Code of Practice for Catteries

Here are some relevant sections of the Code of Practice for the Operation of Boarding Establishments (October 2004) keep these in mind when choosing a cattery.

6.2  Housing (Paragraph 10)
In totally enclosed buildings where forced ventilation is the only form of air, the following is required:

• An air change rate of 8 – 12 changes per hour to prevent the build up of foul odours,
• Ventilation devices must avoid draughts and distribute fresh air evenly to all of the boarding areas,
• Temperature must be maintained in the range of 15 – 27 degrees C.
• Air recirculation units incorporating effective air cleaning and filtration to ensure the removal of infectious organisms and chemicals.

6.3.2 Pen Sizes – Cats (Paragraph 2)
Cats must be housed singly except in walk in modules where compatible cats from the same household may be housed together.
The minimum size cage for short term boarding of up to seven days must have a floor area of at least one square metre and a minimum height of 900 millimetres. Cats boarded for longer than seven days must be provided with accommodation that meets the following criteria:

• Cages have a minimum floor area of 1.5 square metres and a minimum height of 900 millimetres; or
• Walk-in modules that have a minimum floor area of 0.8 square metres, a minimum width of 900 millimetres and a minimum height of 1.8 metres. The module must contain at least two levels including raised sleeping quarters. The higher level(s) must be connected to the floor by means of a ramp, pole or steps. This size is for one cat only and an additional square metre floor space is required for each subsequent cat.

 
*Enclosures at Cat Boarding Collingwood are modular in design and varied in dimensions in order to cater to the needs of different cats and cat family combinations – all of our enclosures are larger than the recommended size by at least 30%. Call 9486 0863 to arrange an inspection.