Normal unwinding versus real unhappiness
Almost every cat is a little off for a day or two after boarding. She may sleep deeply, patrol the house checking each room, demand food, or ignore you in pointed protest before normal service resumes. That brief reset reflects a change of place and routine, and it settles as home smells and rhythms reassert themselves.
Unhappiness looks different in scale and duration. A cat who still hides from the family after several days, whose appetite stays poor, or whose behaviour has changed in a lasting way is showing you the stay cost her more than she could comfortably pay. The distinction matters, because the fix for a tired cat is time, while the fix for a stressed cat is a different plan next time.
The specific signs to look for
Hiding in new places, or staying in one hiding place far longer than usual, is the clearest signal from a cat who coped by withdrawing. Changes around food count too: eating far less, begging constantly as if meals were uncertain, or guarding the bowl in a home where that never happened before. Over-grooming, especially a worn patch on the belly or legs, points to stress that continued after she came home.
Tray changes carry information as well. Urinating outside the tray can be scent-marking a reclaimed territory, but repeated accidents deserve attention. So do temperament swings: an aloof cat who will not leave your lap, or a friendly cat who now avoids trusted hands.
Ask the boarding staff the right questions
Do not settle for being told she was fine. Ask what she ate each day, whether she used her tray normally, whether she came out of her sleeping area or stayed hidden, and how she responded to handling. Good staff keep daily notes and share them plainly.
Compare their account with the cat in front of you. If staff report a cat who ate well and explored, but yours hides for days, the setting may still have overwhelmed her in ways that were not obvious in a busy unit. If staff themselves report she barely ate and never left her bed, believe them and treat that as a clear verdict on that arrangement.
When to involve your vet
Contact your vet if appetite has not returned after a couple of days home, if tray accidents continue, if over-grooming breaks the skin, or if hiding is paired with vomiting, diarrhoea, or straining to urinate. Straining in particular is urgent in cats and should never be watched and waited on. Describe the boarding stay when you call, because recent stress and change are relevant context for the vet examining her.
Also book a check if the change is purely behavioural but stubborn. A vet can rule out pain or illness hiding underneath what looks like a mood, and that ruling-out is what lets you plan the next stay with confidence.
What to change next time
Shorten the experiment. A single overnight trial before a longer booking tells you how your cat handles a setting without committing her to a week of it. Send bedding slept on at home, an item of your worn clothing, and her exact usual food, because familiar scent and flavour are anchors in a strange pen.
If boarding itself seems to be the problem, move care into her own territory with a sitter, where the smells, tray, and vantage points stay hers. If you board again, choose a quieter setting with larger individual space and ask about updates during the stay so you hear about problems while you can still act. Writing down this stay's signs, dates, and what helped in KinsLe and sharing them through Care Teams means the next person caring for your cat starts from what you learned, not from guesswork.