Cat’s Cradle

I just picked up my three year old calico from cats cradle after boarding her there for the second time. I was out of the country for two weeks and really anxious leaving her since I didn’t have cell phone service while I was gone. Jessica was amazing and offered to email me while I was gone so that I could check in when I got wifi. She sent me an update and even a picture of my cat. The staff is amazing and really receptive to questions and concerns. At pick up they gave me a full report and some funny stories and it made me feel tons better about having left her. I don’t even live in San Rafael anymore but this will be my go to place to board my cat. thank you cats cradle!

I love Cat’s Cradle! The staff are professional, highly competent and friendly. You can tell that they are totally familiar and comfortable with handling and relating to cats. I take Prudence, my Maine Coon, in for grooming and have boarded both her and my other cat Jewel many times. And I don’t even live in Marin. I have been familiar with Cat’s Cradle since the late 90’s. Jan, the owner, has been in business for 29 years and her expertise in this business shines through. The layout of Cat’s Cradle is so not your typical boarding facility. The spacious rooms with couches look more like living rooms and allow plenty of exercise. Oh yes! and the sky lights bringing in natural sunlight. Impeccably clean, Cat’s Cradle is THE place to board and groom.

Bella and Ginger stay at Cat’s Cradle whenever I am out of town. Jan picks them up at my home because I still can’t get Ginger to go into the cat carrier. I am mortified by this failing on my part, but Jan is cheerful and happy to collect the two of them. The cats are happy there, and come home clean, relaxed, and healthy.
Everyone at Cat’s Cradle loves cats! All the other cats look like them are enjoying themselves, even — or perhaps especially — the cats who look like they wish to not enjoy themselves. My old cat Caroline was a notoriously mean, nasty, disagreeable cat, and after she had been at Cat’s Cradle for a couple of days she relaxed so much she forgot to keep up her despicable reputation and actually made friends with the people and the other cats. This wonderment did not last, but the amazing thing was that it ever happened in the first place.
I love Cat’s Cradle! Bella and Ginger love Cat’s Cradle too. We are so lucky to have this gentle, caring, kind, clean, beautiful, and affordable place here in San Rafael that we can trust with our cats.

Walked in to pick up my cat after dropping her off after a routine grooming. While I waited I could her my cat meowing, and I could also see the reflection of my cat and the groomer in the window. I see my cat get smacked on her head twice and also at one point lifted upside down by her tail. She’s not happy, obviously. I’m now in shock of what I just witnessed. Before I have time to digest the first incident I see her being struck a third time with much more force and intent. And then the door closes quickly. I’m in complete shock. I’m at the counter paying for the services, I’m in chock telling the other clerk what I have witnessed and all I get is a «I’m sorry». My cat was brought out by the abuser/​handler. Not saying much. My heart is pounding. As I’m about to leave, the groomer offers me a refund and she offers to help me out to the car, I decline. She insisted and carries the cat crate. She offered an apology and said that my cat took a swipe at her but did admit that was no excuse to hit my cat. I drove home, shaking and in tears, unsure about what I had just witnessed. Upon entering my house, now my husband saw something was wrong with me. I told him what had happened and he immediately decided to call and report the incident to Animal Services. I filed a report and they opened an investigation. Oddly enough we also tried to contact Cat’s Cradle to speak with the owner, but our call was never returned. We were informed the next day by the animal control officer that they had admitted to striking our cat but only because the groomer had been bitten which oddly enough was never mentioned during pickup. Now supposedly there are pictures of the groomers injuries. And because this is now a biting incident our cat had to be quarantined for ten days!!! We called our vet and asked them point blank: does a situation exist when it is OK to hit a domesticated pet? Their answer, absolutely never. In conclusion, to state the obvious we will never be going back to cats cradle as they have lost our trust. We understand it may have been a bad day for that particular groomer, however it seems as though she should probably pursue a carrier in another line of work. And I hope that none of their future clients companions will experience such an awful situation. (we would like to point out that although our cat did not show signs of injury, that is not to say she was not traumatized by the experience.)

