Cattery Software: Manage & Grow Your Cat Boarding Business

What is cattery software?

Cattery software is a specialized management platform designed specifically for cat boarding facilities and catteries to handle reservations, cage assignments, feeding schedules, medication tracking, vaccination records, billing, and owner communications. Unlike general kennel software, cattery platforms address the unique needs of feline care including stress management protocols, separate housing requirements, species-specific health monitoring, and the quieter, more structured environment cats require. The software streamlines daily operations while ensuring each cat receives individualized attention, maintains health records compliance, and keeps owners informed through automated updates and photo sharing.

How much does cattery management software cost?

Cattery software typically costs between $39 and $120 per month, depending on the size of your facility, number of cats, and required features. Small catteries with 10-20 units can find suitable solutions starting at $39-$59/month for core booking and management functions, while mid-sized facilities ($69-$89/month) benefit from additional features like automated billing, vaccination tracking, and customer portals. Larger catteries or multi-location operations ($100-$150/month) require advanced capabilities such as detailed reporting, staff management, POS integration, and custom workflows. Many providers offer tiered pricing based on the number of units or monthly revenue, allowing you to scale costs as your business grows.

Is cattery software different from dog boarding software?

Yes, cattery software includes cat-specific features and workflows that differ significantly from dog boarding systems. Key differences include individual housing management (cats don’t typically share spaces), stress reduction protocols and isolation tracking, species-specific vaccination requirements (FeLV, FIV testing, FVRCP, rabies), feeding schedules with dietary sensitivities more common in cats, and litter box monitoring rather than outdoor potty breaks. While some comprehensive pet care platforms handle both species, dedicated cattery software is optimized for the unique behavioral, health, and operational requirements of feline boarding, including quieter environments, vertical space management, and individual attention protocols.

What features are essential in cattery software?

Essential features include online booking with real-time cage availability, vaccination and health record management with FeLV/FIV status tracking, individual feeding schedule management for different dietary needs, medication administration tracking and reminders, and automated billing with payment processing. Additional important features include owner portals for booking and updates, photo sharing capabilities for daily check-ins, waitlist management for peak periods, detailed cat profile management including behavioral notes and preferences, staff task scheduling and assignments, and reporting tools for occupancy, revenue, and compliance. Look for software that allows granular control over individual cat care since felines require more personalized attention than many dog boarding operations.

Can cattery software handle multi-cat families?

Yes, cattery software is specifically designed to manage multi-cat households and families, allowing you to link multiple cats to a single owner account while maintaining separate health records, feeding schedules, and behavioral notes for each individual cat. The system can handle special requests like housing siblings together or keeping incompatible cats separated, apply family discounts or package pricing, coordinate pickup/drop-off for all cats in one transaction, and maintain individual care tracking while providing consolidated billing. This flexibility is crucial since many cat owners have multiple cats and expect their boarding facility to accommodate family dynamics while treating each cat as an individual with unique needs.

How does cattery software track vaccinations and health requirements?

Cattery software maintains comprehensive digital vaccination records including upload capabilities for vet documents, automatic expiration tracking for FVRCP, rabies, and FeLV/FIV testing, and automated reminder emails to owners before vaccines expire. The system can prevent bookings for cats with outdated records, flag health concerns or special needs during check-in, and generate compliance reports for inspections or regulatory requirements. Many platforms also track FeLV/FIV status separately (critical for catteries that house positive cats in isolation), medication schedules with dosing instructions, chronic condition management notes, and emergency veterinary contact information. This comprehensive health tracking reduces liability, prevents disease transmission, and ensures your facility maintains high care standards.

Does cattery software support online booking?

Yes, modern cattery software includes online booking portals where cat owners can view real-time availability, select cage types and amenities, specify dietary requirements and medications, upload vaccination records, and complete payment for reservations 24/7 from any device. The booking system automatically validates vaccination status, prevents overbooking by updating availability in real-time, sends confirmation emails and SMS reminders, and allows owners to manage their bookings through self-service portals. Online booking significantly reduces phone time, minimizes no-shows through automated reminders, and increases revenue by enabling impulse bookings outside business hours. Some systems also support recurring bookings for regular customers and waitlist notifications when space becomes available during peak periods.

Can I manage both a cattery and dog kennel with the same software?

Yes, many comprehensive pet care management platforms support multi-species operations, allowing you to manage both cat and dog boarding within a single system. These integrated platforms let you configure separate sections with species-appropriate vaccination requirements, different pricing structures, and distinct operational workflows while maintaining unified booking, billing, and reporting. This approach eliminates the need for multiple software subscriptions, provides consolidated revenue and occupancy reporting, and simplifies staff training. However, ensure the platform specifically supports cattery features rather than just generic pet boarding, as cats require different care protocols, housing requirements, and health tracking compared to dogs.

How does cattery software improve customer communication?

Cattery software enhances customer communication through automated email and SMS notifications for booking confirmations, check-in/check-out updates, and payment receipts, photo sharing capabilities that let you send daily pictures to reassure owners, digital report cards documenting eating, litter box use, play time, and behavior, and owner portals where clients can access their cat’s records and history anytime. These features reduce phone calls to your facility, build trust through transparency, and create opportunities for social media sharing when owners post photos of their cats’ boarding experiences. Strong communication tools directly improve customer satisfaction, increase repeat bookings, and generate word-of-mouth referrals.

Is cattery software worth it for small facilities?

Yes, even small catteries benefit significantly from management software, typically seeing ROI within 2-4 months. Software saves 8-12 hours per week in administrative tasks through automated booking, billing, and report generation, reduces no-shows by 25-35% via automated reminders and deposit requirements, and increases bookings by 20-30% through 24/7 online reservations. For a small cattery with 15 units, software costing $49-$69/month typically generates $250-$400 in additional monthly value through time savings, increased occupancy, and reduced administrative errors. Additionally, professional photo updates and digital report cards significantly improve customer retention, reducing the cost of acquiring new clients and supporting premium pricing for higher service quality.