Nichola, her husband Andrew and her mum Elaine, can’t wait to welcome feline guests to their beautiful new luxury cat hotel, following their move to this idyllic countryside location around six months ago: “We are incredibly lucky to have moved to a beautiful old house with a gorgeous, secluded garden. It is surrounded by large trees, and we always have lots of different birds and butterflies to keep kittens amused for hours. Having moved from just outside London to the countryside I am still taken aback by the peace first thing in the morning. Upwell is a very quiet little village on the Norfolk border with a small tidal river running through it. The hotel itself is situated in our back garden encircled by trees and beautiful flowers – natural cat TV!"

This family team enjoy being surrounded by nature and have always loved cats. Nichola recalls how they added their beloved pussycats Luna and Dakota to the family: “At the beginning of the pandemic we decided to add to our little family and so Luna and Dakota came to live with us. We have had them for 6 years and they have become the very best part of every day! We even had them on our wedding cake! With Andy being an arborist and my mum’s love of gardening I am truly looking forward to what they will do over the next year in their new countryside abode!"

Nichola currently works in London as an EA for a large retail company and has previously worked as a PA for some amazing companies from the Bank of England to Hunter Boots. Andy is an arborist who loves his job and is happiest outside in nature. And Elaine, who used to work for Waterford Regional Hospital, and loves gardening, cooking and crafting, is looking forward to caring for feline guests full time. Their mutual love of cats and desire to spend more time with them, inspired Nichola, her mum and Andy, to begin this new chapter:

“Our cats are so precious! I once came across a Hawaiian word “Kahu” which means guardian, steward, or trusted caretaker responsible for something cherished, a deep, sacred, and emotional bond rather than mere ownership. I feel this sums up Longcroft perfectly – ‘Trusted Caretaker’! Once we knew we were going to move to Norfolk, I thought how wonderful it would be to offer that trusted care to others and build a business that would allow me to spend more time with my small fur family.”

They can’t wait to get started: “If you love your work, you will never work a day in your life!” I am looking forward to all of it - meeting new people and offering them the same peace of mind I have been offered by Longcroft. Seeing the relationships people have with their cats will be magical, from the little names they give them to how they spoil them. Having always had a love of cats and being a bit of a nerd, I would like to think I have earned my ‘mad cat lady’ badge (or Feline Enthusiast)! But I am also looking forward to learning even more about these amazing creatures! I can’t wait to meet so many different breeds, to understand cat care more deeply, and to playing with my guests every day … I can’t believe I get to cuddle cats for a living!”

Call Nichola, Andrew and Elaine on 020 3887 2443