The Cats Cradle

The Cats Cradle is a cat-only boarding inn at 195 Nottingham Road in Deerfield, NH, offering cage-free cat boarding for owners who travel. Cats stay in condo-style rooms instead of stacked cages, and the inn is staffed around the clock. It is a small place, with a listed capacity of five.

What cats get here

Days are built around movement rather than confinement. There is a playroom with exercise equipment and claw scratchers, plus climbing shelves set at several heights. Windows double as bird-watching and sunbathing spots.

• Cage-free boarding in spacious condo-style rooms
• Indoor playroom with exercise equipment and claw scratchers
• Climbing shelves at multiple heights
• Bird-watching and sunbathing areas
• 24-hour supervision, plus an evening cat-monitoring system

How it differs from a general boarding kennel

The Cats Cradle boards cats and nothing else, so the whole building is arranged for feline guests. For an owner comparing options, the practical difference is space: rooms are condo-style, and cats get time out of them in the playroom. Food follows a nutritional diet, and there is fresh catnip grown in the garden. The evening monitoring system means the rooms are watched after hours as well.

Booking and practical details

The inn is open 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, seven days a week. Reservations are made by phone, at (603) 463-7698. Published rates run from $20 to $75 per night. Vaccination is required for all guests, so owners should have records ready before drop-off. The inn also lists an email address, catscradle@metrocast.net, for questions. Because the building holds only five, owners planning around holidays or school vacations are better off calling well ahead than assuming a room will be open.