An indoor cat's first cattery stay asks a lot of her: new air carrying dozens of cats' scents, new sounds, a run instead of rooms, and staff instead of family. She cannot be talked through it, but she can be prepared — by getting her records straight, choosing the place with your eyes open, and sending her in with as much of home as a cattery run can hold.
Sort vaccinations and records before you book anything
Reputable catteries require proof of current vaccination for every indoor cat, and they mean proof — the record itself, not your assurance. Check her vaccination status early enough to book a vet visit if anything has lapsed, because some catteries also want a gap between a booster and the stay. While you are gathering papers, note her microchip details, regular vet, any ongoing health observations, and what she eats, in one place you can hand over. Indoor cats are sometimes behind on paperwork precisely because they never leave home, so treat this audit as step one, weeks ahead, not a scramble the day before drop-off.
View the cattery and ask the questions that matter
Never book a first cattery stay for an indoor cat unseen. Visit and look at the runs: each cat or household group housed separately, a raised sleeping area with bedding off the floor, a scratching surface, and a view that is interesting without being a staring contest with the cat opposite. Ask how often staff handle and check each cat, what happens at night, how they manage a cat who stops eating, and which veterinarian they call in an emergency. Ask specifically how they settle first-time indoor cats — a good cattery has an answer involving quiet end runs, hiding boxes, and patience, because they know sheltered cats take longer to eat and emerge than seasoned boarders do.
Pack home into her run: bedding, food, and routine
An indoor cat reads the world by smell, so send the blanket from her main sleeping place unwashed, and a worn t-shirt of yours for the first nights. Send her own food, measured or clearly described, because a sudden brand change layered onto a strange place is a common route to an upset stomach and a refused bowl; most catteries prefer feeding what you supply. Write her routine down — feeding times, litter preferences, how she likes to be approached, and the hiding behaviour that is normal for her — so staff can tell the difference between her ordinary shyness and a change worth reporting. A scratching pad or one washable toy from home completes a run that smells and feels partly hers.
Plan drop-off and the first days home
Drop your indoor cat off calmly and briefly: settle her into the run, arrange her bedding, and leave without a long emotional goodbye she can read as alarm. Expect her to eat lightly and hide at first — staff reports of gradual eating and emerging are the healthy pattern. At homecoming, reverse the process gently: one quiet room, her tray and bowls where they always are, and no visitors wanting to hear about the trip around her. Most indoor cats re-expand over a day or two; a cat still hiding and not eating well into the second day home earns a call to the veterinarian, with the cattery's report in hand.
That records-first preparation is simple to keep straight with KinsLe's Pet Passport, which holds your cat's vaccination proof, vet details, and care notes together in one portable packet you can present at the cattery and reuse for every stay after this first one.