How to Prepare Your Cat for Their First Boarding Stay
A vet-nurse-trained guide for Singapore pawrents booking their cat's first stay.
The short answer
To prepare your cat for their first boarding stay in Singapore, start about four to eight weeks ahead (earlier for peak periods). Book early and tour the facility in person, then check your cat's vaccinations are up to date and given far enough in advance to have taken effect, usually at least two weeks before check-in. Confirm the hotel is AVS licensed, ask how they handle nervous first-timers, and get your cat's FIV and FeLV test done if they have not had one. In the fortnight before the stay, leave the carrier out at home so it stops being a warning sign, and pack the things that smell of home: a worn t-shirt, their usual food, possibly some familiar litter, and any medication clearly labelled. You do not need a trial stay. Most cats take two to four days to settle, so a single test night tells you very little.
Start four weeks out, not four days
The single most common mistake with a first stay is leaving it late. Good cat hotels in Singapore are small, and the ones worth booking fill up months ahead for June, July, Christmas and Chinese New Year. Leaving it late means you take whatever room is left, at whatever place still has space, which is the opposite of how you want to choose your cat's first boarding experience.
Four weeks gives you enough room to visit, to sort vaccinations properly, and to let your cat get used to the carrier. If your cat has a medical condition or is on medication, give yourself longer, because you will want a conversation with the facility before you commit.
Visit before you book
Book a tour, and go without your cat. Any reputable cat hotel will show you around by appointment, and a facility that will not let you see where your cat sleeps has told you something important.
On the tour, look at the rooms rather than the reception. Are they genuinely private, or is it a cabin bank with a curtain? Can you smell ammonia? Is there natural light? Is the person showing you around the person who will actually be caring for your cat?
At Shangri-Paw, tours are free and by appointment, run one at a time so guest cats are not unsettled by a stream of strangers, with visitors never left unattended. We would rather you saw the place properly and decided it was not for you than booked blind.
One thing we get asked sometimes: no, please do not bring your cat along on the tour. Every cat entering the hotel has to meet the full boarding requirements with records on file, for the safety of the cats already staying.
For the full list of what to look at and ask, see our cat hotel tour checklist.
Vaccinations and health requirements: get the timing right
This is where first-timers most often get caught out, because the requirement is not just "vaccinated", it is "vaccinated in time".
Most cat hotels in Singapore, including ours, will ask for:
Core vaccination up to date. In Singapore this is usually the combination vaccine covering feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus, calicivirus and feline clamydia.
A minimum gap between the jab and the stay. A vaccine needs time to produce immunity. Give it at least two weeks before check-in, and longer if your cat is starting a course rather than getting a booster.
A titre test or a vet's "fit for boarding" memo as an alternative, if your cat cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or you need to board last minute.
FIV and FeLV testing. We ask for this. A positive result is not automatically a no, it means stricter hygiene - actually as a safety measure mostly for YOUR cat, and we will talk it through with you before booking.
Sterilisation for cats over six months, unless your vet has advised otherwise.
Free of contagious illness. Active ringworm, cat flu or fur mites mean the stay has to wait.
Anti-parasite spot on. There are many products out there, discuss with us if unsure what to pick. We recommend application at home 3-5 days prior to the stay and sending us video proof. This eliminates one stress factor during check-in and prevents adverse reactions in the first 1-2days.
Book the vet appointment as soon as you have your travel dates - some owners even plan their cat’s stay before their own. A vaccination given the week before departure is not just cutting it fine, it add extra stress for your cat as well.
The two weeks before: work on the carrier, not the cat
Most cats do not fear the cat hotel. They fear the carrier, because for most of their lives the carrier has meant the vet.
So spend the fortnight before the stay changing what the carrier means:
Leave it out, open, in a room your cat already likes. Not in the store room. Not brought out the morning of.
Put something soft and familiar inside, and feed treats in and around it.
