Friday, January 26, 2001 GRANBY At
the Pampurred Puss, a bed and breakfast for cats, all guests
get a room with a view. And what better view for a cat than
one with fish.
Each room at the cat kennel on East
Street has a fully stocked fish tank for the
entertainment strictly visual of boarders. The guests, at
least according to their owners, think the Pampurred Puss is
the cat's meow.
They like the fish tank, said
Nancy Clydesdale, of her two 10-year-old cats Chester and
Amelia.
Clydesdale, of Granby, began using the
Pampurred Puss about 1 and a half years ago, after the cat kennel
opened in May 1999. The amenities offered including big
perches and scratching posts, a choice of food, and a lack
of dogs, keeps her cats happy, Clydesdale said.
There's such a difference when I bring the cats
home from there compared to other places I've left them,
she said.
Robert Prevost of Northampton said his cat
Eddy practically purrs when he gets to the Pampurred Puss.
Eddy always seems to have such a good time there,
looking at the fish tanks, as well as socializing with
other cats, said Prevost. And, Eddy gets his favorite
treat, asparagus, at the kennel.
Years ago I found
out Eddy the cat likes asparagus from time to time, said
Prevost.
So, when he packs up Eddy and his blanket
for a kennel stay, Prevost brings along some frozen
asparagus.
Karen Sands, owner and operator of the
Pampurred Puss, is happy to do whatever it takes to keep her
feline customers content.
I'm a cat lover. I have
10, said Sands. I have the best job in the world.
Cool cats
Sands first considered
opening a cat kennel in 1997, when she saw one
in Maine advertised for sale. That opportunity was too
expensive and too distant from her Ludlow roots, but it got
her thinking, Sands said.
I just thought that
making a living taking care of cats, how cool would that be.
And I found there was a need in this area, she said.
She sold her Ludlow home and bought a house at 149
East St. with a former machine shop in the rear.
The
timing was right, Sands said, because she was laid off from
Smith & Wesson after 23 years as a machine operator. She
spent about six months and $60,000 turning it into a cat
kennel.
She custom-designed the interior, with wide
windowsills for lounging. She placed bird feeders outside
for more visual entertainment for her boarders.
The
building was divided into four rooms with about 10 large
pens for the cats in each room.
The four separate
rooms allow Sands to let more cats out of their pens at the
same time without exposing them directly to cats from other
households.
Cats do better when you let them out of
the pen, she said. Each cat gets at least an hour a day to
roam.
Of the fish tanks, she said, I had them in my
house and my cats really liked them.
Sands now has
about 600 customers with 800 cats and is booked solid during
popular vacation weeks. Of course, that means working every
weekend and holiday.
I don't mind because I love
it, she said. All the cats are different, different eyes
and different chins, different personalities. They're all
individuals and you have to treat them individually.
Most cats do well at the Pampurred Puss after a
short adjustment, Sands said.
The last place people
took their cats was probably the vet's, so that's where (the
cats) think they are. But once they see all we do is feed
and pet them, they start to relax, she said.
She
charges $13.00 per day per cat, or $85.00 per week, which
includes dry food from the 45 varieties she stocks. If a cat
requires medication, special food, or exotic treats, owners
provide it and Sands gives it to the cats.
People
love their cats, she said. I have people who leave roast
beef, turkey, or tuna.
Phone:
(413) 467-1077 Fax: (413) 467-9077 149 East Street Granby,
MA 01033
