We have that listed on our website, but we also require the basic vaccines, the core vaccines for cats, which are rabies, and the kitty distemper, or FVRCP. We also require the Feline Bordetella vaccine that can be given when they arrive. Those are the vaccines they would need ahead of time; the kitty distemper and rabies. The other kind of qualification we have is that male cats must be neutered. Back to that smell, male cats produce quite a potent odor with their urine, so we do not board intact male cats, unneutered male cats. As far as flea prevention goes, any parasites that are seen are required to be treated, whether intestinal parasites or flea and tick external parasites.

One of the most important things would be that they have a safe facility, that the cats are secure where they are boarded. Cats can sometimes be little Houdinis. They can open cages or open the areas that they're in. So make sure they're safe and ensure that the facility is clean. Ventilation is a big part, especially if you're talking about litter boxes and cat litter. If you have multiple cats in an area, is it safe? Is it clean, and how are they housed? Are they separated and unable to touch or contact another pet there?

Here at the Animal Hospital of Statesville, our philosophy is to support fear-free and cat-friendly guidelines. So what does that mean? We try to offer the best care and the least amount of fear associated with that. As mentioned in some of our previous videos on kitty comfort kits, we try to ensure a stress-free environment before they arrive or even while boarding.

One of the most important things is to look at recommendations and ratings to make sure they have good reviews, that it's a reputable boarding facility, and that they are safe for your cat.

This is an interesting question about the most important question, and I think we've answered some of those fundamental questions about how the cat is cared for and their policy if they get sick or hurt. Another one we thought of that I would think falls under the classification of things that don't get asked is what happened in a fire situation. Here at the animal hospital, we have a protocol of getting every pet in a carrier because cats aren't used to being on a leash and walked out. So that's the safest way to contain them. Then we have a meeting place where we would try to account for every person and animal. We do have an alarm system and sprinklers as well. So that would notify the fire department ahead of time. We have a system of notifications for doctors and staff members to come up in the middle of the night to take care of everything.