Please note: All reservations should be submitted online by using the online calendar (below the photos on this page) EXCEPT for the days around the Thanksgiving and Christmas/NYE holidays, which require a written request.
Important Preparation Notes:
Please read before to making a reservation! (If you don't have time to become familiar with all the information, our shop may not be the right fit for your family.)
Returning clients: After you've reserved a room through the reservation process, please submit a new Boarding Agreement noting your desired drop-off and pick-up times for each trip booked. (As long as your kitty's vaccination record on file with us is still current, nothing further is required.) If there are any changes from kitty's last visit, please give us a detailed explanation so that we have the file updated before kitty arrives. It may be easiest for you to complete a new Registration Form in those instances.
If your cat has an injury, illness, or condition please contact us before making a reservation to determine whether it's appropriate to board them with us. Sometimes boarding at a veterinarian's office is in your cat's best interest. Please discuss the situation with us prior to reserving to obtain our agreement and a trial stay may be required! Do not inform us of an issue at your drop-off appointment!
Hours & Check-in & Check-out Time:
We are an appointment-only shop with NO exceptions!
Our front door remains locked unless we are expecting someone so please make an appointment for all services. "Regular" hours are between 10am-5pm. The "regular hours" drop-off appointments are scheduled between 2pm-5pm; Sunday appointments are limited to 10am-Noon so please reserve accordingly; if you want a Sunday drop-off, it will require an early check-in as we have limited appointments on Sundays (you may also plan to drop off on Saturday afternoon since the cost will be the same for an early check-in on Sunday). The "regular hours" pick-up appointments are scheduled between 10am-Noon. Please note that times are scheduled based on availability; we only allow one family at a time in our shop and if a time slot is already taken, you may have to plan for outside hours and may result in a surcharge (see A La Carte page for early/late check in/out and pajama hours). If you would like an appointment outside of these hours, we often accommodate drop-off or pick-up times outside usual hours for existing clients and with prior arrangement. Please see the additional charges listed under the A La Carte menu, listed as "Pajama Hours" and/or "Early/late check-in/out". If you're unsure of the charges outside of the listed pick-up or drop-off times, please email an inquiry, describing your scenario, and we'll be happy to assist you.
Times are pre-scheduled and are based on availability. Please list your ideal times on the Boarding Agreement and return it immediately after reserving a room to ensure your requested time is available. Since requested appointment times are not guaranteed until you receive agreement/confirmation that your appointments have been scheduled in the calendar, please inquire about time availability prior to reserving a room if your schedule is not flexible (see "Deposit" info below).
How to Reserve:
Reservations are held by your deposit but are not guaranteed until all required paperwork is submitted to us. It is your responsibility to submit all required paperwork within four (4) days of making the reservation, or communicate to us that there is a delay. If this is not done, your reservation may be cancelled and your deposit forfeited.
1) thoroughly read this entire page and the entire Boarding Agreement (link is at the bottom of this page) prior to submitting a reservation! Please be familiar with the contents; please contact us for clarification/more information on any item; emailing your list of questions/concerns works best for the fastest response. Please do this step prior to reserving a room; a deposit (equal to 1-night's stay) is non-refundable.
2) Reserve a room using the online reservation system, found on both the Home page and the Suites page. Deposits are equivalent to 1-night's stay and will be requested to complete the reservation. (For stays over 20 days, you may book online but please note that you may be contacted for an additional deposit requirement.)
3) complete a Registration Form (if multiple cats, we prefer one form for each cat please)
4) complete a Boarding Agreement (please be sure to read the check-in/check-out information on the form)
5) email vaccination records showing that your cat is current on the FVRCP vaccine. If you don't have those records, please ask your veterinarian's office to email them to you and you can then forward it to us.
Deposits/Cancellations:
Please confirm your travel plans and make sure you can meet all of our requirements prior to making your reservation as once a deposit is submitted, the amount equivalent to 1-night's stay is non-refundable.