Our cat stayed for 12 days. On picking her up, I noticed she was very subdued and was limping. Brought her to the vet who found a dislocated back third toe. i called Cat’s Cradle on two separate occasions and both times they denied that anything happened there and were very uncaring. A third call was from them to me (still with the manager, not the owner as I had requested) where they expressed concern. Again they stated that it could have happened at my home. I payed $ 600 in vet bills in addition to the $ 300 I had given them. Never was there any mention of a partial discount, refund or offer to pay part of the bills.
Of course, the worst part was a cat in pain, needing sedation, anti-​inflammatories and pain killers. I would never go back.

My kitties have been staying with Jan Grant at Cat’s Cradle since 2003.
I travel a lot so many times they have been with her for weeks at a time.
It truly is their second home as they are cared for so lovingly.
I feel blessed I have a place to bring them and never have to worry while I am away.
Jan and her team are completely dedicated and knowledgeable and have tended to my kitties illnesses and sensitive needs very lovingly and thoroughly over the years.
I am very appreciative. Thank you !

Thank goodness my vet, who specializes in cat wellness, recommended Cat’s Cradle to me for boarding and grooming 20 years ago. Cat’s Cradle is in a league by itself! Over the years, I have owned four cats each with special personalities and needs. Jan, the owner, and her awesome, dedicated, caring and knowledgeable team have not only understood each cat individually but provided the most extraordinary care I could imagine. Whenever I go on vacation, I know my cats, Benji and Chief, will receive the best care, grooming and exercise at Cat’s Cradle.

My cat got skunked last night and we tried to get the stink out but couldn’t. I called this morning and they took her immediately. I came back an hour later and she was clean and smelling good! Prices are reasonable and great service. Thank you!
I also had taken both cats for grooming two months ago and they did a fantastic job!

In all my years as a cat owner, I have trusted only one group of individuals to pamper and care for my feline friends. Cat’s Cradle has treated my cats with the utmost kindness and attentiveness during every stay. Whether its a cat with a sensitive stomach or a strong desire to socialize, you can trust the knowledgable and awesome team at Cat’s Cradle to do it right! My family and I have been bringing our cats to Cat’s Cradle for almost 10 years and have not sensed the slightest desire to switch our boarding house. When our cats come out of a grooming session, they look like a million bucks, fit for the cover of Modern Cat or Cat Fancy. Cat’s Cradle does it right!

I was in a bind as I was leaving town just as my cat got an eye injury and needed medication 3 x’s a day so we had to board her. Cats Cradle staff are all very nice and my kitty survived here for 3 nights. I have no idea if she ever really got to roam as they do keep them in walled glass cages that can fit a litter box, food, about 2×2 ft space for them to lounge & a shelf above they can climb to. She was put into the cage immediately upon my arrival so she could settle in and when I picked her up 3 days later, she was in the cage. I can’t say with any level of certainty if she was ever let out, but she seemed fine when I picked her up. I mean she was meowing like crazy but that is as to be expected.
I think they could improve their services by sending a photo or video to owners of their cats daily — they could even charge extra for this! I know I would have paid it.

I wanted to check out Cat’s Cradle as a possible place to board my 15-​year old cat while on vacation. I decided to take him there for a shampoo and they said they would also clip his nails. I picked up my cat a couple of hours later and brought him home. After I got home, I noticed there was blood on his paw and when I looked, I saw that they had cut way into the nailbed and three of his nails had bled out.
I should add that my cat doesn’t even struggle when I cut his nails… I do it myself without having to wrap him in a towel or anything. He came into my life with only his back claws so he only has two sets of nails to clip too. The nails were all jagged, like they’d been sawed off. When I called back to complain, I was told that they had set my cat down on some surface and he was scratching his claws on it, so they removed him from that surface and basically implying that he must have done this to himself! What??? If there is such a surface that cats can practically declaw themselves on, it shouldn’t be there in the first place.
I’ve seen other reviews now that indicate there may be a problem with how they practice nail clipping. But this has caused me enough concern that I would not put my cat in their care.

My little Cookie loved her spa day… she’s a little lion now. She was bathed and clipped to perfection. They did an amazing job, great attitude, efficient, and clean… loved it, will go back.

They take great care of our two cats, Pratt and Whitney, and really pay attention to how they are doing. We learn things about our cats from them. I was relieved to hear that they can handle the intravenous water, pills and such that Pratt needs now to keep him going. I feel much more comfortable going on my trip knowing that he will be in better hands than my own.

