In short: If your cat is nervous, elderly or a home-body, a cat sitter is usually the better choice. Cats Protection calls keeping your cat at home "the safest and least unsettling option when you go on holiday". A confident cat can do well in a good, licensed cattery. On price, the UK catteries below charge between £13.50 and £22 a day for one cat, and £30 per cat at one Edinburgh cattery. A cat sitter typically costs £10 to £18 per visit, and Cats Protection suggests at least two visits a day.
Most advice on this question stops at "it depends on your cat". It does, but price and practical details decide a lot too, so this guide puts real UK cattery tariffs next to what a sitter costs, then covers how to tell which option suits your cat.
Three details change the real bill. First, "per day or part day" means the day you drop off and the day you collect can both be charged, so a seven-night holiday may be billed as eight days. Second, some prices include VAT and food and some do not. Third, winter heating and peak-season charges are common. Ask for the total for your dates, not the headline rate.
Cattery or cat sitter: what Cats Protection advises
Cats Protection's guidance on going on holiday starts from the cat. Nervous cats and home-bodies are likely to prefer staying at home, where they are less stressed, and for them a reliable home sitter is probably the best option. For cats that are comfortable away from home and with strangers, the charity says a cattery can be a great alternative, as long as you choose it carefully. If you go the sitter route, Cats Protection suggests someone who can visit at least twice a day to make sure your cat is fed and safe, and recommends reading a sitter's profile carefully and checking references, reviews and insurance.How much is a cattery per night in the UK?
Catteries set their own prices and most charge per day rather than per night. These are the published rates of eight UK catteries, taken from their own tariff pages on 12 October 2026. They are examples from across the UK, not an average.| Cattery | Where | One cat | Two cats sharing | Notes, as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons Boarding Cattery | South Mimms, Hertfordshire | £19.00 a day | £28.00 | Includes VAT, food and insurance |
| Cleracres Cattery | Whitchurch, Bristol | £15.00 off-peak, £17.75 peak, a day | £23.25 off-peak, £25.25 peak | Rates from 1 February 2026, excluding VAT; extra energy charge in colder months |
| The Dorset Cattery | Dorchester, Dorset | £18 a day | £22 a day | From 1 April 2026; 50p a day less per cat if you bring their food |
| Little Hay Cattery | Lichfield, Staffordshire | £14.26 a day (single pen) | £22.36 (double pen) | 2025 prices including VAT; food £1.92 per cat per day |
| Oakworth Boarding Cattery | Keighley, West Yorkshire | £13.50 a day | £22.00 | 2026 wooden chalet rates, charged per day or part day |
| The Boarding Centre | Lisvane, Cardiff | £20.00 a night | £30.00 | Heating charges may apply |
| Mr T's Cattery | Dalkeith, Midlothian | £22.00 a day | £35.00 | Includes VAT, heating and bedding |
| Colinton Cattery | Edinburgh | £30 per cat | £43 | 2026 rates; peak rates in Edinburgh school holidays |
What a cat sitter costs instead
A cat sitting visit typically costs £10 to £18 across the UK, according to our UK pet sitter cost guide. With the two visits a day that Cats Protection suggests, that is £20 to £36 a day. So for one cat, a cattery from the table above is often cheaper than two visits a day. For two or more cats the gap closes, because catteries charge per cat or per chalet, while a sitter visits your home and sees every cat in it. Check whether a sitter prices per visit or per pet before you compare. If your cat is happy with one visit a day and has company or an automatic feeder, the numbers change again. On Petme you can browse cat sitters across the UK, see each sitter's own rate before you book, and pay no booking fee on top.Will my cat be OK in a cattery?
A cattery tends to suit cats that are confident, used to travelling, and not bothered by other cats nearby. Cats Protection's checklist for choosing one is a good test:- Visit and inspect the cattery before you book.
- Make sure your cat's vaccinations are up to date.
- Check the cattery is licensed, and ask to see the licence.
- Check your cat cannot escape. Double doors or a safety corridor are better.
- Ask whether your cat will be kept separately from other cats.
Will my cat be OK with a cat sitter?
A sitter suits cats that hide from strangers, older cats, cats on medication, indoor cats and multi-cat homes. Your cat keeps its own territory, litter tray and smells, which is the reason Cats Protection describes home as the least unsettling option. The trade-off is that a cat at home is alone between visits, so the sitter's reliability matters more than anything else. Before you book, read our guides on preparing your cat for a sitter and sitting for senior cats. Every Petme sitter passes background and ID checks, and you can read their profile and rate before you book.Frequently asked questions about catteries and cat sitters
Should I put my cat in a cattery or get a cat sitter?
Choose a sitter if your cat is nervous, elderly or attached to home, and a cattery if your cat is confident and copes well with change. Cats Protection says keeping a cat at home is the safest and least unsettling option, but a carefully chosen cattery suits cats that are comfortable away from home.
How much is a cattery per night in the UK?
The UK catteries we checked charge £13.50 to £22 a day for one cat, and one Edinburgh cattery charges £30 per cat for 2026. Most charge per day or part day, and some add VAT, food or winter heating on top, so ask for the total for your dates.
How much is a cattery for a week?
Multiply the daily rate by the days you are charged, which can be eight for a seven-night trip if the drop-off and collection days both count. At Oakworth Boarding Cattery's 2026 rate of £13.50 a day, eight days for one cat comes to £108 before any extras.
Will my cat be OK in a cattery?
A confident cat that is comfortable with strangers usually suits a good cattery, while a nervous cat is likely to be less stressed at home. Visit first, check the cattery is licensed, escape-proof and keeps your cat apart from other cats, and make sure vaccinations are up to date.
Are cats better at home or in a cattery?
Many cats are better at home. Cats Protection says nervous cats and home-bodies are less stressed staying in their own environment with a sitter visiting at least twice a day, while cats that are comfortable with strangers and new places can do well in a cattery.