For date changes of a submitted reservation: we will happily make minor adjustments, if available, to your drop-off or pick-up day of an existing reservation (without being billed for all days if trip is being shortened), if requested 7 days before the start date of the reservation.
For trip cancellations: please notify us least 48 hours prior to your drop-off appointment (or from 10am drop-off day if a drop-off time wasn't scheduled). Without that notice, the cost of the room-only portion of the reservation will be billed.
Before Arrival:
- Please note that our pricing structure has separated out cuddle/play time to our A La Carte menu. If you have a social cat, please see the A La Carte menu for information. Please do not book a trip for your social or needy cat without adding appropriate time for them (reminder that we will add up to 1 session/day if we find it necessary to keep your cat happy while here.)
- Kitties should arrive with trimmed nails. Please only cut the clear portion of the nail, staying away from the quick of the nail. (There is a $40 charge for having untrimmed nails in our shop so please make sure nails are trimmed prior to drop off!)
- Some kitties benefit from limited food and water intake on check-in day, use your judgement based on your cat's history of tolerating the carrier and a car ride.
- Your cat must arrive in a secure carrier which is to be left with us for the duration of their stay. Please do not use a cardboard carrier/box as street noises encountered on the way to the shop may cause an unexpected reaction resulting in an unsafe situation. In addition, if there is a veterinary or other emergency, a cardboard carrier will not be adequate to transport them. If your cat usually travels only with a leash, please note that to us ahead of time so that we reserve one of our carriers in case of an emergency. (In the unlikely event of an emergency/catastrophic disaster, we like to have a carrier for each cat in our care.)
- Please remove harnesses and/or collars prior to arrival. If your cats must wear a collar, please be sure it's a cat safe collar that easily unclasps if it's caught on something; we strongly prefer no collars while here.
- Please include a t-shirt or some other washable item with your scent. Ideally, wear the t-shirt overnight the night before kitty checks in. Your scent will last a few days and it will provide comfort to kitty as they adapt to their temporary home. For extended trips, or kitties with separation issues, it's helpful to place extra worn t-shirts in a ziplock bag so that we may periodically remind kitty of your scent.
- Please feel free to bring any of kitty’s toys, blankets, or beds in order to help with settling in!
- You are more than welcome to bring kitty’s own treats. Please note any limitations/instructions on the bag.
- Please pack enough food for the entire stay, plus a few extra days. (We can provide unlimited house kibble for $2/day. Other food options can be found on our A La Carte page.)
- We have a variety of litter boxes but usually use a large high-sided box. Please let us know in the "Notes" section if you would like a different size or a top-entry box. We use premium corn-based clumping litter (World's Best). If your cat is picky or accustomed to a different style of litter, you are welcome to bring it with you (enough for their entire stay). If you choose to do this, please let us know in the "Notes" section.
- If your cat has separation anxiety or is fearful/very shy, please discuss options with your veterinarian for support/short-term options while being boarded. Please book a trial stay of 1-3 nights while you are within driving distance prior to planning a longer vacation.
- If you cat is experiencing a medical issue/condition where there is a likelihood they may require medical intervention in your absence, please board at a veterinary clinic for your cat's safety.
Flea Control:
The comfort and safety of all guests is our first priority! A long-acting flea control is mandatory for all visitors of our shop. Flea collars do not meet our requirement. If you're not comfortable with your cat being on monthly flea control, we are happy to recommend an alternate boarding arrangement or cat sitting service. (With several business closing recently, we are still gathering information to update our list of boarding recommendations.) Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate kitties unable to accept flea prevention medication, this includes indoor-only cats as well as cats that have no flea history. Please: if you feel uncomfortable or the need to argue this point, our shop may not be the best fit for you; please ask us for a recommendation so you find the right fit! With fleas being pervasive in San Francisco, if your kitty isn’t usually kept on flea control, please make sure flea treatment begins a few days prior to kitty’s check-in, if possible. If there is evidence of fleas while kitty is in our care, we will administer Capstar at a fee of $40 as well as an excessive cleaning fee. Note: Capstar is a short-acting product that is not suitable for prevention. If your cat is not going home within 24 hours of the flea sighting, we will also administer a monthly topical ($40). If your kitty is a regular user of topical flea prevention but is due for a treatment, please include their next dose in kitty's belongings. (For kitties not current on a flea control treatment before arrival, you may request a monthly topical to be administered after check-in for $40/dose.) Our goal is to make life easier so if you need help, please just ask!
