Cattery licence: cat boarding (England)
If you board other people’s cats as a business, you need a cat boarding (cattery) licence from your local council under the 2018 Regulations. Catteries have specific accommodation rules around individual units, sneeze barriers and temperature, plus the written procedures the council expects on application. This page explains what is needed.
Do you need a cattery licence?
You need a licence to run a commercial cattery boarding other people’s cats. It is licensed under the general conditions (Schedule 2) and the cattery conditions (Schedule 4 Part 1). Cats from different households are never housed together.
What the council checks
Inspection covers the units and your written systems, including:
- Individual cat units (sleeping area plus run) meeting minimum sizes, with a roof, an elevated area, a hiding place and a scratching facility.
- Sneeze barriers between units, and a sleeping temperature kept appropriate (the higher standard is 18 to 26°C).
- Staffing of no more than 25 cats per person, with the higher standard one full-time member per 20 cats, and a competent person on site at all times.
- Feline vaccination checks, cat-safe cleaning products, and written procedures, emergency and fire plans, risk assessments and isolation.
- A vet-agreed preventative healthcare plan and a register of every cat.
The documents you need to submit
On top of the application form, fee, insurance and a plan of the cattery, the council expects a full written pack. PetApproved builds it from a questionnaire: operating procedures, a cattery accommodation policy, cat handling policy, emergency and fire plans, risk assessments, vaccination policy, the vet letter and the cattery register, each citing its condition.
Common questions
Can cats from different households share a unit?
No. Cats from different households must never share a unit. Only cats from the same household may share, with the owner’s written consent. Our documents build this in.
What is a sneeze barrier?
A solid or translucent barrier between cat units that stops the spread of disease from cat to cat. Councils check these are in place; our accommodation policy and premises guide explain what is required.
Do I need a licence if I earn under £1,000 a year?
Possibly not. If your trading income stays below the HMRC £1,000 trading allowance you may not need a licence, but your local council has the final say, and earning more than £1,000 does not automatically make you a business either. If in doubt, ask your council.
What happens if I operate without a licence?
Running a licensable animal activity without a licence is a criminal offence under the 2018 Regulations, with an unlimited fine and/or up to six months in prison. It is not worth the risk.
How long does the licence last?
One, two or three years. Meeting the higher standards earns a longer licence and a higher star rating (1 to 5), which means fewer renewals and a lower long-run cost.