Hotel For Cats to Open in Pacifica

Donna Wilkins has worked with cats since 1983, starting at the Cat Hospital in Campbell as an animal health technician. Cats are her favorite animal, she says, and she’s grown up with them all her life.

So it’s no surprise to those who know her well that Wilkins is opening a cat hotel in Pacifica.

Called When The Cat’s Away, the new business located on Highway 1 next door to the Pacifica Pet Hospital will provide short and long time care, day care or overnight boarding, which will include feeding and lots of individual attention in a special playroom designed for cats. Medications will be given to those cats that need it during their stay and grooming services will also be available for overnight guests. There will also be cat taxi services to and from When The Cat's Away for customers.

When it comes to running a cat hotel, Wilkins knows what to do. She owned the Cats’ Inn in Belmont for 12 years, selling the business in 2005.

“We decided to start up a new business here in Pacifica because we love Pacifica and spend a lot of time here,” she said.

She’s referring to herself, husband Dan and son Todd, who are all surfers frequenting Linda Mar for surf sessions and thought Pacifica would be a great central location for their business.

“It is close to San Francisco and the Peninsula with easy access to the airport and major freeways. So it's convenient for everyone to drop their kitties off,” she said.

When The Cat’s Away will be a little different than her Belmont business. At the Cats’ Inn she used stainless steel cages that were pretty small but at When The Cat’s Away the accommodations will be plusher with individual suites for the cats.

“Our new enclosures will be 3'x3' and 7'6" high with a climbing wall and perches inside. So lots more comfort and room for the kitty box, food and water,” she said.

The hotel has six different rooms with six suites in each room. Each enclosure can house one to three cats with a capacity of up to 70 cats total if they had all enclosures filled.

“No cats will be with cats from different families so usually only about 40 to 50 at the most if there are multiple cat families," said Wilkins, who has only one cat named Reggie at home in El Granada where she’s lived for 24 years, raising her son there.

“That's when I started one of the first pet sitting businesses in the Half Moon Bay area called the Coastal Pet Sitters. I had that business while working at the Cat Hospital and when I started up The Cats' Inn. I soon gave up pet sitting and just concentrated on The Cats' Inn.  After 12 more years, I sold The Cats' Inn, which is still in business today,” she said. 

Her son Todd, who went from his playpen to helping customers out to their car with their cat, is a college student with a background in business and communications and will handle all the marketing and IT at When The Cat’s Away.

“He also has a great love for felines, and I'm sure he will still help people out to their car with their cats,” said Wilkins.

Her husband Dan, recently retired from United Airlines where he was an Aviation Technician, is currently working as a real estate agent and building the enclosures at When The Cat's Away.

“He is our architect and financial manager,” said Wilkins, who hopes to open the first week of December depending on construction and is looking forward to sharing her love of cats with the Coastside community.

When The Cat’s Away is located at 4320 Coast Highway, Pacifica. Call 650-735-5049, e-mail whenthecatsaway3@gmail.com or visit www.catsawaypacifica.com. Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00-6:00, Saturday 9:00-1:00, Sunday closed, and all major holidays.