Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, it is a requirement that all of our boarders are up to date with their vaccinations.

We verify your cat’s vaccination status when you send through a current vaccination certificate (your cat’s last vaccination must be no more than 12 months prior to their check in).

If your cat is overdue for their vaccination, we recommend you vaccinate your cat at least 2 weeks prior to your boarding check-in date. If your cats vaccination expires during their stay, our Vets can vaccinate your cat while they are boarding. This service incurs the regular cost of vaccinating your cat.

The minimum vaccination requirement for cats at our Hotel is a “F3” vaccination, which provides immunity against feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus and feline herpes. For cats that roam outdoors, vaccination against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is also recommended, but this is not required to enter our Hotel as our guests are never socialized or mixed.

If you do not have a copy of your cat’s latest vaccination you can obtain one easily by contacting your previous Vet. If you are an existing client of Balmain Veterinary Hospital, we have all of these details on record.

An administration fee of $35 will apply if our staff need to track down your cat’s vaccination certificate to verify their vaccination status.

Boarders will be held in isolation and not allowed to enter our Hotel until a valid vaccination certificate has been provided.

As part of our commitment to keep our facilities flea-free, it is compulsory for all guests to receive a complimentary Capstar tablet upon arrival. This tablet is designed to rapidly kill any live fleas that may be on your pet when they arrive.

Fleas are easily transmitted between hosts in close proximity. Fleas can cause skin irritation and can carry disease. We recommend that all of our boarders are also on a good quality flea control applied regularly at home as part of their regular preventative care program. If your cat is due for their next flea treatment, our staff can apply the next dose when they check in.

If your cat is found to have a substantial flea burden, they may be kept in isolation and given additional flea treatments. Your cat will be kept in isolation until we believe they pose no risk to other guests at which point they may be admitted to our Hotel. 

Yes! We offer two specialised playrooms, which all guests have access to during their stay. Each room is uniquely themed and fitted with custom hammocks, scratch posts, walkways, a suspension bridge, and circular cut-outs sure to bring out the kitten within. And if that wasn’t enough, we provide dangling and rolling toys too!

Guests are given the opportunity to stretch their legs and rotate through the playrooms every few hours – all included in the Boarding package. Rotation times may vary depending on the number of guests staying at any given time, and also differs depending on  individual cats’ temperament – some cats prefer to relax and sleep their stay away!

Everyone will get the opportunity to play, although some cats may prefer to snuggle up with us at our desk, while our kitten boarders may need a little extra time to bounce out all of their energy.

Cats from different households will never play or roam at the same time to ensure the health and safety of all guests.

We offer a range of meal options for all of our guests, included in their package:

• A selection of Purina Pro Plan wet and dry foods for all life stages (Kitten, Adult and Senior 7+). 
• A limited selection of Hills Prescription Diet and Royal Canin Veterinary wet and dry – please contact us to confirm availability if your cat required these.

Other preferred diets, specialised prescription diets (wet & dry), and raw foods must be provided in sufficient quantities to last your cat’s entire stay.

In the event that your cat is struggling to get an appetite when they first arrive, we may feed food from other brands. Some cats just need something a bit different to get them going.

The Fine Dining Menu is an additional service separate to our complimentary food options above. Items from this menu can be purchased separately.

We offer a range of included meal options as part of your cat’s stay with us.

If your cat is on a special prescription diet that is not included, we ask that you supply their required food during check in. If you are running low, or not able to bring their food, you can purchase prescription diets from our Front Desk. If your cat runs out of their prescription food during their stay, we will endeavour to supply them with the same diet from our stock.

Any stock of specialised diets supplied by Balmain Cat Boarding will be added to your bill, to be settled upon check out.

We provide all of our cats with thick, cozy bedding and some basic toys for entertainment. 

However, we do recommend that you provide some bedding, a jumper or a t-shirt for them – something with your scent on it. The familiarity of the item may relax your cat during their stay. We will make note of these personal items on your cat’s booking, so they may be returned to you upon check out. You are also welcome to provide toys or scratching posts from home.

Items can be misplaced or lost when cleaning, and we recommend you do not leave items of high commercial or sentimental value. Balmain Cat Boarding will not be held responsible for the loss or damage of any personal items during your cat’s stay. If an item is extremely valuable or of high sentimental value, we generally recommend that you do not leave this with us.

Absolutely! One of our best-rated features are our regular updates during your cat’s stay.

We aim to provide you with an update no later than 3-4 days from the date of check in, and regular updates thereafter.

We strongly recommend that you provide us with your email address, so we can supply you with not just news of how your cat is settling in, but also adorable photos.