Vaccines:
All guests are required to have the FVRCP vaccine. We don't require additional vaccinations although for indoor-outdoor cats, we also recommend the rabies vaccine. We require copies of vaccine records prior to arrival. Documentation (including legible photo attachments) may be emailed to meow@kittychateau.com. If your vet is emailing them to us, please ask them to CC you so that we can connect the records to you. We are not able to accept guests without documentation so please plan ahead! If you have an exception from your vet, please submit a titer test showing kitty is protected, otherwise we are not able to accept kitties that are unable to be vaccinated. We regret that we cannot accommodate kitties positive for Feline Leukemia or FIV at this time. For more information about vaccines, please see this information sheet from the San Francisco SPCA here.
Medication, Separation Anxiety & Trial Stays
Generally, we require an existing relationship to agree to medicate cats unless the medication is given in their food and we will agree to medicate willing cats only. If your cat requires medication (even if it is added to food) that can/should not be missed, a trial boarding of one or two nights is required before we will accept a longer booking from a new client. This is for the safety of your cat in order to demonstrate that he/she will accept medication, as some cats will food strike for a short time when in a new environment. If you feel that your cat will warm up with a little more time, please book a longer trial period accordingly. If it's life-threatening medication requiring no missed doses, you must remain in town (or reasonable driving distance) during the trial period.
We offer limited administration of medications. Please see the “what’s included” and “a la carte” pages for descriptions. While we will administer medications to willing cats; we are not veterinary professionals and medicating an unwilling cat is not appropriate for us or the cat. Kitties receiving their medication is the primary concern so we sometimes advise kitties to be boarded at a veterinary office if the trial visit does not go well.
If your cat has separation anxiety (excessive meowing, pacing, inappropriate urination/potty habits), please book a trial stay. We are willing to work with you as well as your kitty's veterinarian/behaviorist to find a workable solution but sometimes that can take time and patience; if you are willing to put in the work, we are too. We may decline future visits if enough progress isn't made over time or if we feel the parent follow-up isn't consistent. Please contact us to discuss your situation in detail and work on a plan, don't just book a stay.
Holidays / Minimum Stay Requirement
We have limited availability on certain holidays. Thanksgiving week and Christmas week are not able to be booked online; to request a room, please send us an email that includes your cat name(s), their general personality, and the exact dates you're requesting for those two holiday weeks only. If you are looking for either an early check-in or late check-out, be sure to include that information as well. We give first preference to our regulars. If you are offered a room, a non-refundable prepayment will be required.
There is no minimum stay requirement during non-holiday periods, however, an $10 surcharge for stays of less than 2-nights will apply.
Emergencies
Even with careful planning, emergencies sometimes occur. For such instances, our protocol is to obtain a phone triage if available. If a phone consult isn't immediately available, or we believe the situation to be concerning or urgent, we will transport kitty (additional charges apply) to the 24-hour Emergency Services at Animal Internal Medicine & Specialty Services at 600 Alabama @ 18th Street or Animal Emergency Services at 1333 9th Avenue. If your kitty has pre-existing or past health issues, please detail specific emergency instructions in the Registration Form. In the event of an emergency and we cannot immediately get in contact with your or your designated emergency contact, we will not hesitate to immediately seek care, as kitty’s health and well-being are our first priority. Every attempt will be made to stay in constant contact with you until the situation is resolved. All related charges, including our transport/wait time fees, are the responsibility of kitty’s guardian/owner.