Launched in 2020, this luxury cat boarding house may soon flourish throughout France. The founder observes a real demand from owners.
Le Figaro Nantes
Rooms “worthy of a palace”. Individual or family. With maximum comfort. Welcome to George’s Cat. In this concept of luxury cat pension, whose name refers to the prestigious Parisian Georges V, humans have no place. “Our cat hotel welcomes your furballs (whether kittens, adults, shy, grumpy or hyperactive) in the comfort of a spacious loft of more than 150 m²»indicates the website of the brand whose communication is very careful and looks like a real palace. Owners can entrust their feline for around 25 euros per night in the low season and 27 euros in the high season (school holidays and long weekends). Then prices drop. The luxurious aspect translates into special attention to animal welfare.
This five-star pension was first launched in the town of Vertou in 2020, south of Nantes, and is currently expanding. A first franchisee has already opened in Orvault, north of Nantes. “Each cat has its own private space with a scratching post, a hanging bed, a litter box, a fountain…”explains Emeline De Sampaio Portela, manager of the new Orval establishment, which was inaugurated on October 3 after opening on July 26. Previously, the specialized veterinary assistant had worked in Vertou. “When the cat is safe, it can go wherever it wants” : in a space of 250 square meters reserved for it, the furballs can roam everywhere, in a fenced garden or even in the playroom. Before we return to one of the 39 rooms in the evening at “It’s a bit like a leisure center”sums up the 28-year-old young woman who sometimes takes care of animals.
Owners are increasingly willing to spend money on their cat’s well-being
Emeline De Sampaio Portela, manager of Georges Cat in Orvault
If currently not all rooms are booked due to the recent installation, Emeline De Sampaio Portela observes progress. “We are seeing more and more inquiries. The customers are very different: they range from twenties to 80 years old. It can be for professional reasons, travel, hospitalization, vacation or moving.stresses the professional working with a work-study student. The opening of this center also responds to a reduction of congestion at Vertou: “In February, the period from mid-July to the end of August was already full. We were full earlier and earlier”she remembers about her two and a half years spent there. “It is not necessarily those who earn the most who come. Owners are more and more willing to invest money for their cat’s well-being.she notes.
If the brand is primarily aimed at a CSP+ clientele, founder Maggy Daunas also notes that a wider audience can be found there. “We can have people for whom the cat really is a member of the family. They prefer to spend a little more money, but know that their cat will be well, even if it means depriving themselves a little of their holiday budget. There are also single people who only have their cat every day, it is a true companion.”she cites as an example. A veterinary nurse for 18 years, the Vendée native realized at birth that there was a market and a real demand.
The bank encourages it
“For dogs there is already infrastructure, but cats are often mixed with dogs. The aim was to do something for cats, at the top of the range, where animal welfare is a real priority. It was very innovative, there were only two or three in France “she remembers. When Maggy Daunas started working on it, we looked at her with wide eyes. It quickly became apparent despite the Covid period. Only a year after the opening of the Vertou pension, she was able to create the ten additional planned rooms, if successful. She was then invited by her bank to participate in the “Pas til Franchise” competition., organized in collaboration with Caisse d’Épargne. She was a winner and could benefit from support to launch her franchise. She had no intention of doing it so soon.
From now on, the entrepreneur plans to develop Georges Cat in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. It primarily seeks specialized veterinary assistants or offers online training to those who do not have this diploma. Soon the channel can open in Toulouse, where the discussions are well under way, but also in La Baule, Lille and the Paris region.
George Cat
