Ebony with her domestic short hair cat Mop. 70835 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By XAVIER SMERDON
A HOPPERS Crossing travel agent embarked on one of the biggest ventures of her life last week as she opened her own business, Wyndham’s first ever cats only boarding kennel.
Ebony loves her own pets, two cats and two dogs, and when she was trying to decide on a career that would make her happy to wake up every morning, she decided to combine her two passions of pets and travel.
That is where the idea of a cats only kennel came from for Cat Napping Suburban Retreat.
While she is booking her clients for trips around the world, she also offering to look after their furry little friends.
“I love cats for their personalities,” Ebony said.
“They can be a little bit kookie and each one is different.”
When combining her love for travel and cats, Ebony knew that her business would need to cater for the needs of the pet owners, who often treat their feline friends as part of the family.
“I know when I go on holidays I’m always wondering how my dogs and cats are doing and lots of people carry photos of their pets on their phones while they are away,” she said.
“When we’re looking after the cats we can send the owners pictures of them so they know they’re being looked after and are happy.”
But it was not just finding a niche in the market that proved to be a hurdle for Ebony.
“I’m only 27, and being a young woman, it was quite difficult to get people to take me seriously,” she said.
“If there are other young women out there trying to do something like this, they just need to know that it can be done if they just stick with it.”
Cat Napping Suburban Retreat is located on Old Geelong Rd in Hoppers Crossing. For more information visit www.catnapping.com.au.
