Urban Tails - a passion for cats

Thanks for your interest in the humans behind Urban Tails. I originally opened this little biz in the summer of 2003, with the intention of building a life full of happy moments while cuddling cats. For me, seeing a contented cat wrap herself into a cozy ball, belly up, toes curling and uncurling as she rumbles her purr, warms my heart.

To my delight, I discovered there are tons of cat owners who feel exactly the same way and who are deeply appreciative of compassionate, reliable and personalized kitty sitting services. So, Urban Tails grew of its own accord with happy cats, happy cat parents and a very happy cat sitter (me!). In fact, it grew so much that there was no way to keep up with all the cats in need of a cuddle. Gradually, Kitty Care Assistants joined Urban Tails and we now work together in pairs to provide in-home cat sitting services at breakfast, lunch and supper, 365 days of the year, in certain neighbourhoods of Vancouver, BC.

But many kitties require temporary lodging, whether due the travels of their owners, home renovations or house guests with allergies. These kitties are happiest boarding in a non-medical facility (kind of like humans, actually!). Preferably one with spacious rooms, a tranquil environment, lots of fun stuff to do, cozy fireplaces to curl up in front of and cat-adoring humans who don't mind catering to every whim.

And so, another dream took me over - to open a resort-like boarding facility, exclusively for felines, so that owners can choose in-home sitting or boarding, depending on the unique circumstances of each situation.

The final product is affectionately called The Resort and it opened on October 27, 2007! Our first three years have been an overwhelming success - the kitties and their parents love the quiet, clean and loving care provided to every kitty who graces us with their visit. We measure our success in head bonks and purrs and many happy moments in quiet contemplation with the cats of Urban Tails.

As our cat family grew larger and wider, we started getting requests for longer-term boarding - not just weeks, but months. Dedicated kitty parents are confronted with impossible choices when it comes to fulfilling travel dreams, moving internationally or extensive home renovations. Faced with no where for their kitty to stay for the months they are in transition, some are forced to re-home beloved cats. Yet so many exceptional cat lovers join Urban Tails as cat sitters and staff because they cannot make a lifelong commitment to a cat, for responsible and selfless reasons, at this time in their life. I always marvel when such perfect solutions assemble themselves. Connecting responsible, reliable and open-hearted cat lovers with kitty parents in need of a host home for their cats is a delight every time it happens. It seems to be the way of things when everyone wins - the cats, the kitty parents, the host homes and (gratefully) Urban Tails. And that is how our long-term, host home boarding service began in 2011.

Some clients are curious about my background - how does one become a Professional Cat Cuddler? I started this journey by completing a Master of Science degree in Psychology. There I learned about operant conditioning and that much of what we know about human learning was taught to us by cats (and dogs!) used in experiments by early psychologists. Since then I have learned many other things from cats - I am willing to curl up by the fire for long stretches to study their techniques! I most admire their ability to embrace every waking (and snoozing) moment, as though they chose it. They exemplify a quiet mind while perpetually teetering on the edge of exploding into play. They teach without speaking - little Zen masters who purr.

Sincerely,
Jen Lord
Chief Cat Cuddler and Principal of Urban Tails