written by EDavey on 03/04/2021
We moved from Liverpool to Sunderland and had about 3 weeks to wait before our house became ready with nowhere to keep our kittens. Rainton Gate was recommended to us by a family member, so we decided to book them in. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful from the first phone call and reassured us they would handle everything, all we needed to do was drop the kittens off. Unfortunately, we were unable to view the cattery or visit them due to lockdown, but we were given updates on how the cats were doing via email and phone, and were sent a few photos in which they looked very happy! Rainton Gate were a pleasure to deal with and the cats seemed totally chilled and not stressed at all when we picked them up. Our long-haired cat was also the neatest we'd ever seen her due to the daily grooming they gave to them. It is a relief to know we can rely on booking them here whenever we need to, especially as we're new to the area.
written by Mobosh on 07/08/2020
It's now 4 years today 7/8/20 since we lost our beloved big Ragdoll boy River whilst in the care of this cattery,he had been in a week and became severely dehydrated from which he never recovered due to staff not giving enough water to drink .We put 3 big male ragdolls in and noticed that there was only one small water bowlin the pen I mentioned to the young girl that this wasn't enough for my 3 boys but obviously didn't take any notice ,came back from holiday with the tragic news he had died ,still miss him to bits he was only 10 .
written by Soph1327 on 08/04/2014
After fretting for weeks about leaving my beloved cat in a cattery whilst the family had a short break, this place was a breath of freshair. My cat clearly was very comfortable during his stay and we received updates and photos during our time apart which was a lovely and reassuring touch. Owner is a fabulous woman who clearly adores cats and does her job extremely well. The chalets are great, plenty room, warm, damp proof and very very safe. Will definitely return to this amazing place again.
written by immin on 06/04/2014
I was very impressed with the information on the cattery's website: they are an International Cat Care (ICC) listed cattery; all cats are given daily health checks and grooming; and their pens have a fully private section with heat lamps. Also, their Twitter account @RGLCH is updated regularly with photos of their boarding cats, and all look well looked-after and comfortable. After speaking with the owner over the phone and answering the very thorough range of questions about my cat, I felt comfortable with booking him in for a four night stay in March. It is, admittedly, a bit more expensive than your run-of-the-mill cattery, but when you are as obsessed with your cat as we are you want him to have the best! Also, it is really easy to get to on public transport from Durham - take the 20/20A. When dropping him off I was greeted and asked about his vaccinations, etc. The cattery is to the rear of a house in a long back garden, and very peaceful. His pen was spotlessly clean and he took to it very well. The owner/staff member's cheerful and knowledgeable disposition and the cattery itself leaves you with absolute confidence so you can be relaxed during your holiday. When we picked our cat up he was looking excellent - relaxed and well cared for, and he adjusted easily to being back home after his stay. I will definitely use them again in the future.
Written on: 23/02/2015
Thank you for your review. The Bengals who come to stay with us are some of our most stunning, entertaining and lively guests. They always have to have the last word, and it's often right in your ear as they love to climb!
written by Jaspercat on 07/09/2012
Although not the cheapest cattery(you only get what you pay for)we feel quite happy to leave our lovely cat here when we go on holiday.It is spotlessly clean and he is well looked after-groomed and fed.He is always happy to go and never seems upset in any way.Beverly also puts a picture of him on Twitter so no matter where I am I can see how he is doing.I would not hesitate to recommend Raintongate to my friends
written by on 06/10/2010
Our four pampered cats have holidayed at Rainton gate several times over the last two years.I have no qualms about recommending it to anyone. There is an air of calm contentment among the cats. There is no unpleasant "cat" smell and certainly no cries for attention or of unhappiness from the feline residents.
I can only speak from my experience- I would not leave my cats anywhere that I was uncomfortable about. The owners really do seem to care.
