The short answer for a pair who live together
Yes — most catteries will board two cats from the same household together in a larger family unit, and for a pair who sleep touching, groom each other, and seek each other out at home, sharing is usually the kinder option. Familiar company buffers the strangeness of new sounds and smells. The condition is that the bond is real and relaxed, not just tolerance. Cats who merely coexist at home, eat apart, and occasionally swat may find a confined shared pen turns low-level friction into a genuine fall-out with nowhere to retreat.
What to ask the cattery before you book the shared unit
Ask whether the unit is genuinely sized for two adults, not a single pen with an extra bed squeezed in. Look for vertical choice: shelves or perches at different heights, a hide each, and floor space where one cat can pass the other without a face-off. Request two litter trays even if they share one at home, separate feeding stations, and water placed away from food. Visit in person, watch how staff handle a shy cat, and confirm both cats' vaccination records are current, since reputable catteries ask to see proof for every boarder.
Setting them up to share calmly
Send bedding that carries the scent of home, ideally slept on for several nights, plus an unwashed item of your clothing. Keep their usual food and feeding times so at least mealtimes feel predictable, and tell staff which cat eats faster and whether one needs feeding behind a barrier to finish in peace. If one of your pair is the confident greeter and the other hides for the first day even at home, say so plainly — staff can then read a tucked-away cat as normal for her, not as a problem to fix by handling.
When separate units are the better call
Choose adjoining separate units instead if the pair have had a real fight in the past months, if one is recovering from illness or surgery, if either is entire and coming into season, or if one bullies the other away from trays or food at home. Illness matters for another reason: if one cat develops an upset stomach during the stay, shared trays make it impossible to tell who is unwell. Adjoining pens with a shared mesh or viewing panel give companionship and scent contact without forcing closeness, and good catteries will suggest this themselves when you describe your cats honestly.
Watch-outs during and after the stay
Ask staff to tell you if either cat stops eating, hides continuously beyond the first settling day, or starts guarding the tray or doorway — early signs the arrangement is stressing one of them, and a prompt move to a spare unit is a reasonable request. Back home, do not be surprised by a day of odd behaviour: one cat may hiss at the other because she smells of the cattery. Keep them together in one room with trays and food spread out, let the familiar home scent reassert itself, and only worry if hostility lasts beyond a couple of days.
Handing the pair's routine over clearly
A shared stay runs smoothly when every staff member on every shift knows the same details — who eats what, who hides, who loves a chin scratch and who prefers to be left alone. Writing that on a booking form helps, but a structured handover helps more. With a KinsLe Care Pass you can pass the cattery temporary, clear access to both cats' feeding routines, comforts, and quirks, so the pair who share the unit are cared for as the individuals they are.