Spray a pheromone product inside a good fifteen minutes before you use it, if your cat responds to those.
This is worth more than the hotel you pick. A cat who travels calmly arrives calmly, and a cat who arrives calmly settles faster.
What to pack
Bring less than you think, but bring the right things.
Bring:
Their usual food, enough for the full stay plus two or three days spare. A stay is not the moment to change diet.
Something that smells of you. A worn t-shirt or pillowcase, unwashed. This does more for a nervous cat than any toy.
Their own litter, if you use a particular type. A cat who will not use an unfamiliar litter is a problem you can avoid. However, our in house LadyN tofu litter is included free of charge during the stay.
Any medication, clearly labelled, in enough quantity for the whole stay, with a written schedule of drug, dose and exact times.
Your vet's contact details and a backup emergency contact for you.
Notes on what normal looks like for your cat. How much they usually eat, where they usually hide, whether they are a talker. This is what lets staff notice early when something is off.
You do NOT need to bring: bowls, bedding, litter trays or scratchers. Every room at Shangri-Paw comes catified in non-toxic birch ply by local cat carpenters Little People Woodworks and The Cat People, with a cardboard scratcher, stainless steel litter box and a cubby for your cat's own belongings.
Optional, and welcome: a water fountain, feeder or camera of your own, which you can set up on our wifi. Every room has at least one power point, so if you are bringing more than one electrical item, pack a multi-plug extension. Luxury Suites include CCTV you can log into; for Comfort and Deluxe rooms it is a $6 a night add-on or bring your own for free - so CCTV is essentially always available in one form or another.
You do not need a trial stay
Owners often ask whether to book one or two nights first as a test. We generally say no, and it is not because we do not want the booking.
Most cats take two to four days to settle. A one-night stay catches your cat at their most unsettled and tells you almost nothing except that the first day is hard, which it is for nearly every cat. You will pay for a stay that only measures the worst part.
Our own view, for what it is worth: a short test stay is no indication of how a cat will do over a longer one. They often take a few days to settle, and they nearly all do eventually. Spend the money on treats instead.
If you want reassurance before committing, the tour and a proper conversation about your cat will give you far more than a test night will.
The drop-off itself
While we need to run the hotel, we give you the time you need to settle your cat in, put things in the right place and give her some pets. We never just take their carrier and put them in a room rushed.
If a spot on has not been applied prior to drop off you may apply it in the room - doing it yourself is much less stressful than us immediately handling your cat.
Walk us through your daily routine, the food and how your cat likes it serves. We try to accommodate all reasonable requests. Tell us what your cats likes and dislikes, for example places that she doesn’t like touched.
Expect your cat to hide on day one. That is normal, not a bad sign. What matters is what happens after days two and three.
What to expect in the first few days
A well-run hotel will tell you what is happening rather than leave you guessing. At Shangri-Paw, the first days come with what we cheerfully admit is an excessive volume of updates: photos, videos, and yes, pictures of the litter box, because appetite and toileting are the two clearest early signs that a cat is settling or struggling.
You will be added to a WhatsApp group for your cat. Kerstin is in every one of them, including when she is away.
Typical settling looks like: hiding on day one, eating overnight or on day two, coming out to investigate by day two or three, and asking for attention by day four. Cats who are shy at home may take longer, and that is fine. But our return guest sometimes stroll out of the carrier and demand attention like they own the place.
If you want to know exactly what to watch for, and what a genuinely unhappy cat looks like, read our guide to signs your cat is stressed in boarding.
How Shangri-Paw handles first-time boarders
Shangri-Paw is a boutique, cats-only cat hotel in a characterful shophouse on the eastern edge of Singapore, with 18 private rooms. Kerstin, who founded it, is a Fear Free Certified Professional and vet-nurse trained (Certificate III in Animal Studies and Veterinary Nursing, ACVN / UQ Skills), with years in cat rescue and fostering behind her.
