While specialized associations denounce the numerous abandonments still observed this summer (12,000 according to figures from the Society for the Protection of Animals), adapted pensions nevertheless make it possible to go on vacation without abandoning your furry companions.
“If the owners go on vacation and have fun, we can also invite their companions to do the same.” Caroline Fournel created her dog boarding facility ten years ago to offer a “little summer camp” to these animals that their companions cannot bring with them. The former veterinary assistant notes that there are “more and more people who take dogs, especially during confinement, but who do not necessarily take the time to educate them or think about vacations”.115 cats live together in the Ouest Lyonnais boarding house.
Today welcoming around twenty dogs in her boarding house called Aux Joyous 4 Paws in Saint-Martin-en-Haut, she spends the summer taking care of these balls of hair. Housed and fed, its guests even have their private room for the night, in addition to the large meadow for their walks and games. A sort of five-star hotel for those animals who cannot follow their owners on the way to vacation.
A job of passion
“I take them out early in the morning and bring them in late so that they can make the most of the freshness,” explains the breeder, trainer and manager of this pension. Food is also provided, except for those who require a specific diet. With a daily pension price of 19 euros, there is “all the time in the world” at the pension, from March to All Saints' Day. The off-peak periods are from December to February, when Caroline allows herself a few weeks of vacation each year.
Numerous dog or feline boarding houses, even for more atypical animals, abound between the Loire and Rhône. A good solution to offer your pet a great summer while you are away. However, this profession, requiring one to be available during the holidays, is not very attractive and the pensions are quickly filled.
The dogs looked after by Caroline Fournel have space to roam.
For Caroline Fournel, from the Aux joies 4 pieds pension in Saint-Martin-en-Haut, these around 20 places for the summer are already taken by storm in March. “I refuse four to five people a day who do it at the last minute. Conversely, I have clients who can plan their vacation and book from October or November,” she explains.
It must be said that this job involves working during school holidays, particularly summer ones. This year, for the first time, the passionate 38-year-old found a replacement to give herself a little respite during this summer period.
115 cats in boarding
For Caroline Fournel, “cats don’t like dogs, which can stress them out”. She therefore chose to concentrate on the latter, leaving the domain of the former to her friend Delphine Remuet.
It is nearby, in La Chapelle-sur-Coise, that the latter runs its boarding house for cats. It accommodates a maximum of 115 cats, ranging from babies aged four months to older cats almost 20 years old. In three different buildings, for social cats, a little less, but also for sick, old or very young cats, the furballs have all possible leisure activities: competitive cat trees, unlimited kibble, fans for the summer and filled water bowls.
The cats live the good life in Delphine Remuet's boarding house.
In addition to this, the felines have pâté every morning, provided like kibble by the original Beaujolaise. Since 2016, in addition to her seven cats, three horses, two dogs and two guinea pigs, she has welcomed other felines for their owners' vacations. “At the beginning, I only had the ground floor of a building, today I have three and I still refused at least 60 for this summer,” underlines the enthusiast of 42 years.
“You have to book earlier and earlier, there have been a lot of adoptions”
As for dogs, or even more so because there are fewer cat boarding facilities, reservations are sometimes made in December to have a place at the Ouest Lyonnais Cat Boarding House.
The cats have three entire buildings to play, sleep and eat.
“You have to book earlier and earlier. There were a lot of cat adoptions during confinement and we have to look after them carefully.” In addition, Delphine is one of the rare people to welcome diabetic cats, “who require special attention” in the region. Also a veterinary assistant by training, she still does night shifts in Lyon except in the summer when her pension takes up most of her time.
“It’s a strong point to be in the profession, it’s reassuring for customers.” However, she emphasizes that it is not enough to “love animals” to get involved in this boarding activity: “There are aggressive, sick, dirty cats…” But for her, everything was obvious:
Since I was little, I couldn't imagine the idea of living without animals and I particularly like cats, to observe their feline side.
Open all year round, the pension welcomes cats for periods ranging from one day to several years in exceptional cases with decreasing prices around 19 euros per day. Delphine Remuet, who appreciates photos, often sends them to the owners of her protégés to keep them informed of the daily lives of their four-legged companions.
Practical : Pension Aux Joyeux 4 Paws in Saint-Martin-en-Haut on 06.88.70.75.69. Cat boarding facility in Ouest Lyonnais in La Chapelle-sur-Coise at 06.68.61.81.78.
For the holidays, pet owners are increasingly resorting to petsitting, an at-home nanny service for our four-legged companions. But be careful, you must check that all the legal conditions are met. It is possible to find many pet sitting ads on the Internet quite easily. Delphine Remuet, from the feline pension, offers these services herself. However, legally, this status of “nanny for animals” is not only obtained with willpower but also with (at a minimum) the Certificate of Knowledge for Pets of Domestic Species (Acaced). This certificate, which has existed since 2016, consists of training on food, animal health, transport, etc. It is not necessarily necessary to register on specialized sites so be careful. A 2014 decree also specifies that if you welcome the animal into your home for a fee, it is necessary to have a dedicated space, a pleasant ambient temperature for the animal and to respect several health constraints.
Ornella Gache