We also encourage all our clients to like us on Facebook and Instagram – this is a great way for you to see your cat become an influencer for a day if they feature in our posts!

We encourage people to come and visit our facilities and see what’s on offer for themselves. We’re confident that you will be impressed!

All tours are by appointment only, to ensure that our Boarding team can be on hand to assist, answer any questions, and maybe even finalise your booking on the spot! 

Please be advised that the length of your tour may be dependent on check ins and check outs on the day. We request that you are quiet during your visit and that you do not disturb the guests. Photos and/or videos are not permitted during tours.

We offer many additional medical services, including vaccination, blood and urine screening, arthritis injections and parasite prevention, and a range of grooming options.

For our anxious guests, with an additional charge, we can provide daily Feliway spray, Zylkene supplements. All our accommodations have plenty of nooks to retreat to. 

Our Fine Dining Menu consisting of a range of meat and seafood for your cat to choose from.

We also offer a 20% discount on dental procedures to all our guests during and up to one month following their stay.

We are located within a modern, state-of-the-art Veterinary Practice – Balmain Veterinary Hospital.

Our team of dedicated staff consists of Veterinary Surgeons, managers, nurses, hospital attendants and receptionists. We are committed to providing both pets and owners with exceptional care and service.

In addition to the complimentary Veterinary health check we offer our guests, our Boarding team are monitoring your cat during their stay. Should we feel that your cat is indicating any sign that they are unwell, this will be flagged with our Vets who will attend to their needs.

If treatment is deemed necessary we will contact you to discuss this further.

Yes! We can accommodate up to three cats from the same household in our Suites. Alternatively, our Destination Villas and Bungalows can house up to two cats. Our Studio apartments can only house one cat at any one time.

If your cats get along most of the time, we can arrange for them to have separate play times so that they get the opportunity to have a break from one another.

If your cats only get along some of the time, we recommend for them to board in separate enclosures (this would incur an additional cost), ideally as neighbours. We can arrange for them to have play time together, so they don’t miss seeing their housemate throughout their stay.

If your cats don’t get along, we cannot house them in the same room, as this can cause stress and/or injury. Please advise us of any issues you may have in your multi-cat household before you make your booking.

If your cats start to fight during their stay, we will separate them to reduce stress and chance of injury. Additional costs will apply in these circumstances.

Yes, there is a graduated reduction in price for multiple cats (up to three in total) for rooms that can accommodate this.

There is no discount for cats occupying separate rooms.

Yes, we offer a 10% discount on accommodation costs for any cat staying with us for longer than 4 weeks.

Aside from dentistry, discounts do not apply to any other service or item during the stay.

Your check in and check out times can be selected when you make your booking. It is important to arrive on time – you may be charged if your unscheduled movements impact our other guests.

Our available times for check ins and check outs are:

Monday to Friday from 7:30AM to 5:30PM.
Saturday from 8AM to 3PM.
We do not accept check ins and check outs on Sundays or Public Holidays.

If you cannot find your preferred time when booking online, the room may be required for another booking arriving or departing the same day as you.
Feel free to email our Boarding team and we will aim to find the most suitable option for you.

Yes, you are welcome to pick your cat up in advance of your check out date at any time within our operating hours. If we are not given advanced notice, there may be a slight delay while we prepare your cat for their departure.

As your accommodation is prepaid, we cannot provide a refund for any part of the accommodation cost, regardless of how much earlier you pick your cat up from the original check out date.

Our pricing is based on daily rates with 1PM set as the midpoint of our operational day. Daily rates are based on the room type and number of cats boarding.

Any check in before 1PM incurs a FULL day charge.
Any check in after 1PM incurs a HALF day charge.

Any check out before 9AM incurs NO additional fees.
Any check out between 9AM-1PM incurs a HALF day charge.
Any check out after 1PM incurs a FULL day charge.

We have a minimum rate of one operational day. Certain seasonal periods also have minimum stay requirements. Check our booking portal to explore your options.

Additionally, every ONLINE booking is subject to a 2.3% booking fee. This fee is charged to us by a third-party payment system for all bookings. If a cancellation entitles you to a refund as per our cancellation policy, any refund processed will be minus this online booking fee.

Please note that a 30% surcharge applies for all Public Holiday DAYS.
This fee applies to the accommodation cost only, not any extras. 

Any booking (regardless of season) that is cancelled within 48 hours of the expected check in time will result in a forfeiture of your accommodation costs.

If a cancellation entitles you to a refund as per our cancellation policy, any refund processed will be minus our online booking fee.

For further information regarding cancelled bookings during different seasons, please refer to our Terms and Conditions.