Written on: 11/10/2010
Thank you for taking the time to add your review. As ex-customers ourselves, (not a lot of people know that,) we would not want our own customers and their cats to experience anything other than a pleasant, stress-free, clean, quiet and calming environment. We always hope, (you never actually find out of course,) that the cats who come to stay with us, apart from the "in-basket" experience of transfer, notice little change from the time they leave their home, until the moment they return.
written by on 08/08/2010
We left our beloved old friend at the cat hotel on our way to as family holiday. That evening we recieved an aggressive phonecall questioning whether we cared for our cat and accusing us of mistreating him. We were most upset as he had entered the Kennels old but happy. He had obviously become stressed and poorly at the kennels and they had no idea how to care for him.
To recieve a phonecall that your family pet is sick is upsetting enough, when you are a distance away, but to be blamed and insulted made the situation even more devastating. Needless to say, Rog was collected the following day!
This experience is still an experience that causes upset. We certainly saw a different side to the cat hotel than a few years ago!!
Written on: 30/09/2010
At RGLCH we can only accept a cat whose health is above a certain baseline. It was not immediately apparent in this case, although we were aware it was not fully fit, that this cat was below that level, and over the course of the day it deteriorated rapidly - clearly as a result of a change in environment.
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<br/>It became clear that the cat would require a level of care that a cattery would not be able to provide, and the owners were advised that it would be in the best interests of the cat if they made alternative arrangements.
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<br/>By the time the phone call to the owner was made, I was quite upset and had allowed myself to become angry as I was particularly concerned about the condition of the cat itself. The phone call was not the best for which I apologise. I do believe, with the benefit of hindsight, that we should have not accepted the cat in the condition it was in.
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<br/>We actively and willingly care for many many old and infirm cats including diabetics and the terminally ill. We comply with and maintain the veterinary-prescribed medication regimen whilst the owner is away. We do this gladly and without extra charge.
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<br/>The welfare of the cats which stay at RGLCH is of paramount importance to my wife and I, and is always our absolute priority. In this instance we did what was considered to be the best for the cat, subsequently at the expense of our relationship with the owner.
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Written on: 16/10/2010
On reading this review again I would like to add that we love our cat and have done since we rescued him seven years ago.
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<br/>Our issue was not with the care given to our cat. It was with the over the top/ extremely aggressive phonecall we recieved!! Totally unecessary and hurtful to be accused of neglect and be called a 'bad' cat owner!
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<br/>As you can tell it still hurts now! I intend to leave this matter for others to decide upon. I only hope that hilighting the distress caused it may prevent others recieving the type of phonecall we got!
Written on: 16/10/2010
Unnecessarily rude and aggressive behavior did nothing to help our cat who is enjoying his twilight years. We will never leave our cat with anyone again after this experience.
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<br/>I do dispute the fact that our pet was in such poor health when we left him. He is simply an old cat!
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<br/>If you leave your cat here, you will probably have a much better experience than we had, provided it doesn't become ill.
written by MaidMarionSunderland on 29/05/2010
Its the first time we have used this cattery and we went to inspect it before booking it. We were impressed and didn't hesitate to book our cats in. Charlie and Woo stayed here from 13th to 28th May 2010, they had a lovely view overlooking the garden and were able to relax as there were no barking dogs to bother them. When we went to collect them they looked totally relaxed and I was even surprised to see Woo lying on the waist high shelf looking out, she is a nervous cat and usually hides away, this was not the case here. They both looked well groomed and had been well looked after. They will be going back when we have our next holiday. A well done to all the staff for keeping our cats happy.
Written on: 14/06/2010
Thank you for your excellent review. We very much appreciate customers taking the time and trouble to rate us. Customer recommendations are one of our best forms of advertising and it must be a big help to others in deciding which cattery to use. We enjoyed caring for Charlie & Woo - a couple of very very nice cats. Best Wishes from all at RGLCH.
written by on 22/10/2009
fantastic accommodation for our pampered cat. very clean. our cat goes to stay on his hols 3 times minimum per year.would highly reccomend and have done.the owners are true animal lovers and try to meet all needs. very professional
Written on: 08/12/2009
Thank you for your kind comments - it's always appreciated when people take the time to do this. We tend to treat our guests as if they are our own, which sometimes means we get a clip for being too familiar, most other times it means we all get on really well and everyone enjoys their stay!
written by on 31/07/2008
Rainton Gate Cattery is highly recommended.
