Richmond Visitors are free to climb as high as they can, relax on the windowsill, or hide away and do nothing at all at Richmond’s 12-room Mau House Cat Hotel.
After years of studying the services provided to cats and their owners worldwide, Julie Pledger launched Mau House Cat Hotel on the intersection of Macdonald Avenue and 29th Street in 2019.
The hotel offers cozy, private rooms that range in size from 20 to 120 square feet, and it is cage-free. Every cat is given an hour a day to wander freely, and every apartment has at least one window and furniture to scale. Other facilities include brushing, catnip and flea treatment, cat grass, scratchers, and more.
Eight years ago, Pledger struggled to locate a pet-sitting facility that would treat her cats with the same level of kindness that they showed her dogs, which led to the creation of the Mau House Cat Hotel.
She thought there was a need for more hands-on cat care, and it appears she was correct. Since Mau House is usually booked months in advance, people on her waitlist are keen to take advantage of any last-minute openings.
Pledger was recently questioned by us regarding Mau House. Her responses have been condensed for clarity and brevity.
What was the origin of Mau House’s name?
Mau is the Egyptian term for cat, and it was named after the sound, of course. I adore Egyptian culture in general because of their love of cats. That’s why I went along with it, in part. It sounds good, too.
Why did you decide to open a cat hotel?
I was horrified to learn that my cat would be housed in a cage that was two feet square when I went to board it with my dog at the same location. When I offered to pay more for someone to play with my cat, the woman laughed, even though normally I could pay to have my dog walked. I sobbed as I left because, at least at that institution, it was clear that cats were treated like second-class citizens.
I started looking into cat boarding in general, and it appeared to be the case at most locations. However, there were a few cat-only establishments in the Bay Area. I also started searching the world to see how different cultures handle cat boarding, and after seeing some pretty amazing things, I decided that we need something similar here.
The idea that cats should be treated a little better here is well received by the public.
How was it to open your doors just a few months before the globe was shut down by the pandemic?
Since we were the only location with any availability, we had a fantastic holiday season after opening on November 1, 2019. Then everything stopped working. People still had to board for a variety of reasons after we were permitted to reopen officially. Boarding was necessary. No one was boarding just for kicks.
One family still needed to go help Grandma, so they would go to the porch drop-off and quarantine for two weeks. The cat simply couldn’t be in the house because of stuff like that.
However, after the pandemic began, veterinarian offices that had previously boarded ceased doing so completely, which was a huge benefit to us. Many boarding facilities, particularly those that catered only to cats, shuttered, and many of them never reopened. Though it kept us going during those times, I’m not sure why some of them regrettably never opened up again.
Did you ever envision yourself starting a hotel for cats?
It’s not all that shocking. During a recent visit, one of my closest friends from childhood exclaimed, “This is so you.” No, that’s not very shocking because I’ve always been an animal lover. It’s about time something happened, in my opinion.
What is a typical day in the life of a cat hotel?
Naturally, my first job is to arrive and serve breakfast to everyone because we have live animals here every day of the week. It’s somewhat like zoo feeding time. We feed, clean, and satisfy everyone, and I can handle reservations, emails, and other things.
Naturally, there are constantly people coming and going, so we’re preparing the rooms for the next group of visitors. The rooms must be emptied, cleaned, sanitized, and prepared for the next group of visitors.
Which common misunderstandings about cats do you frequently hear?
It’s all incorrect what people say about cats. Regarding certain cats, some of it is accurate. However, the claim that they are lonely animals is untrue. Furthermore, I believe that many people mistakenly believe that cats are cruel or vindictive.
I frequently say that those who dislike cats simply dislike the fact that they are extremely self-aware. Just because someone wants them to, they won’t give that up. To be honest, I think people can learn a lot from cats, and I truly respect that.
52 years old
Role: Owner and co-founder
Home: Richmond
Residence: Richmond
1. Julie is more than a cat lover. She keeps dogs, cats, chickens, a snake, and a chameleon in her little zoo.
2. In Pok mon Go, Julie is at level 49.
3. For seven years, Julie has followed a vegan diet.
4. Julie used to work as a locksmith.
5. Julie likes to cube (as in Rubik’s
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