Times Article A Country Cat House

CATBIRD By Jennifer L. Stevenson ......Times Staff Writer 1992

....Such is the lfe at The Country Cat House in rural Hillsborough County, a posh boarding facility where pampered cats embark on a lavish vacation that includes catnip parties, fresh chicken on china and classical music to ease the tensions of the dog-eat-cat world.

For a small amount of money per day, cats can live a life of luxury while their “mommies and daddies” tend to business elsewhere. Instead of metal cages – standard at many kennels – cats at this rural ranch live in a glass enclosed “cattery,” in rooms with a view. Room service is prompt and the attention is personal.

Fluffy Warren has a view of the birdbath. Beanie Murphy stares at Tommy the Squirrel, an enticing but out-of-reach treat that lives in the big tree outside his window. Butter Cup Harper snoozes in the sun and waits for his 3:30 pm snack. And if Mom or Dad calls, Eileen will put their cat on the phone. She certainly will read all of the postcards and then tack them up on the wall. “I think that’s okay,” says Eileen, who used to be a flight attendant before starting a career as the Conrad Hilton of the cat set. “I don’t think that’s strange at all.” “We promise a purring, happy cat when they get home,” Eileen said this week as she gave a tour of her new cat kennel, which has capacity for 25 cats, “They are here to have a good time.”

Dalton’s kennel, which she owns with her husband Scott, is the latest in a line of lavish boarding facilities, designed to please both animals and their owners who don’t want to leave their beloved pets in metal cages while they are on vacation. The kennel is patterned after one in Miami of the same name , which Eileen ran for five years.

Her rates are comparable with other “pet motels” in the Tampa area. Each “condo” – actually a large wood and chicken wire cage – has a small house. Cats, Eileen has found, need to cocoon in small places to feel secure. She also makes sure their litter pans are always clean, as not to offend their delicate sensibility about cleanliness. Each is taken out of its “condo” daily to be petted and brushed...

Suzan Slaughter understands the feeling. Her cat, Chico, is a family favorite. The family’s 2 year-old tomcat is living at the Country Cat House until the family moves into its new house in the nearby Bloomingdale subdivision. “He’s the baby of the family,” Mrs. Slaughter says of Chico. She finds Eileen’s fussing comforting. “It’s kind of endearing actually,” Mrs. Slaughter says, “She certainly seems to care a great deal. It’s worth the money, especially if you are attached to your animal. You don’t want them stuck in a cube next to 40 other whining cats.”

Instead, Chico is installed in one of the kennel’s finest condos, the blue one with the furry carpet and a view of the three-tier bird bath that catches the sunlight. Dinner is in an hour. Until then, there are naps to take, treats to munch and the very vexing problem of whether to attend tonight’s cat nip party. Madalyn – the fat, fluffy tabby in the condo downstairs – ia a major babe. A tasty tomcat thought. Chico yawns, closes his eyes the color of green grass and curls up like a furry comma.