two cats 2.2m2 1.20m (e.g. 1.20m x 1.85m) 1.8m
       • Up to four cats 2.8m2 1.20m (e.g. 1.20m x 2.35m) 1.8m
2. Each unit must have space to allow for at least 60 cm separation between the litter tray, resting place and feeding area. This allows cats to sit, rest and eat away from areas where they urinate or defacate.
3. All resting areas/shelving must be large enough for each cat to lie on. Facilities must be easily accessible and provide safe easy access to the shelf/penthouse for elderly, ill, very young or disabled cats if required.
4. Soft bedding materials must be provided and adapted if necessary for old, young or infirm cats to help regulate their body temperature. Bedding must be made of a material that is capable of being easily and effectively washed/disinfected, or is disposable. For multi-cat units a separate bed must be provided for each cat.
5. A hiding place must be provided for cats in the sleeping accommodation.
6. A cat must have access between the sleeping accommodation and run (e.g. a cat flap) so it can easily and safely access all parts of its unit.
7. There must be a shelf or facility for providing a raised area in the exercise area.
8. For catteries where there are facing units accessed by an indoor corridor, the corridor must be at least 1.2m wide, or the doors of the units must be solid or have sneeze barriers.
9. Each cat unit must open onto a safety corridor or other secure area so that cats are not able to escape from the cattery.
10. At the end of the safety corridor there must be a securable door through which the inside of the cattery can be viewed from the outside and this must be kept closed when not in use.
11. The safety corridor must not be used as an exercise area.
12. Cats from different units must not share exercise runs or an exercise area either at the same time or sequentially.
13. Cats from different households must not share cat units. For any multi-cat units operators must obtain written authorisation from the cat owners before unit sharing is allowed. Consent from the owner must also include authority for separating cats, should problems arise. Multicat units should have adequate resources for the number of cats.
14. Each unit must be designed to allow staff to access and clean all parts of the cat unit safely and provide a means of identification for each cat, e.g. numbered, and a system in place which ensures that relevant information about the cat in that units is readily available.
15. Cats must remain in their assigned unit and not be moved to other units or to a holding unit for cleaning purposes, except for moving to an isolation facility.
16. All interior surfaces to which cats have access must be durable, smooth and impervious, capable of being cleaned and disinfected, and be kept in good decorative order and repair. Where concrete or other building blocks or bricks are used, they must be sealed to be smooth and impervious.
17. Litter trays of a suitable size or type must be provided at all times. Trays must be impermeable, easy to clean and disinfect, or be disposable. A safe and absorbent litter material must be provided.
18. Any sockets in the cat units must be waterproof and as far out of reach of cats as possible.
19. If holding units/pens are used, they must not be sited in the reception, cats must be provided with a bed, litter tray, food and water.

Walls and Partitions

1. Walls must be of smooth, impervious materials capable of being easily cleaned and disinfected, and be kept in good decorative order and repair.
2. Junctions between sections must be coved or sealed.
3. Full height, full width solid sneeze barriers must be installed between cat units. Alternatively, where the cattery is built with gaps between outdoor units rather than sneeze barriers, these must be a minimum of 0.6m wide.
4. Sneeze barriers must be in place on the end walls of the exercise run at each end of the cattery block to prevent contact with animals from outside.

Floors

1. Floors in all buildings and cattery units must be of smooth, impervious, non-slip materials, capable of being easily cleaned and disinfected. Holes or gaps between tiles or paving slabs are not acceptable.
2. Waste water must not run off into adjacent pens. Adequate drainage must prevent pooling of liquids.
3. Any drain covers in areas where cats have access must be designed and located to prevent toes/claws from being caught.
4. The establishment must be connected to mains drainage or an approved localised sewage disposal system.

Roofs/Ceilings

1. There must be a safe, secure, waterproof roof over all of the cat units (sleeping accommodation and run) and the safety corridor. For the run, roof materials used must be capable of filtering UV light and providing adequate shade.
2. Ceilings must be capable of being easily cleaned and disinfected

Doors

1. Each unit must have a securable, full height door for access.
2. The door from the cat unit to the safety corridor must be escape proof, securable, strong enough to resist impact and scratching and kept closed at all times.
3. External doors/gates must be lockable and staff must have easy access to keys in case of emergency.

