Maisie is a disabled cat. She cannot move, eat, or relieve herself without help. Her life runs on a strict routine, with her feeding, bathroom breaks, and care scheduled down to the minute. So what happens when her purr-ent needs to travel and cannot take her along?
Pawsitiv Pet Care Kenya
That’s where Lina Sonia, the owner of Pawsitiv Pet Care Kenya, a cat-boarding facility in Ngong, comes in.
“Maisie’s owner only trusts me to take care of her cat when she’s away,” Ms Sonia reveals. “She won’t even leave her with family.”
With Ms Sonia’s heart wholly given to animals, she opened her facility in 2021 to provide a homestay-like experience for cats whose owners needed to be away.
Lina Sonia with a cat at her boarding facility in Ngong in December 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
“I noticed that a lot of people were having a hard time finding a facility that would cater to their cats without having them in tiny, secluded cages,” she says. “I wanted to offer something different where the cats can walk out, get some sunshine, chase a lizard, or even just look at the birds.”
Her cattery now includes two indoor rooms that can comfortably accommodate up to five cats each, and another that can house four. Outdoors, she has another space that can hold a family of four or at least two cats that are friendly with one another.
Going the extra mile, she keeps those that need extra care, like the disabled Maisie, in her own master bedroom just to make sure they have access to whatever care they might need, all around the clock.
“One of the indoor rooms has a huge bed where the cats, particularly those that are anxious, can still feel comfortable and at home,” she says.
“Another room has a big red carpet that is fluffy and allows the younger kittens to just zoom around.”
Though she handles a lot of the operations herself, Ms Sonia has a well-trained staff member who mostly oversees the check-ins, check-outs, and the feeding. They also hire an extra hand during the holiday season, which is a high-peak period.
“When someone contacts me, the first thing I do is find out whether the cat is fully vaccinated, the cat’s age, personality, medical history, feeding routine, basically everything about the cat,” she says. “It’s like describing a human being.”
Once all the relevant information has been shared and an agreement is reached, she does the pick-up herself and is careful to do it in a manner that won’t mar her chances of creating a good relationship with her furry guests.
“In addition to the cat, the owner always provides the food,” she reveals. “Cats have very sensitive stomachs. Switching their food could end up making their stay with us very bad, so we try to avoid it.”
But they stick to more than just the type of food; they also keep the cat’s routine.
“If you wake up at three o’clock in the morning to feed your cat, we will wake up at three o’clock as well. We pamper the cats and make them feel like they are at home.”
The cattery also prides itself on virtual check-ins — daily videos of the cats as they eat, play, sleep, and just be, sent to their owners.
“Some clients ask for video calls with their cats, while others are content with having videos sent at different times of the day,” she says. “We are especially keen in the first three days of the cat’s stay to see whether the cat poops, pees, or eats. When cats are not feeling safe, they can hold their pee even up to 72 hours, so the minute they pee or poop, we take a video and reassure the client that we are off to a good start.”
But it doesn’t stop there; the cats always have someone with them, talking, playing, and observing their excretions (colour, consistency, frequency). These reports are then compiled and given back to the owner on check-out day.
“It’s like taking your child to a camp and the camp manager gives you a report card when you pick them up,” Ms Sonia says.
An outdoor cattery at Pawsitiv Pet Care Kenya on December 29, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
For her services, she charges Sh700 per day. She also offers discounts for bookings as well as for stays that last longer than two weeks.
“On average, cats stay for one week, but sometimes you can get long stays of around five or six months,” she reports. “These are usually for people who are relocating.”
With most of her clientele being expats, business this year hasn’t been as great as previous years, with a lot of them (especially the Americans) losing their jobs and moving back home after the donor aid cuts. Still, the local demand has kept the business going, especially during the festive season.
Ms Sonia is trained in animal first aid and can treat small wounds herself in case of injury, but they have a vet that visits the cattery monthly.
