Request and profile review
Dates, location, room needs, food, medication, medical history, appetite pattern, handling, contacts, and contingencies are reviewed.
From request through homecoming
See the boarding stay as one connected transition.
The stay begins before arrival and continues after pickup. This timeline shows where information, environment, observation, response, and guardian follow-through connect.
Before arrivalCheck-inDecompressionDaily careHomecoming
Current availability, rates, policies, and final care acceptance are managed by Cats in the City.
Before day oneCare fit and baseline information shape the stay before the cat arrives.
Homecoming mattersThe transition ends when the cat is functionally back in home routine.
The complete stay
Ten connected decision points.
The sequence is predictable; the pace is individual.
Care matching
The team aligns the cat with a location, room, staffing pattern, and any medical or appetite pathway that needs advance planning.
Packing and confirmation
Guardians prepare familiar food, labeled medication, carrier, written routine, contacts, and enough supplies for the complete stay plus contingency.
Arrival handoff
The current condition—not only the historical form—is shared. Last meal, last medication, recent symptoms, and any same-day change matter.
Room orientation
The cat enters private territory with bedding, litter, food, water, hiding, elevation, and sensory exposure adjusted to the room and presentation.
First meal and first litter picture
Intake, litter use, posture, movement, social availability, and response to interaction begin forming the first functional baseline in boarding.
Day 1–3 stabilization
The team watches whether the cat is expanding into the environment or compressing further. Appetite and hydration patterns receive particular attention.
Ongoing daily care
Food, litter, medication, enrichment, movement, rest, behavior, and recovery after contact are tracked across shifts.
Change response
A meaningful change may lead to adjustment, recheck, supported intake, guardian contact, veterinary coordination, or a different care plan.
Pickup and home re-entry
Guardians receive the useful picture from the stay and support a low-demand return to familiar food, water, litter, territory, and household rhythm.
Three transitions to protect
Arrival is not the only vulnerable moment.
Care quality depends on the handoff into boarding, the stabilization period, and the handoff back home.
Arrival
Home to boarding
Carrier travel, separation, scent change, noise, room novelty, and loss of familiar sequence can alter behavior and appetite.
Stabilization
Boarding becomes legible
As the cat settles, the team can better distinguish baseline temperament from transition-related compression or activation.
Homecoming
Boarding back to home
Pickup, travel, household reunion, feeding, elimination, and rest create another transition that deserves observation.
Questions guardians ask
Clear answers before the request.
Care fit is confirmed only after Cats in the City reviews the complete profile and requested dates.
Will every cat follow this exact timeline?
No. Some cats eat, explore, and interact quickly; others need more decompression. The timeline describes decision points, not a required performance schedule.
When are guardians contacted?
Contact depends on the agreed communication plan and what the team observes. Meaningful changes in intake, elimination, medication, mobility, breathing, behavior, or overall state may prompt earlier contact or escalation.
What happens after the cat goes home?
Some cats return immediately to baseline; others need quiet, routine, hydration, food access, litter observation, and time to reorient. Guardians should contact a veterinarian when concerning signs persist or worsen.
Next step
Plan the entire transition, not only the room.
Share the dates, routine, health history, appetite pattern, medication needs, and room priorities. Cats in the City will review the request and confirm the appropriate location and pathway.