Cat Boarding Cost Calculator

Understanding cat boarding costs in Australia

What cat boarding costs in Australia in 2026

Cat boarding in Australia in 2026 typically costs $25 to $60 per cat per night. A standard condo or pen at a suburban cattery runs $28 to $40. A deluxe enclosure with an outdoor run or a window view is $40 to $55. Luxury suites with climbing furniture, daily play sessions and reporting reach $55 to $85. A visiting cat sitter doing one daily visit to your house is $30 to $50 per visit regardless of how many cats, which changes the maths for multi-cat households. A week for one cat in a standard pen is therefore around $195 to $280, and a fortnight for two cats sharing is roughly $700 to $950 once the sharing discount applies.

Why cat boarding is cheaper than dog boarding

Cats board more cheaply than dogs for straightforward operational reasons. They need less space, they do not need to be walked, they do not require supervised group play, and they generate far less labour per animal per day. A cattery attendant can service a row of pens efficiently, whereas a kennel has to individually exercise every dog. That is why a cattery night is commonly $30 to $45 while a comparable kennel night is $50 to $70. It is also why catteries are less common: the revenue per square metre is lower, so fewer operators build them, which in turn is why capacity constraints at Christmas bite harder for cats than for dogs.

What a good cattery actually looks like

Cats are territorial rather than social, which flips the usual assumptions about what makes good boarding. For dogs, group play and busy activity are selling points. For cats, quiet is the product. A well-run Australian cattery has individual enclosures with solid or frosted barriers between pens so cats cannot see each other, vertical space to climb and hide, a litter tray positioned away from food and water, and good ventilation without draughts. Many have outdoor runs accessible from an indoor sleeping area, which cats generally use and enjoy. What you want to see on a visit is calm: cats resting, not crouched at the back of pens. A facility that houses cats within sight or sound of boarded dogs is a poor choice at any price.

Vaccination, health and disclosure requirements

Australian catteries require current F3 vaccination as a minimum, covering feline enteritis and the two cat flu components, and it typically needs to have been administered at least ten to fourteen days before arrival. Many also require current intestinal worming and flea treatment. Some ask for FIV vaccination or testing, particularly if they board cats with any outdoor access. If your cat is on medication, has a chronic condition such as kidney disease or diabetes, or has any history of stress-related issues while boarding, disclose it at booking. Medication administration is usually a daily charge of $4 to $10, prescription diets may attract a small fee, and some catteries decline cats requiring injections or intensive monitoring. Give the cattery your vet's contact details and written authority for treatment, and agree in advance who authorises and pays for veterinary care if it becomes necessary. Any question about whether your cat is well enough to board belongs with your vet.

Cattery versus cat sitter

The choice is genuinely closer for cats than for dogs. A visiting sitter comes to your home once or twice a day to feed, change litter, check on the cat and spend some time with it, at $30 to $50 per visit. The cat stays in its own territory, which suits many cats, and there is no transport stress. The trade-off is that the cat is alone for the rest of the day, there is nobody present if something goes wrong overnight, and your house is being entered daily. A cattery gives constant supervision, someone who notices immediately if a cat stops eating or toileting, and secure containment. On price, one cat over four nights is roughly line-ball. Two or three cats over a fortnight strongly favours the cattery for supervision and the sitter for cost, since sitter visits are priced per visit rather than per cat.

Peak season and booking ahead

There are far fewer catteries than kennels in most Australian cities, so the Christmas and New Year squeeze is more severe. Good facilities take December bookings from mid-year, apply peak loadings of 20 to 35 percent, impose minimum stays and require non-refundable deposits. School holidays carry a smaller loading of around 10 to 15 percent. If you travel at the same time each year, ask whether the cattery holds standing bookings for regular clients, because many do and it removes the problem entirely. Booking in June for Christmas is not excessive planning, it is normal practice among people who have been caught out once.

Making the stay go well

The most useful things are free. Bring your cat's usual food, because a diet change on top of an environment change is the most common cause of a cat not eating in a cattery. Bring the same litter type. Bring a familiar blanket or bed that smells of home rather than something newly washed. Book a short trial stay of one or two nights before a long trip if your cat has never boarded, which lets both you and the cattery learn how the cat copes. And ask the cattery to contact you if the cat is not eating or toileting normally after 24 hours, rather than waiting. Use the estimator above to bracket the cost, then confirm inclusions, vaccination requirements and peak loadings directly with the cattery.