Green Garden Kennels
Mugo Karaba, who runs Green Garden Kennels, decided to introduce dog boarding services in response to a gap in the market for a more personalised experience for dogs whose owners were away.
“I realised that the only places people knew for boarding services were vet clinics, which will take good care of the dog, but most won't offer them that one-on-one, outdoor, farm-like experience,” he says. “I realised people wanted something more personal - they wanted their dogs to feel like they’ve gone to a dog hotel, and wanted photos and videos of how they were faring.”
The Rongai-based facility offers three core services: dog boarding, dog breeding and the sale of puppies, and the manufacture of dog treadmills.
“What we’re doing is similar to running an Airbnb or hotel,” he starts. “Demand is quite high during periods like Christmas or Easter. Usually, we are at full capacity in these seasons. But when it comes to the normal days, the numbers expectedly dwindle, since people are home with their pets.”
This festive season, Green Garden Kennels was at full capacity, with boarding slots booked out as early as October, largely by repeat clients. But despite the demand, Mr Karaba has intentionally restrained growth so that the kennels can only board a maximum of six dogs at a time.
“I treat other people’s dogs the way I treat my own,” he says. “I plan to increase this number eventually, but for now, if I take more than six, I can’t give them the attention they deserve.”
Boarding is priced at Sh1,500 per day, a fee that covers feeding, daily walks, playtime, and regular photo and video updates. Additional services are offered at an extra cost. These include a mandatory dog wash upon arrival for Sh1,000.
“This is really important because it ensures that the dog is cleaned off anything it might have carried from outside, before entering the kennels.”
Beyond this preliminary wash, the kennels also offer full grooming services, which include hair trimming, dematting, nail cutting, and treatment for minor fungal infections if needed at around Sh5,000.
While boarding attracts attention, Mr Karaba is clear that it is not the Kennel’s main revenue driver.
“Boarding actually brings in the least revenue,” he reveals. “It’s very seasonal. Our main income comes from breeding and the dog treadmills, which help maintain the facility all year round.”
And though his clients cut across all demographics, Mr Karaba describes his typical customer as one who is family-oriented and travel-inclined.
“Travelling with pets can be quite difficult, and though many of them have house managers and watchmen, they want their dogs to be cared for fully, so they end up bringing them here.”
The length of stay varies widely with some dogs staying for a week, others for a month, and some (a record-holder) staying nearly three years.
Though Mr Karaba says he has never encountered a case where a dog was abandoned at Green Garden Kennels, he prefers to do pick-ups and drop-offs himself so he can know where the dog is coming from, just in case.
With animals living in close quarters, disease prevention is one of the biggest operational challenges the facility faces. As such, every dog undergoes a physical check on arrival. Dogs showing any signs of illness are immediately subjected to treatment or referred to alternative boarding facilities.
“A new dog can come and contaminate all the others,” he says. “That risk is always there, and once it happens, treatment becomes very expensive.”
Of Mr Karaba’s furry guests, one of his favourites is a little white Japanese Spitz with a striking black patch around one eye, named Bruno.
“Bruno has been coming to our facility every Christmas since the day we opened, four years ago,” he recounts. “On his first visit, his owner warned us that Bruno was terrified of men, and it showed. Grooming was a battle, walks were stressful, and he kept his distance, always ready to defend himself.”
But Mr Karaba built trust with Bruno so that fear turned into curiosity, then comfort, and finally, friendship. Today, Bruno walks through their gates with the confidence of a dog that knows where he is and that he is safe. They no longer see him as a guest, but as furmily.
Mugo Karaba, owner of Green Garden Kennels, poses with Bruno, a Japanese Spitz who stays at the facility every Christmas.
Photo credit: Pool
“He greets us with excitement, plays freely with other dogs, enjoys long walks, and allows grooming without fear,” Mr Karaba says with fondness. “His transformation is a reminder of why we do what we do.”