Windows

1. Windows must be escape proof at all times.

Lighting

1. Sufficient lighting must be provided in the safety corridor to illuminate all year round. Where practicable this should be natural light during the day.
2. There must be adequate lighting in the cat unit. Adequate supplementary lighting must be provided throughout the establishment.

Ventilation

1. Ventilation must be appropriate all year round (both cool in hot weather and avoiding cold draughts in winter). Localised draughts in the sleeping accommodation must be avoided.

Temperature

1. Heating facilities must be available in the cat unit and used according to the needs of the individual cat. All heating equipment must be installed and maintained in a safe condition.
2. There must be a means of measuring, monitoring and recording temperature (maximum and minimum temperatures) representative of the temperature in the cat sleeping accommodation.
3. Insulation and temperature regulation in the cattery must aim to keep the ambient temperature in the cat sleeping accommodation above an absolute minimum of 10°C. There must be part of the cats sleeping accommodation where the cat is able to enjoy a minimum temperature of 15°C, this additional heat may be in the form of a heated bed/pad etc. The cat must be able to remove itself from the source of heat.
4. Cats must be monitored to check if they are too hot or too cold. If an individual cat is showing signs of heat or cold intolerance then steps must be taken to ensure the welfare of the cat.

Isolation Facilities

1. Isolation facilities must be provided. If these facilities are to be provided by the attending veterinary practice, a letter must be provided by the practice stating that they are prepared to provide such facilities.
2. The isolation area must provide separate, self-contained facilities for the isolation of suspected infected cats and must have a separate entrance to the rest of the cat units.
3. Separate cleaning supplies and clothing must be designated for the isolation area and other cattery sections.
4. In isolation units, there must be some means of maintaining the temperature at a level suitable for the condition of the isolated animal and dependent upon veterinary advice.
5.  Protective clothing and footwear must be worn when handling cats in the isolation facility, and sanitation protocols adhered to, to avoid the transmission of disease. Whilst in use the clothing should be kept in the isolation unit and not be removed other than for cleaning and disinfection. Protective garments must be changed and laundered with an appropriate disinfectant or disposed of immediately after handling a cat with a suspected infectious disease.
6. Hands must be washed and disinfected between handling cats.
7. Separate feeding and water bowls, litter trays, litter, a dedicated safe cat basket, bedding and cleaning utensils must be stored in the isolation unit ready for immediate use.
8. Any equipment that has been used on an infectious or suspected infectious animal must be cleaned and disinfected after use.
9. Any cats in the isolation facility must be checked regularly and unless a separate person is caring for them, they should be visited after the other cats.
10. A documented Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) must be in place and followed to prevent spread of disease and staff trained in these procedures.
11. Should a cat need to be removed from its unit, it must be carried in a secure and disinfected cat carrier, and the carrier disinfected after use.
12. Any other activity undertaken by the proprietor, such as work with rescue cats, stray cats, or the breeding of cats must be kept completely separate, and extra precautions taken to prevent the spread of disease, including separate facilities away from boarded cats.

Cleanliness

1. All cat units, corridors, common areas and kitchens etc. must be kept clean and free from accumulations of dirt and dust and must be kept in such a manner as to be conducive to maintenance of disease control and cat comfort.
2. Each occupied cat unit must be cleansed daily. All excreta and soiled materials must be removed from all areas used by cats at least daily and more often if necessary. Units of long stay cats will require periodical thorough cleansing, disinfection and drying.
3. Each unit must be supplied with its own dustpan, brush and scoop, to be used exclusively in, and kept in that unit, until departure of the cat, and then cleaned and disinfected before reuse or disposed of prior to the next resident.
4. All bedding areas must be checked daily and kept clean, dry and parasite free.
5. Drinking and feeding vessels must be changed/cleaned and disinfected at least once a day. 
6. A designated litter tray cleaning area should be provided, litter trays must be emptied and cleaned and disinfected at least once a day, or more frequently as necessary.
7. Each cat unit must be thoroughly cleansed, disinfected and dried upon vacation. Fittings and bedding must also be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected at that time.
8. Toys must be cleaned and disinfected between use for different cats.
9. Cleaning agents and disinfectants must be non-toxic to cats if and when used appropriately.
10. Products must be suitable to use and effective against the pathogens, (especially feline parvovirus (FIE) and ringworm) for which the cats are at risk and under the conditions present in the environment in which they are used. The compatibility of different products must be taken into account.
11. Manufacturers recommended guidelines for use, correct dilutions and contact time for use in cleaning and disinfecting procedures must be followed. Standing water must not be allowed to accumulate in areas around the cat units due to the possibility of pathogens residing in these moist environments.
12. Facilities must be provided for the proper reception, containment and disposal of all waste and meet with local authority approval.
13. Measures must be taken to minimise the risk from rodents, insects and other pests within the establishment.
14. Grooming equipment must either be cleaned and disinfected between use on different cats, or be disposable. If provided by the owner, it must only be used on that cat and must be sent home with the cat.
15. Hygiene protocols must be observed between handling cats. Hands must be washed/disinfected or hand sprays or alcohol gel used between handling of each cat.

