A shiny reception desk tells you almost nothing. The real test of a kennel or cattery is what sits behind the front door: the sleeping runs, how the food is handled, and who looks after your pet after the office closes.
If you are boarding a dog or cat for the first time, book the visit before you book the stay. Walk through the back rooms, ask awkward questions, and compare facilities on the parts that affect your animal’s comfort and safety, not on the quality of the coffee at reception.
Walk the back areas
A proper tour should take you past the polished entrance and into the spaces your pet will use. Look at the sleeping units, exercise yards, food prep area, and any isolation room kept for sick animals. Cleanliness should be obvious, as should smell, ventilation, and general upkeep.
For dogs, check whether the runs are solid enough to limit constant contact with strange dogs. For cats, look for height and privacy. A decent cattery gives them separate places to sleep, eat, and use a litter tray, plus somewhere to climb, scratch, and hide.
Watch the temperature inside the buildings. A kennel that feels damp, stuffy, or icy in the middle of the day is already telling you something. The same goes for stained bedding, rust, broken latches, open drains, or the sort of smell that clings to your clothes after ten minutes.
Ask to see:
- the exact enclosure your pet will use
- where food is stored and prepared
- the isolation area for unwell animals
- the exercise yard or play space
- the gate, fence, and security setup after hours
If they only show you the front office and a neat corridor, keep walking.
Ask how the day actually runs
A boarding place can look calm at 10 a.m. and become chaos later in the day. Ask how many staff are on duty, especially overnight and during busy holiday periods. You want to know who feeds, who checks water, who gives medication, and whether anyone is on site after closing time.
Find out how unfamiliar animals are separated. Dogs should not be thrown into mixed play without proper matching. Cats should be housed away from dogs, not just in the next room behind a flimsy panel. If a place says it runs group play, ask how they decide which dogs are safe together and what happens when one dog is anxious, reactive, or older.
Medication is another good filter. If your pet takes tablets or receives injections, ask whether staff are trained to give them on schedule and how doses are recorded. A vague answer here is a red flag.
Check health rules before you arrive
Any respectable kennel or cattery will ask for current vaccination proof. For dogs, that usually means the standard core vaccines plus kennel cough cover. For cats, expect proof of the core feline vaccines and rabies. Bring the vaccination booklet; do not assume a friendly phone call will be enough.
Rabies proof should not be negotiable. If a place shrugs at that, it is not serious about animal health.
You should also ask what happens when a pet arrives unwell, or starts coughing, vomiting, or running a temperature during the stay. A sensible facility will have a clear isolation plan and a named veterinary contact. Ask which vet they use, how quickly help can be arranged, who transports the animal, and who they call if they cannot reach you.
One more thing: ask about ventilation and climate control. In a South African summer, a stuffy kennel can become a welfare problem fast.
Lock down the admin
The practical rules matter just as much as the runs. Before you pay a deposit, confirm check-in and collection times, any late drop-off or after-hours fees, and whether they charge extra for medication, special food handling, grooming, longer exercise sessions, or a premium suite.
Get the cancellation policy in writing. Holiday bookings often have stricter rules than ordinary stays, and deposits may be forfeited if you pull out too late. Ask what happens if you miss the booking completely. Some places will charge the full amount.
Also ask how you will receive updates. Some facilities send WhatsApp photos, others prefer email, and some only contact you if there is a problem. Decide whether that level of communication suits you before you hand over your pet.
Compare prices properly
Call at least a few places in Gauteng, Cape Town, and Durban, but compare the same type of stay against the same type of stay. A basic kennel with shared exercise is not the same product as a private luxury suite with one-on-one attention, grooming options, and daily photo updates.
Use the quote to build a fair comparison. Ask for the total, not just the headline rate.
Typical daily rates can start around:
- R150 to R250 for a standard kennel
- R200 to R350 for a mid-range cattery or boarding setup
- R400 to R600 plus for a higher-end suite or boutique pet hotel
Those numbers move with location, season, and what is included. A place in Sandton, Constantia, or a popular Durban coastal area may charge more than a facility on the edge of town. This means you need to compare what comes with the price.
Use the visit as your final filter
The best boarding places do not mind questions. They expect them. If the staff are evasive, if the back rooms are cleaner in the brochure than in person, or if the policies are fuzzy, keep looking.
Your pet is not booking a holiday on the strength of a nice logo. You are choosing a temporary home, and the useful details live behind the reception desk.
