The first steps a good cattery takes
Staff who check every cat daily should spot the early signs — a refused meal, a cat who stops grooming, unusual litter output, sneezing, or a normally friendly cat retreating. If an infectious cause is possible, the cat is moved away from contact with others or barrier-cared for in her unit while the situation is assessed. Then the cattery contacts you or your named emergency contact and arranges veterinary care. Reputable catteries have this sequence written into their procedures rather than improvising it, and you are entitled to ask exactly how it runs before you book.
Which vet, and who decides
Most catteries will use your own veterinarian if the practice is within a reasonable distance, because that vet holds your cat's history; otherwise they use the practice they are registered with. The important decisions are made by you in advance, at booking: you sign consent for emergency treatment, you name who may authorise care if you cannot be reached, and you agree how quickly you want to be contacted over smaller concerns. If you will be somewhere with unreliable signal, say so and make the emergency contact someone who answers their phone and knows your cat. Silence from you should never be the reason care is delayed.
Costs and the unglamorous paperwork
Veterinary fees during a stay are normally the owner's responsibility, whether treatment happens at your vet or the cattery's, and the cattery may also charge fairly for transport and extra care time. This is worth discussing plainly at booking rather than discovering during a stressful phone call. If your cat is insured, tell the cattery where the policy details are. Also brief them on your cat's normal baseline: her usual appetite, any long-standing quirks like a sensitive stomach, and what she is like when merely homesick, because staff who know the difference between her normal and her unwell will escalate at the right moment rather than too late or too often.
Illness that starts with stress rather than infection
Not every unwell cat at a cattery is infectious. Some stop eating properly from stress, and a cat who will not eat is a genuine concern in itself, particularly for an overweight cat, so staff should tell you early rather than waiting the whole stay out. Minor upsets are often managed with close monitoring, tempting her with her own familiar food and quiet handling, with a vet visit if she does not improve promptly or other signs appear. Ask at collection for an honest account of any wobble during the stay, even a resolved one — it shapes whether you trial differently, pack different food or choose a home sitter next time.
Helping the process before anything goes wrong
Give the cattery written feeding and care notes, your vet's details, your emergency contact and any relevant history in one place, and check your phone arrangements for the trip honestly. If your cat does see a vet during the stay, ask for the outcome to be added to her records when you return. Having her history gathered in a KinsLe Pet Passport means the cattery can pass the treating vet a complete picture immediately, instead of piecing her background together over the phone while she waits to be seen.