Disease Control and Vaccination

1. Standard operating procedures must be in place and followed to prevent spread of disease, and staff trained in these procedures.
2. An up to date veterinary vaccination record must be seen to ensure that cats boarded have current vaccinations against feline parvovirus (feline infectious enteritis) (FIE) and against feline respiratory viruses (feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus). The date of the most recent vaccination must be recorded preferably with a valid until date.
3. Vaccination (including boosters) must have been completed at least 2 weeks before the cats arrival in order to ensure maximum protection.
4. Advice from veterinary surgeon must be sought if there are signs of disease, injury or illness in a cat.
5. Where there is any cause for concern regarding the health status of a particular cat, that cat must be handled last and the unit must be cleaned after all the others.
6. Medicines must be stored safely and securely in a locked cupboard, at the correct temperature and used in accordance with the veterinary surgeon's instructions. Any unused medications must be returned to the owner or prescribing vet.

Food and Water Supplies

1. Cats must be fed a balanced diet suitable for their age, health status, reproductive status and lifestyle. The type of food, specific diet or prescription diet is usually by agreement with the owner.
2. For healthy adult cats at least two meals a day must be offered at a minimum of 8 hours apart, as appropriate to the individuals requirements.
3. Wholesome water must be available at all times and changed or refreshed as often as necessary. 
4. Food and water must be kept separate (joint water and feeding bowls must not be used). One feeding bowl must be provided per cat, adequate bowls must be provided for multi-cat units. 
5. Food and water must be positioned well away from litter trays (minimum 60cm), bowls must be non-porous and easy to clean/disinfect.
6. Food must be unspoilt, palatable and free from contamination.
7. Food must not be left for excessive periods to prevent it being spoiled and attracting flies. Unconsumed wet or fresh food must be removed before it deteriorates, and before the next feed time. Dry food can be fed as indicated by the manufacturer.
8. Food intake must be monitored daily and any problems recorded. Veterinary advice must be followed if feeding debilitated, underweight or ill cats or those with specific dietary requirements. Cats displaying marked weight loss/gain must be evaluated by a vet and treated as necessary.

Kitchen Facilities

1. Exclusive facilities, hygienically constructed and maintained, must be provided for the storage and preparation of food for the cats.
2. Where perishable foods are stored, refrigeration facilities must be provided and potential food contamination between fresh and cooked meats must be avoided.
3. Clean, safe containers must be provided for the storage of foods and must be insect and rodent proof.
4. A sink with hot and cold water must be provided for the washing of food equipment and eating and drinking vessels. The sink must be connected to a suitable drainage system.
5. A separate hand wash basin with an adequate supply of hot and cold water, soap and hygienic hand drying facilities, and connected to a suitable drainage system must be provided for staff to wash their hands.

Fire Precautions

1. A Fire Safety Risk Assessment and implementation of all necessary control measures must be in place. The risk assessment must be recorded and relayed and understood by all staff.
2. There must be a written emergency plan (acceptable to the local authority) which must be on display and known to staff, including a contingency plan should the premises be destroyed or uninhabitable. This must include an evacuation plan for the cats. An emergency telephone list must include fire, police and vets.
3. Firefighting equipment must be provided in accordance with advice given by the Fire Prevention Officer and must be maintained in good working order. Records of maintenance and inspection must be kept and made available for inspection.
4. Fire exits must be clearly marked and access left unrestricted.
5. The premises must comply with current legislation with regards to electricity, gas and other services (if connected).
6. Heating appliances must not be sited in a location or manner where they may present a risk of burning or electrocution to cats or humans, or a risk of fire. Open flame appliances must not be used.
7. Precautions must be taken to prevent any accumulation, which may present a risk of fire.
8. There must be adequate means of raising an alarm in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Welfare

