Even when you are farming and love what you do, it is nice to sometimes take a break.
And if you have a special furry friend who needs love and attention whilst you are away, then Homestead Cattery in Ashhurst is the perfect place for that.
I speak from experience with my cat spending the last three years of his life on vacations at Homestead Cattery. Rama was very special, and I felt at ease knowing that he would get the best care and have lots of fun with Sandra and her amazing team.
Sandra has always been an animal lover and fell in love with cats after rescuing a tiny black kitten hiding in the bushes at the back of her work.
Sandra and her Mum bought the already operating cattery 18 years ago.
Living in Palmerston North at the time, Sandra would drive out to Ashhurst every night where her horse was grazing and as she drove past the cattery on Pohangina Road, she often though how she would love to run a cattery and live at the property where she could have her horse.
“One night I nearly drove off the road when I saw a ‘for sale’ notice up on the property,” said Sandra. “I never thought that place would come up for sale, and then it did.”
Initially they kept the cattery as it was for the first 12 months. They wanted to see the good, the bad and how the cats behaved, before completely guttering the entire inside of the building, originally built back in 1973. A second building was constructed in 1983.
Sandra’s Mum initially ran the cattery during the week and took on a person to help with Sandra taking over in the weekends. When her sister-in-law moved onto the property with her husband, she helped until sadly both her and Sandra’s Mum passed away in 2019.
Over time the units have been reconfigured to have a combination of individual spaces with their own play area and there is also a large social side with a big outdoor play area. This is closed off at night but there is a cat door so that the cats can go out and sit on the ledges and enjoy the evening as they like to do, sniffing the night air and watching the moon. It houses the same number of cats as it did when they first purchased the property but now with a different layout specifically designed for the wellbeing of the cats. The original units were cold but are now fully insulated and they are fully serviced, and maintenance cleaned every day.
Sandra has added another special facility in her house, where she has configured two fully air conditioned bedrooms with windows that look out onto the verandah. These can be used if a family has three cats, for example that all like to be together in the same room; fantastic for older cats.
Sandra said she is very lucky with the current staff she has.
“Nicola is our cattery Manager. She has just got the x factor and the animal way, and she will bring the shyest cat out of its shell. Laurel has had significant vet nurse training and her vigilance and attention to detail is outstanding. Aria has been working for me since she was 16 and she just has a way with animals.”
A further renovation was completed in October 2023 with five units gutted, reconfigured, and rebuilt. These units can all be connected via a small opening between each one so if you have more than one cat and they want to be together, they can. These new units also take into account the lowest common denominator i.e., the oldest cat with mobility issues has to be able to get up and into a sleeping box. Sandra said they had to think about what the cat would like and have learned that they like to sit in their box and look outside.
From running Homestead cattery, Sandra has learned that a high degree of vigilance is the number one key thing. The team runs a customer records maintenance system on their cell phones with an electronic notes system and are in constant communication with each other. Within minutes of a cat coming into the cattery, they all know who is in and any member who is working on any day can see exactly what the cat’s special needs are and if there are any particular instructions. This system also allows the team to know every single cat in the cattery and keeps them up to date before starting their shift.
“We run a tight ship, and I am proud of where we have got to. It is an absolute adorable business to run that comes with a high degree of responsibility. People bring their cats to us because they love them and want them looked after and we view this as a privilege.”
