Honest Review of Cattery 101

Introduction:

Cattery 001 is a company that offers an intermediary service to customers who are looking for a foster home for their cat. It is not an officially registered company in the UK as I couldn’t find it on Companies House. They used to have a website and a google review page that had no reviews but it’s currently inactive.

My Experience:

I was initially quite wary of using this company, as it is not officially registered in the UK and I couldn’t find any credible reviews online. The only reviews available were screenshots of conversations posted by the agent, showing satisfied customers thanking them. I had limited options as my cats' vaccinations were not up to date, which meant they couldn't stay in traditional catteries with other cats.

My first impression of the service was actually quite positive. The agent was very responsive and asked for detailed photos and care instructions for my two cats. Although their standard rates were much higher, they agreed to my £15–20/day budget as a one-time discount as I was a new customer. I outlined clear daily care tasks, and they found two potential boarding homes, providing photos for me to choose from. I chose the home that appeared cleaner and less cluttered with potentially hazardous decorations. To ease my concerns about legitimacy, I asked for a short video to confirm that the home matched the photos. At that point, the agent seemed irritated by my level of caution, especially considering the lower rate I was paying. Still, they reassured me the sitter was experienced and provided a professional-looking PDF. This gave me some confidence, and after paying the deposit, I was introduced to the sitter directly.

When I met the cat sitter in person to drop off my cats at her home, I immediately ran into some communication challenges. Her English was limited, and I’m not fluent in Mandarin, so explaining the care routine was difficult. I did my best to explain that one of my cats is extremely greedy and must be kept in a separate room during food preparation, as he will interrupt and try to steal food immediately. I also emphasized that both cats needed to be fed in separate rooms with the doors closed, to prevent the greedier one from eating the other’s portion. She told me she had only just started cat sitting and had only looked after 1 or 2 cats before mine. This made me a little uneasy, especially since the agent had assured me she was experienced and reliable. 

On the first day, the morning feeding was a bit chaotic and had not been fed separately as my greedier cat wasn’t kept in a separate room during food prep as instructed. Later that night, I was unexpectedly told that my timid cat hadn’t eaten much all day. The sitter had left him alone in a room with his food, hoping he’d eat, but he became stressed, defecated on her bed, and still refused to eat. I advised her to try offering some dry food and to take him to the vet if he still wouldn’t eat. Thankfully, he responded well and finished the dry food. I told her to continue this feeding method, as the change in environment was clearly stressing him, and reminded her to only separate the cats during mealtimes. While I was disappointed that she hadn’t provided regular updates and only informed me of the issue after I prompted her, I was hopeful as she followed my advice quickly. 

Afterwards, I received a sudden message from the cat sitter saying she could no longer care for my cats. Her flatmate had reportedly developed a severe allergic reaction to their fur, something that hadn’t happened with previous, less furry cats. I was told my cats needed to be rehomed immediately.

I asked the agent if the company would cover the transport costs, given the issue was with the sitter they provided. She refused, pointing out the discounted rate I was already paying and describing the situation as "unforeseeable," without offering any apology. I was unhappy with this response and had my boyfriend, who had handled most communication due to my language barrier, negotiate on my behalf. The agent eventually agreed to cover half of the transport cost. I then had to make urgent overseas calls to find same-day pet transport and even considered flying back to the UK myself.

The agent then found a new foster home who claimed they had 10 years of experience. I repeated the care instructions and, at first, assumed the sitter was female based on their WeChat profile. However, the sitter later contacted me privately, offering to transport the cats directly and bypass the agent to avoid paying her commission. I was tempted by the lower cost but told him to discuss it with the agent first. The agent confronted me, upset that I’d engaged in fee discussions behind her back. I apologised and explaining the truth that I did not know the sitter’s intentions in the beginning, and asked again if half of the transport cost would still be covered. She refused, saying the sitter had learned what I was paying and she no longer felt obliged as their profits were lesser now because of what happened. I was unhappy about this response and asked my boyfriend to renegotiate with them in mandarin. He re-posted the agent’s original promise to reimburse half of the transport costs in the chat. In response, she shared screenshots of private messages, including one where he mentioned feeling pressured by me to negotiate the reimbursement of the transportation costs to rile up misunderstandings between us. She also said I was "too panicky" and "overly protective" because I responded quickly to messages about my cats. I thought her actions here were very unprofessional and petty. Despite this, she eventually agreed to cover half the transport cost again, though she made it clear it was only as a gesture of goodwill.

After my cats were moved to their new foster home, the second sitter became less responsive and rarely gave updates unless prompted. It was evident from photos that both cats were being free-fed (food left in their bowls the whole day) in the same room, with no food separation or portion control, despite my repeated requests. He also didn’t play with them or follow any of the daily care routines I outlined. During a video call, I discovered the sitter was male—despite me specifying I preferred a female sitter—and he admitted to letting the greedier cat eat the other’s leftovers. He dismissed my concerns repeatedly, even though I told him that my greedy cat had a heart condition and required strict feeding control. It was unclear if litter boxes were cleaned daily, and the overall lack of care was obvious.

When I returned, I was horrified. My greedier cat had gained 1kg, was lethargic, and covered in fleas—despite the sitter claiming his own cat was indoor-only (a lie). My timid cat had lost weight and seemed traumatised. The sitter also appeared much younger than someone with “10 years of experience,” confirming my suspicion that he had lied about his background, gender, and qualifications. I was furious—this person clearly treated cat sitting as easy side income and had neglected my cats' wellbeing.

I reported all of this to the agent, urging her not to use this foster home again. While she agreed, she remained unapologetic and told me to deal with the sitter directly if I had any issues. Her lack of accountability, combined with poor screening method of foster homes and an overall dismissive attitude, made it clear this was more of a money-making operation rather than a pet-focused service.

Though I considered letting it go, I decided to confront the sitter directly to hold him accountable for his dishonesty and neglect—but, unsurprisingly, he never replied. I'm posting this review to warn others of my experience and ensure no other cats are put at risk under his care. 

Evaluation of Cattery 101 service: 

Efficiency: 4/5

Ease of use: 4/5

Helpfulness: 3/5

Honesty: 2/5

Communication: 2/5 

Reliability: 2/5

Company Legitimacy and Accountability: 1/5

Professionalism: 1/5

Overall Impression and Recommendation:

You could say that I was simply “unlucky” to have had two poor experiences with both foster homes, but I believe this highlights a deeper issue with the reliability of Cattery 101’s screening process with foster homes. There was also a serious lack of honesty and accountability—from the reluctance to cover transport costs, to misleading claims about the experience and suitability of the foster homes. The agent’s attitude throughout, marked by defensiveness and arrogance, only made the situation more frustrating.

Personally, I would not use Cattery 101 again. At every step, I was made to feel as though I was “underpaying” for what they considered a premium service—despite the service provided falling far below even basic standards. I genuinely don’t understand how such high fees are justified when the service was so poor and unprofessional. While I acknowledge my cats may be more challenging—being on opposite extremes of timidity and greed—I would much rather pay more for a trustworthy, capable carer than deal with an agent who deflects responsibility and treats legitimate concerns as unreasonable demands. Ultimately, it felt more like a company driven by profit than one that genuinely prioritises the welfare of the animals in its care.

If you’ve had good experiences with Cattery 101, feel free to share—but based on mine, I wouldn’t take the risk with them again.