1. The cattery proprietor or responsible person must visit the cats at regular intervals (of no more than 4 hours apart during the working day e.g. starting at 8:00am until 6:00pm), or as necessary for the individual health, safety and welfare of each cat.
2. A fit and proper person must always be present to exercise supervision and deal with emergencies whenever cats are boarded at the premises.
3. A veterinary practice should be appointed for the establishment. The name, address and phone number must be displayed in a prominent position for staff.
4. The behaviour of individual cats must be monitored on a daily basis and abnormalities or changes in behaviour noted and acted upon if necessary. 
5. Cats must be checked daily for signs of illness and/or injury and to ensure that their needs are being met. Any signs of ill health or unusual behaviour must be recorded and advice sought without delay. 
6. Presence or absence of faeces and urine in trays must be monitored daily. Any abnormalities in excreta must be recorded or acted upon as appropriate.
7. Drinking and eating habits must be monitored and any problem investigated.
8. Cats must always be handled humanely and appropriately to suit the requirements of the individual cat.
9. Cats must be given the opportunity for play and exercise, any toys provided by the owner must be kept within that cat's unit and used solely for that cat and returned to the owner at the end of the cats stay.
10. Cats must be provided with suitable facilities for scratching. Any surface available for scratching must either be disinfected between use for different cats, or disposable. If provided by the owner it must be kept within that cats unit and used solely for that cat and returned to the owner at the end of the cats stay.
11. Cats must not be exposed to excessive noise of barking boarded dogs or other excessive / continuous noise.
12. A written Standard Operating Procedure must be in place explaining how to ensure the health and welfare of long-term stay cats.
13. If medication is necessary, it must only be used for the cat for which it is intended and written instructions for use must be followed.
14. Where cats require wiping of eyes, grooming or other cleaning regimes, these must be carried out frequently enough to keep the cat clean and comfortable providing it is safe to do so.
15. When a cat is suspected of being ill or injured a veterinary surgeon must be contacted for advice immediately. Any instructions for treatment given by a veterinary surgeon must be recorded and strictly followed with further advice sought if there is ongoing concern.

Other Matters

1. Unless otherwise stated, these conditions shall apply to all buildings and/or areas to which cats have access and/or are used in association with the boarding of animals.
2. A copy of the licence and conditions shall be displayed in a prominent position where it can be inspected by members of the public using the establishment. 
3. Adequate insurance indemnity should be arranged by the operator of the premises. This should be maintained at a sufficient level to cover the maximum number of cats boarded. Adequate Employers Liability and Public Liability Insurance shall be provided. Certificates of insurance shall be displayed in a prominent position.
4. An emergency contact number must be clearly displayed at the entrance to the cattery.
5. Adequate toilet and washing facilities and a first aid kit must be available for staff.
6. Staff should be regularly vaccinated against Tetanus.
7. Staff should be adequately trained in ensuring the cats welfare, the safe handling of cats, emergency procedures to be followed and all other aspects of licence conditions which are pertinent to their work.
8. A register must be kept of all cats boarded and available to key members of staff and to local authority inspectors if requested. Information must include:
   • Date of arrival and Departure
   • Name, sex, description of cat and microchip number
   • Number of cats sharing from same household
   • Name, address, phone number and e-mail of owner (including emergency contact details)
   • Name, address, phone number and e-mail of emergency local contact (who may be able to take the cat if necessary)
   • Cats veterinary surgeon
   • Cats diet and relevant requirements
   • Cats relevant medical history, including treatment for parasites
   • Consent forms e.g. veterinary treatment, consent to share or separate cats if needed, consent regarding toys / interaction preferences, record of items left at kennels
   • Record of vaccination
   • Any medical treatment the cat is receiving must be recorded and made visible to prevent mis-dosing If records are kept electronically they must be backed up. All records are to be kept for a minimum of 24 months in a manner that allows an authorised officer easy access.
9. Cats must be secured in durable carrying baskets any time they are transported/carried outside the cat unit. A spare cat carrier should be kept at the cattery for situations where owners do not arrive with their cat in a secure carrier.
10. All vehicles and equipment must be kept clean and disinfected after each collection.