Martha Plummer, the owner of Happy Cat Hotel and Spa, was looking for a new career. She was a sales rep for a veterinary pharmaceutical company that required a great deal of travel, and she was finding it difficult to provide care for an aging mom and a special needs sister.
She tells us, “I spent nights out of town, and something would happen with my mom or sister, and I'd have to quickly come home. I realized at some point I can't do this anymore. I need to be closer to my mom and my sister to make sure everything goes well, and so I went to a business coach, and I said, ‘What do I do for the rest of my life?’ and she's like ‘Well, what is your passion?’ It took me forever to figure out what I wanted to do, and all my friends, knowing of my love of cats, said 'You just need to do something with cats.”
“I Googled high-end luxury cat boarding franchises and found one that was exactly what I was looking for. They have all the protocols in place. They have the computer systems. So, I thought ‘Why reinvent the wheel?’ and went with a franchise operation.”
Happy Cat Hotel and Spa, a cat-only facility, is more than just cat-boarding. It is a full-service cat care experience, including a full cat day spa. There are 25 large, themed rooms that are designed to be luxurious, spacious, and relaxing. Cats are monitored throughout their stay, and email updates are sent to the cat owners daily. Playtime, human interaction, and affection are provided for the feline guests, and grooming services are also available. Cat owners can watch live video of their cats while they're traveling. Cats can be notoriously finicky, so each cat’s quirks are addressed and catered to. Any medications can be administered by the staff. Litter boxes and the rooms are cleaned and sterilized. Rest assured that your cat is not sitting in a small cage being ignored or neglected.
Cat owners are encouraged to bring their cat’s favorite toys or even their cat’s bedding. Martha says, “It helps them to relax if they have something that has the smell from home.”
Martha says, “We ask a ton of questions before we board your cat. We ask, are there certain things your cat doesn't like? Do they like catnip? Are they allergic to anything? We ask everything up front because we want to make sure that we're prepared. We regularly check litter box activity because it can be an indication of stress or a medical problem.”
Martha says that sometimes cats are so comfortable at Happy Cat that they hesitate to get back in their carriers when it’s time to leave. She tells us, “They become acclimated to the routine at Happy Cat and miss the treatment that they get here.”
Happy Cat Hotel and Spa is located at 3900 San Mateo Blvd NE. Their phone number is 505.333.9868.