FRANCE: Specially-designed hotel allows French cat owners to leave their pets in luxury whilst owners are away from home

Cat owners in the south of France need no longer feel guilty about leaving their pets behind whilst they treat themselves to a holiday or travel away to work. Thanks to the efforts of enterprising cat-loving couple Amandine and Arnaud Zafrilla, lucky felines can also relax in luxury in France's first ever hotel for cats. The 'Jardin des Chats' (Cats' Garden) Hotel opened its doors in July after five years of careful preparations by the Zafrillas, who even followed veterinary training courses to provide the best possible care for their guests. Owners sign in their charges by giving a full description of behaviour, appetites, likes and dislikes, and nervous 'parents' can watch the progress of their cats on the webcams installed in every room. "I am leaving him here for twelve days. I was a bit worried about leaving him when I arrived but I felt more reassured by the time I left. Especially because I know I'll be home in a couple of hours and I can have a look at him on my webcam," said one pet owner, Sophie Nussbaumer as she dropped off her pet. The twelve specially-designed rooms provide every possible comfort for the pampered kitties, including an outside enclosure and a comfortable bed, and host four or five cats at a time. "We wanted to create a place that was very comfortable for the cats, by looking at how they behave. Cats like climbing so there are shelves so they can sit up high, and even an outside section. There are places where they can lie down on cushions so they are more comfortable. And there is unlimited food, because cats like to snack all day, about ten times a day," explained Amandine Zafrilla. At nine euros (12 USD) a night the hotel has already attracted a number of satisfied customers. "We were very worried about leaving our kittens here for the first time. We were worried about what might happen. I think we were more nervous than they were, because now we've just picked them up, and they don't want to come with us. They were playing with all their friends - it was really a party, like a creche but with all their home comforts," said Laurence Castan as he collected his four-month-old kittens. The couple has already been contacted by other people interested in the concept, and they plan to turn the 'Jardin des Chats' into a franchise.

ITN Source | August 29, 2007

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