My Sphynx, Delilah, loves it here. The staff are fantastic and take great care of her! I’ve boarded all my cats here and always feel peace of mind when I leave them here. I feel fortunate to have them!

We realized close to the holidays that we would need to board our older cat. Not only did Cat’s Cradle have availability, but they were the most reasonably priced of the several locations I called. Since this was the first time boarding my cat, I asked a lot of questions and the staff were warm and helpful. I even called several times during the week my cat stayed and the staff knew my cat by name and gave us informative, reassuring updates.
My cat did great. He ate well, roamed freely during the day in a smaller room and came home in good shape.
It’s worth noting that Cat’s Cradle can board a lot of cats at once, especially during the holidays so there were cats nestled high and low in each of the rooms. Even so, I wouldn’t hesitate to take my cat back to Cat’s Cradle. Our experience was top notch.

I cannot say enough nice things about this business! I have brought my cat here 3 times and each time I was impressed with how kind, patient and efficient the staff are. Many years ago I managed a dog boarding business and as a result have a high expectation when boarding my pet. Cats Cradle shows a high standard of care for the animals boarding here that goes above and beyond what other similar businesses do. I felt so relieved to know my cat was with observant people who know cats well, provide a superior level of care.

Last summer I needed a safe place for my 2 kitties to stay while my home was being staged to be sold. I don’t know who was more upset the kitties or me, but I was grateful to find Cat’s Cradle, who accepted them at very short notice and helped alleviate the stressful situation. They ended up boarding there most of the summer until I could find a new place to live. I will be forever grateful to the wonderful staff at Cat’s Cradle for taking such good care of my cats.
Even now, when I need to go away for a short period of time, I feel relieved and secure knowing that Choco and Latte will be treated like princes! The environment is just like a real home, with a private jungle! Thank you to the wonderful, dedicated staff: Jan, Jessica, Elena, Georgia and Colleen!!!

I really wanted to like this place. It’s close to our house, and the big play area in the middle looks like kitty heaven. However…
We brought our long-​haired cat here twice for grooming. She looked beautiful when she came back — they did a good job shaving her, combing out mats and washing her.
But the first time she came home, as soon as we let her out of her carrier we noticed that she was limping badly — an emergency visit to the vet confirmed that her claws had been trimmed way too short. It was about a week before she was able to walk OK again without painkillers. I was very surprised that Cat’s Cradle didn’t notice or acknowledge that anything was wrong when they sent her home to us.
The second time, we thought we’d learned our lesson so we asked them only to comb out her fur but not touch her claws. I believe they did so. However, when we brought her home she was clearly traumatized; that evening she became so ill that once again we were back at the vet emergency clinic. Perhaps this was a coincidence, but I’m not taking my chances again.

My big boy looked gorgeous after his lion cut. The place is adorable. I haven’t boarded here, but I would.

This place is amazing!
Have been taking my two Himalayans here for years– for grooming, nail trims, and boarding. I’ve never had a complaint about this place, and my cats are always well– taken care of.
For the nail trims, you can drop –in, which is great for me while I’m running errands on a Saturday morning. One of my boys is not the best– behaved, but the staff at Cat’s Cradle never complain, and only have nice things to say about them.
Skinny, my older gentleman, has been going through allergy problems, causing his skin to be very itchy. We’ve put him on a treatment and diet that works, but Cat’s Cradle has been very gentle grooming and handling him, and I thank them for that. They were even able to recommend an allergist, which turned out to be a great resource.
In October we went out of town for two weeks, and had the boys boarded. They were on a strict diet (because of Skinny’s allergies), and I was very specific they could not change. Cat’s Cradle did a great job monitoring his food, and they also gave him ear medicine while were gone. When we picked the boys up after two weeks they were perky and bright– not the usual demeanor they have when coming home from the groomers. This leads me to believe they were well taken care of, and had a good time which can be hard for Fatman– a tough customer.
Every time I go in there the staff is great. They always ask how we are doing, and they tell me how much they love our cats (I know, they probably say that to everyone, but they are pretty loveable). The people there really do love animals and enjoy working there. I would not hesitate to refer a friend.