At some point in your life, you will need to address what to do with your cat when your need to travel or have an emergency and boarding your cat can be one way to solve this dilemma. 
Boarding a cat in a professional cat kennel can offer your pet full-time, knowledgeable and experienced kennel operators offering dependable, secure and safe cat care.
There are several ways to locate a professional cat boarder. You can always look in the phone book for kennels that accept cats. Be sure to check with friends or your veterinarian to recommend a kennel or which kennels to avoid! There are associations that inspect and certify catteries and kennels so you may want to inquire if they belong to any of these associations. After selecting a place for boarding your cat, you can place a call to the Better Business Bureau to see if their have been any complaints made against the kennel and the nature of the complaints.
It is always a good practice to visit the facility prior to boarding your cat. A good cattery will provide a temperature controlled environment, good lighting during the day, good ventilation, and many will leave music on when staff is not on the premises. Cats not from the same household should be individually housed. The general appearance of a good kennel is one that looks and smells clean. Don’t be put off if you are not allowed into the kennel area. Many boarding facilities do not allow visitors where the cats are housed to prevent some animals from being upset, for security reasons, and to protect the cats from potential disease. If you are not allowed into the kennel area, be sure that they at a minimum let you look into the area to see the cats being housed. Check to see if the cats appear healthy and well taken care of (fresh water, clean litter boxes, etc). Many boarding facilities will offer additional services such as grooming.
Discuss with the kennel staff what you can bring with your cat when boarded. Many facilities require that you bring your own food while others prefer to feed all boarders the same diet. 
Some kennels will allow you to bring familiar items from home such as a blanket or toys that can make the transition to a kennel easier on your cat. Be sure to inquire about what are the immunization requirements for boarding your cat. Many boarding kennels require cats to be immunized against rabies, panleukopenia or distemper, feline rhinotracheitis, calici virus, and pneumonitis. If you cat does not already have the required immunizations, make an appointment with your veterinarian to get your cat the vaccinations in time for boarding.
Remember to plan ahead when boarding your cat especially during peak travel times (holiday and summer vacation times). You may need to reserve kennel space a few weeks before you plan to leave. Be prepared to provide the boarding facility you’re your contact information while gone, your veterinarian information in case of a medical emergency, and any medications and medical information that the kennel needs to know about your cat. Boarding your cat with a little preparation in advance will provide you cat with quality care while you are gone and give you with peace of mind that your cat is being well cared for in your absence.
