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Cattery Licence Regulations

By: June Crowe - Updated: 2 Sep 2021 | comments*Discuss
 
Licence Cattery Licensed Cattery Setting

When you are thinking of setting up a licensed cattery it is essential that you obtain a cattery licence from your local council. Every council will have their own requirements. It is essential that you take note of the regulations otherwise you could be refused a licence for setting up a cattery.

The criteria for issuing a licence is strict, but every rule is in place to help you plan your new cattery properly with the welfare of the animals in your care in mind. If you buy an existing cattery that has already got a licence in place you should find that all requirements have been complied with.

Number of Permitted Cats

The number of cats that you can board at any one time will be determined by your council. This number will relate directly to the number and size of your pens/chalets. Each cat must be housed separately unless they come from the same household. The owners must agree to the cats being together (some cats from the same household might not get along well together in a confined space) and the size of the pen/chalet must be adequate for several cats.

You may be allowed to have a number of holding pens for temporary use but normally a cat should not be housed in a holding pen for more than 24 hours. The size of the holding pen as with all the pens/chalets will need to be a minimum size, decided by the council.

General Construction of The Cattery

Your cattery must be laid out exactly as the approved plans, any alterations must have approval of your licensing officer. If you make alterations that are not approved you could be made to change them before your licence is renewed.

The regulations stipulate exactly what materials can be used for every part of the cattery, the floors, walls, ceilings, roof, in fact everything. The safety and security of the cats in your care is always paramount. Each pen/chalet will need to be fitted with a raised sleeping quarter, and everything will need to be easily disinfected without excess use of water.

Temperature in the Cattery

You will be required to have thermometers placed at various positions throughout the cattery, and a minimum/maximum record should be kept. The council regulations will stipulate the minimum/maximum temperatures that you should aim to achieve.

If you have enclosed pens/chalets keeping an even temperature at some times of year can be a problem. If you are building from scratch installing an air conditioning unit could be a wise investment. If your pens/chalets are open to the elements the summer months should be fine but winter could be a problem. Look at your council requirements and decide accordingly.

Cleanliness and General Management

Needless to say cleanliness is essential. Everything that is used in the cattery, either by yourself or by the cats, must be kept clean and disinfected. You will need a separate area to store the cat food and this must be stored so that it cannot be contaminated in any way. You must know what precautions you must take to stop the spread of any infectious diseases and parasites (cat fleas).

You will also need to make sure that all cats boarded with you have up to date vaccinations, if they have no vaccination certificates you should not allow them in your cattery. You will also need to have a basic first aid kit for yourself, your staff and the cats. Every council has it's own set of rules and regulations, you should always get a copy of the regulations before you embark on your business or apply for a cattery licence.

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[Add a Comment]
Do NOT use Haven kennels & cattery based on Mersham (Ashford) Kent. Run be Brian Collins. Our cat has escaped this week through a huge gaping hole in the roof of his pen. Brian has admitted he did not know it was there. An owner not knowing the state of his pens. It’s beyond a joke. We are cutting short our staycation to go search for our cat. Please please shut this place down. Based on a massive amount of reviews they should have been closed in years ago.
Mel - 2-Sep-21 @ 8:33 AM
Our local cattery has no one on the premises between the hours of 17.30 and 9.00am the following day. The owner just locks it up and goes home, her house is a 20 minute drive away. Can anyone advise if this is legal please? For example, what if there was a fire or a break in?
LillyRose - 24-Jun-21 @ 3:53 PM
I want to set up a small 6 bay cattery but what do I need for a sick bay
Cat woman - 23-Mar-21 @ 7:01 AM
Disgusted at local inspection on my friends Cattery. They have just cut her numbers from 26 cats allowed to 15. They have said her chalets are no longer big enough. As a cat owner to 4 cats, I can sincerely say that my cats have always shared one chalet & have always come home happy at the end of their holiday. Iunderstand some guidelines, but this is a long established business, that had passed its last many inspections without any problems. With so many catteries under increased pressure during the Covid pandemic, most of them have no current incomeas well as no government help. It does not seem to be the time to be putting some fantastic under such changes & challenges that a lot of them cannot survive with. Please, inspectors, look at the fuller picture. I would much rather use my friends Cattery where the care is second to none and my cats are as happy as they are in their own home, rather than take them to the posh over the tip Cattery where the owners show no care or passion for what they do and just take you money.
Jules - 11-Feb-21 @ 1:35 PM
Hi. What I need to prepare to have ready my own cattery. I have 2 females already and I want to buy a male too. Please advice me
lulu - 23-Jan-21 @ 2:28 PM
Hi I have plans to set up my own cattery in my back garden, I know every council will have their own rules/regs, however, is it realistic to think I could set up a small 6-8 pen in my back garden if I live in a detached house in a cul de sac? What could be the main potential issues ? AJ
AJ - 10-Jul-20 @ 5:32 PM
Defra has introduced new stringent licensing laws for boarding catteries.The cattery that I have used for eight years with great success, is forced to reduce its intake from100 units to 45 units per week, 2860 units less per annum.This has a serious impact on us cat owners leaving us with no option but to depend on the good will of neighbours or just throw our cats out when it comes to holidays.Defra have not taken the welfare of cats into consideration or of the social and economic impact of this disastrous badly thought out legislation.As somebody who works tirelessly to rehome stray cats people are less likely in the future to rehome stray cats when there isn't the facility to board them when they need to take a break.
Horrified - 15-Nov-19 @ 4:08 PM
Ina cattery what is the staff to pet ratio for example there may be 1 employee per every 5 cats ? but im not sure about the right legislation for this.
Carlos - 13-Nov-18 @ 11:23 AM
Leddy - Your Question:
My cattery say a new law has come in saying our cats are not allowed in a communal area (not with other cats at the same time ) to stretch their legs for half an hour. Any truth in this as it's never been a problem before?

