Burston Lime Tree Farm cattery builds a growing following of cat owners

A cat-loving husband-and-wife team are building a growing cattery business at their farm, and have already had to expand since opening five-and-a-half years ago.

Darren and Hayley Leeder, of Lime Tree Farm in Burston, have 31 cat apartments, all individually heated, and take special requests from owners on anything from prawn treats to daily updates on their pets.

“Our apartments are top of the range and are built with the cat’s comfort in mind,” said Mr Leeder. “We are cat owners ourselves, so we enjoy looking after them.

“Many cats have special food requirements or preferences, so, with the cost of pet food increasing, and not wanting food to go to waste, we switched in January to allowing owners to bring their own food along.

“That also means that we can be a bit different to other cattery businesses in not putting our prices up to reflect the increase in pet food prices and we felt that was the best way forward.

“We do have special treats like fish, prawns or chicken, though, and, if the owner would like us to, we’ll give the cat those extra treats as well.

“We happily take whatever requests meet the owner’s and the cat’s needs, and will provide pictures and updates regularly if required.”

Nervous cats are always welcome at Lime Tree Cattery, with Mr and Mrs Leeder great pride in making them cats feel at home.

“It’s an enjoyable challenge with a nervous cat,” said Mr Leeder.

“We can normally get them comfortable enough for us to make a fuss of them. It’s really rewarding to them have them come up to us purring by the end of their stay.

“We are really pleased with the responses we’ve had from customers, who often stop and chat in the office for half an hour when they arrive, and we’re glad to provide peace of mind for the cat and owner throughout their stay.”

The cattery requires booking in advance, with many people looking to book pet-care at the same time as booking summer holidays.

q To find out more, go online to www.limetreecattery.co.uk.