Start With the Waiting List and Your Cattery's Own Recommendations
A full cattery is not always a closed door. Ask to be put on the waiting list and say exactly how much flexibility you have on drop-off and collection, because cancellations at short notice often go to the caller who can fit the gap. Then ask the question owners forget: where would they send their own cat when they are full? Cattery operators know the local landscape in detail, including which nearby facilities are genuinely good and which to avoid, and many are happy to pass an overflow booking to a trusted competitor rather than leave a regular client stuck. If your cat has stayed somewhere before, even once, call there next, because a facility that already knows her is a warmer start than a complete unknown.
Widen the Search in a Sensible Order
Work outward through the realistic alternatives rather than grabbing the first vacancy anywhere. Try other licensed catteries slightly beyond your usual travel distance, since a longer drive beats a poor facility. Ask your vet practice whether it boards cats or can recommend somewhere, and consider the option that suits many cats best of all: staying home with a professional sitter visiting once or twice a day. A confident indoor cat with her own litter tray, hiding places and smells often copes far better with home visits than with a last-minute cattery she has never seen. For a very short absence, a trusted neighbour or family member given clear instructions may be a calmer answer than any facility.
Run the Same Safety Checks, Just Faster
Urgency compresses your research, but it should not delete it. Whoever you approach, confirm the non-negotiables before you pay anything: your cat housed in her own space, away from dogs and not mixed with unfamiliar cats; current vaccination proof required from every boarder, which protects your cat as much as theirs; litter, food and water refreshed daily by a named person; and a stated plan for what happens if she stops eating or becomes unwell, including which vet they would use. Ask to see the cat accommodation, in person if time allows or by recent photos if it does not. A facility that answers these questions readily at short notice is showing you how it runs every day.
Make a Rushed Handover Easier on Your Cat
Once a place is secured, put your energy into the handover. Send your cat with her usual food, because this is the worst week for a diet change, plus one item that smells of home for her unit. Write the short version of her routine on one page: feeding times, litter habits, where she likes to hide when stressed, and your contact details plus your vet's. Tell the facility honestly that the booking is last minute and your cat may take a day to settle, and agree how they will update you. Then double-check the return end as well: who collects her if your own return is delayed, and whether the facility can hold her an extra night if travel plans slip.
When time is short, KinsLe's Pet Services Directory lets you find and connect with trusted local catteries and sitters from one place, so a full diary at your usual facility does not leave you starting from a blank search.