A Day in the Life of Gill, Longcroft St Albans
Hello cat lovers,
My name is Gill and I am the owner of the Longcroft Luxury Cat Hotel in St Albans. I have always been passionate about cats, having owned various kitties since I was 8 years old so to do this ‘job’ is a dream come true for me. I love the fact that I can work at home and fit things around my family life. My two children have long since left home and I have three gorgeous grandchildren who I spend a lot of time with. They show a very keen interest in all my feline guests and help me out when they come to Nanny’s for a sleepover!
A typical day would be like this:
7am Get up and get ready for the day ahead.
7.20am I always feed my own two kitties, Jasper & Cinders, first as they are usually first in the queue for breakfast!
7.30am I get the tray of food ready for my guests, fill up the water jug with fresh water and take it to the cat hotel.
Time to wake the kitties up!
7.45am I ring the dinner gong (well, it’s a bell actually! ) to let the guests know breakfast is on it’s way! Once I’ve served the food I then return to each room to clean litter trays, sweep the floors, dehair the climbing trees/pillows and remove the drinking bowls to replenish with fresh water. The radio is tuned to Chill FM for some lovely relaxing background music.
9.30am Now the fun begins! I always take a cuppa in with me, as people who know me, know I love my tea! I sit on the stools in each room drinking my tea and having a chat (albeit a slightly one-way conversation!) with each guest. My mobile phone is attached to my hip so I can always keep an eye on my emails and any enquiries I may have that need replying to.
Litter trays usually need a tidy up again after breakfast then it’s time for cuddle and play sessions with each guest (my favourite part, of course!).
11.30am Time to make sure everything is ready for guest arrival
The bed is made, fresh water and a bowl of delicious dry food is provided, the heating is on (even in May!) and the welcome sign is hung in preparation to greet, on this occasion, Ruby Mai (lovely kitty!!).
The hallway and office flowers are given a spruce up and everything is ready.
12.30pm Once the guests are settled in and I’ve done another litter check it’s time to do some admin, another aspect of the ‘job’ that I really enjoy. I reply to emails, confirm bookings and make sure everything is in order.
1.30pm Time for lunch and a quick read of the newspaper! Lunch is also served to the guests who have requested 3 meals a day, while the others are happy to wait until dinner time for their next tasty treat.
2.30pm Just time for another quick cuddle with my feline friends before heading off to the local fishmonger to purchase lovely fresh fish for the a la cat meals to be provided in the evening and supermarket for other supplies.
3.30pm I restock the bird feeder so the kitties have some wild life entertainment this afternoon (it’s more of a squirrel feeder really as the birds don’t seem to get much of a look in!). My garden backs onto a conservation area so we get a lot of wildlife in the garden.
4pm It’s grooming time – it’s a bit like Marmite, the guests either love it or hate it! You know pretty quickly the kitties who like to be groomed as they usually roll over and start purring. The ones who don’t, let you know in no uncertain terms that brushing is off limits and that’s when you back away with the brush!! More litter checking….
6pm Time to get dinner ready and serve to the kitties.
7pm Turn the lights on so the kitties can have an ‘evening’. It’s usually at this point I turn the radio off and start to wind down for the day.
8pm Having had my dinner, it’s time for me to unwind in the best way possible …..
Half an hour to relax in the hot tub whilst I’m watching the kitties watching me!! Of course, no glass of wine for me to unwind with – it’s got to be another cuppa!
10pm It’s time for a last check of the day. All clean, all happy, all well fed and cared for so it’s off to bed for all of us until tomorrow when it all starts again.
That’s it – a typical day for me. My husband can’t quite understand how I am so passionate about all things feline but I think this sign in my office sums up how I feel …..!
Hope you enjoyed reading my typical day,
Gill.