For a first-timer, that means in practice:
No cages and no forced interaction. If your cat wants to stay under the shelf on day one, they stay under the shelf. We will sit quietly in the room and let them take in our scent instead.
A private room, always. No shared spaces, no communal play area, no negotiating with strange cats.
Their own meal plan, kept to whatever they eat at home.
Daily photo and video updates, plus honest health updates when there is something to say.
Calming music through the hotel, pheromone litter or Feliway for cats who need it, and no perfume on staff.
A welcome gift on the first stay, and 10% off a first booking outside peak periods.
Rooms start at $90 a night for a Comfort Room, with Deluxe Rooms from $125 (second cat free) and Luxury Suites at $170. First-time guests get 10% off outside peak periods.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare my cat for its first boarding stay? Book and tour the facility about four to eight weeks ahead, get vaccinations done at least two weeks before check-in, and leave the carrier out at home for the fortnight beforehand so it stops signalling a vet trip. Pack their usual food, something unwashed that smells of you and any medication with a written schedule.
What should I bring when boarding my cat in Singapore? Their usual food for the whole stay plus a few days spare, a worn t-shirt or pillowcase that smells of home, their own litter if they are particular, clearly labelled medication with dosing times, your vet's details and an emergency contact. Most cat hotels provide bedding, bowls, litter trays and scratchers, so check before packing them.
What vaccinations does my cat need for boarding in Singapore? Core vaccination covering panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus, given far enough ahead to have taken effect, usually a minimum of two weeks before check-in. Many facilities, including Shangri-Paw, also require FIV and FeLV testing and sterilisation for cats over six months. A titre test or a vet's fit-for-boarding memo can substitute where vaccination is not medically advisable.
Should I book a trial stay first? Usually not. Most cats take two to four days to settle, so a single test night measures only the hardest part and tells you little about how your cat will do. A tour and a proper conversation about your cat is more useful, and cheaper.
How long does it take a cat to settle into boarding? Two to four days for most cats. Hiding on the first day is normal. Eating overnight or on day two, then emerging to investigate, is the usual pattern. Shy cats can take longer, which is why a good facility should be sending you daily updates rather than waiting to be asked.
Will my cat be traumatised by boarding? For the great majority of cats, no. Cats are territorial rather than solitary, and a private, quiet room with a consistent routine is something most adapt to well. The bigger risk factors are a noisy or shared environment - in the worst case barking dogs in a mixed boarding place, a rushed drop-off, and a facility that will not tell you how your cat is doing.
The bottom line
Preparing your cat for a first boarding stay is mostly a matter of timing. Book early enough to choose properly, vaccinate early enough for it to count, and spend the last two weeks making the carrier boring. Pack familiar smells rather than new things. Then keep the goodbye short and let the updates reassure you.
Booking a first stay? Come and see the rooms before you decide. Tours are free, by appointment, and we will tell you honestly if we think your cat would do better elsewhere.
About the author
Written by Kerstin,
Founder of Shangri-Paw Cat Hotel.
Kerstin is a Fear Free Certified Professional and vet-nurse trained (Certificate III in Animal Studies and Veterinary Nursing, ACVN / UQ Skills), with further study in animal behaviour and years of hands-on clinical, rescue and fostering experience, including senior and medical cats. She is one of only two Fear Free Certified cat hotel owners in Singapore, is at the hotel almost every day, and is in every guest's owner chat.
About Shangri-Paw
Shangri-Paw is a boutique, cat-only hotel in Singapore, built for the cats other places find hardest: the anxious, the senior, the medical and the much-loved. Every guest has a private, catified room, never a cage and never shared, with Fear Free low-stress care, medication and subcutaneous fluids handled by trained hands, and daily photo and video updates so you are never left wondering. Cat-only, honestly run, and planned around how cats
Experience it yourself. Book a private tour, meet Kerstin and the team, and choose the room your cat will stay in.