Our Response:
This may be part of the disease spread procedures you are supposed to adhere to. Take a look at the document you can download from Chartered Institute of Environmental Health here
StartACattery - 18-Aug-17 @ 11:11 AM
My cattery say a new law has come in saying our cats are not allowed in a communal area (not with other cats at the same time ) to stretch their legs for half an hour . Any truth in this as it's never been a problem before?
Leddy - 16-Aug-17 @ 5:35 PM
Lily - Your Question:
I have a large summerhouse in my already cat proofed fenced garden. I would like to put 2 pens in it but don't know who to contact and where to start. Please help. Do I need a license for 2 ???

Our Response:
Yes, you need a licence if you're charging for boarding. Your local council will be able to tell you about licensing.
StartACattery - 12-Apr-17 @ 10:54 AM
I have a large summerhouse in my already cat proofed fenced garden. I would like to put 2 pens in it but don't know who to contact and where to start. Please help. Do I need a license for 2 ???
Lily - 10-Apr-17 @ 12:54 PM
Rococo - Your Question:
I would like to look into setting up my own small chattery at the bottom of my garden I need help and advice do I go to the council first get them to look at my garden to say how many pens I can have do I get plans drawn up first and cost to build them do I have to let the neibours know

Our Response:
You will need to contact the planning department first of all to check whether planning permission is needed. Then talk to the licensing department about what you need to do.
StartACattery - 7-Apr-17 @ 12:18 PM
I would like to look into setting up my own small chattery at the bottom of my garden I need help and advice do I go to the council first get them to look at my garden to say how many pens I can have do I get plans drawn up first and cost to build them do I have to let the neibours know
Rococo - 1-Apr-17 @ 9:55 AM
We are thinking of starting a cattery at our house in the Haute Vienne, but have been put off by the local mairie saying to us that we have tohave a breeders registration, which will take approximately 2 years to complete.Is this so and does anybody know of any way round this? Regards Jennifer Banks
Jennie - 9-Apr-16 @ 1:40 PM
I am thinking of starting a cattery on a piece of land that I own that was originally a garden centre of around 3 acres. How many cats would I be able to look after at any one time?
Benboy - 3-Apr-16 @ 7:15 PM
Im thinking of setting up a small cattery in my largish garden. I am concidering purchasing a 1-4 ready construction unit, with the plan of possibly adding to it as time goes by and if thinks work out OK.. Our these units advisable to use and do they normally meet the local council regulations ?
Ms Su - 23-Dec-15 @ 9:23 PM
Im starting my own small cattery in my garden , I will only keep three cats at one time all in seperate motels. Do I need a licence if I can only keep three and no more?
Phillips - 2-Nov-15 @ 10:35 PM
How old do you have to be to start a cattery?
violet humming bird - 18-Jun-15 @ 7:14 PM
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