We use this cattery 3/4 times a year and our cat is very very pampered and he doesn't mind going as they are treated very well and the owners try to give them their special requests as much as possible.
written by bobbydobby on 26/06/2008
We have used this cattery for a number of years and although it is pricey compared with others in the area, my wife and I both disagreed with the review of 7th April. We haven't noticed any deterioration in the standard of care since the new owners took over, and they have continued a very high standard. I think prices seem to have gone up a lot recently but they do have to charge VAT - surely a sign of a business doing well - other people are obviously continuing to come back. We have recommended this cattery to our friends, and we know they are happy too. Also it is really easy to get to this cattery and there are no kennels which is very important for our cat.
written by on 07/04/2008
We have been taking our cat to Rainton Gate Cattery in Durham approx. 3 to 5 times a year for the last 4 years. Initially the price when we started using it was about £8 a day which seemed reasonable for the excellent care and facilities provided by the previous owner, and often our cat would come home looking better than before she went in! Which was always nice to see.
However, with the change in owners approx. 2 years ago, the standard of care has in our opinion definitely gone down - not in significantly obvious ways but compared to how the previous owner looked after the animals it is noticable. However whilst care and treatment may have declined the prices have shot up! In the space of 4 years the daily rate has risen to now £11, so to go on holiday for one week costs almost £100 to board 1 cat. We do love and care for our pet but this rate is very high when you consider how much (or rather little) cat food costs, which is presumably the only outgoing, other than electricity for heating the shelters and staff costs. We have come to the conclusion that we cannot, on principle, pay such prices now and have found a perfectly suitable alternative which is literally half the price. Indeed every other cattery we called in the tyne and wear area was at least £3 per day less, so for this reason alone we would recommend shopping around first.
Written on: 26/06/2008
I disagree with this review because... we don't think there has been any reduction in standards - it's as good as if not better than it was before in my opinion.
Written on: 10/08/2010
I have to agree with the original review. I do feel the personal touch that the previous owner had has been a big loss to the business.
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<br/>In terms of reviewers not leaving their details, I imagine it has something to do with not wanting to recieve junk emails.
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<br/>If someone takes the time to leave a comment, I imagine it is because they feel strongly about an issue. Most people are busy and would only ever leave a comment to advise other customers in a similar situation.
Written on: 11/10/2008
Reply from RGLCH:<br/>We welcome all comments from owners. In reply to this review we would say that yes, our prices have gone up - within a year of taking over the cattery, our income increased to the point where compulsory registration for VAT became necessary. Clearly we were not about to accept a 17.5% drop in income and so this was unfortunately passed on to the customer. We should remind you that of course we did not receive any extra income from this price increase of course. When our prices go up each year, they increase in-line with inflation.<br/>If we are more expensive than other catteries in the North East, it is a fair reflection of the quality of service we provide, the excellent staff we employ, and the higher cost of the best and safest cleaning materials we use. The food we buy is the highest quality - go and have a look in Pets at Home - see how much a bag of James Wellbeloved costs! We also check and groom each cat EVERY DAY - at no extra charge.<br/>I feel that allowing people to leave reviews anonymously is pointless - how can other potential customers trust a review that someone is unwilling to sign?<br/>Finally - we say to all potential customers - go and look at a few other catteries first, before coming to us to compare. You don't need an appointment to visit - just turn up and we will be happy to show you around, (during our opening hours.)
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Rglch's Response to Soph1327's Review
Written on: 23/02/2015
We appreciate you having taken the time to write this review, and pleased we have met your expectations. We always encourage new owners to visit other catteries before coming to us - there are some other good catteries in our area as well as us - we just don't want you to go to one of the not so good ones out there...