Every cat boarding facility in Singapore has to hold a Pet Boarding Licence issued by the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), and you can check any cattery's licence yourself in about two minutes. AVS publishes a downloadable list of every licensed pet boarding facility in the country. If the business you are considering is not on that list, it should not be boarding your cat.
Here is what the licence is, what an operator has to do to get one, and — just as importantly — what it does not tell you.
What the Pet Boarding Licence is
The licence is issued per premises, not per company, and it costs $100 a year. That matters more than it sounds: a business can be properly registered with ACRA, have a polished website and an active Instagram, and still not hold a licence for the unit your cat would actually be staying in.
AVS is the authority for animal and veterinary matters in Singapore and sits within the National Parks Board. The licence is the legal minimum for taking someone else's cat overnight for money.
What an operator has to do to get one
The requirements are more substantial than most cat owners realise.
Before applying, the operator has to attend and pass mandatory training on pet welfare and animal management, from a course provider recognised by AVS. The application itself requires written permission from URA for the change in use of the premises, company documents, and the tenancy or lease.
The layout plans have to show specific things: the quarantine area, the exercise area, the food preparation area, the wash area, the ventilation system and the waste discharge system. Plans for the enclosures themselves, including quantity and dimensions, have to be submitted separately.
Then the premises are inspected. Approval only follows a successful inspection, and AVS is explicit that no animals can be boarded before final approval is given.
So a licensed cattery has, at minimum, been physically inspected, has a dedicated quarantine area, and has somebody on the team who has completed formal training in animal welfare.
How to check a cattery yourself
AVS maintains a page called the Public Registry of AVS-Licensed Pet Boarding Facilities. It publishes the current list as a downloadable PDF, updated periodically.
Search the PDF for the business name. If you cannot find it, ask the facility directly for its licence number before you book — a licensed operator will give it to you without hesitation. Ours is AVS00072, and it appears in the footer of every page on this site.
One caution: a licence covers an address. If a facility has moved or opened a second unit, check that the address on the register is the one your cat will be staying at.
What the licence does not tell you
This is the part that gets missed. The licence is a floor, not a ceiling. It establishes that the premises passed an inspection and that the operator completed training. It says nothing about the things that actually shape your cat's week.
It does not tell you how much time your cat gets outside its room, or whether anyone plays with it at all. It does not tell you how many cats share a space, or whether cats from different households can see each other. It does not tell you what happens at two in the morning if a cat stops eating. It does not tell you whether you will hear anything from them while you are away.
Two facilities can both be fully licensed and offer completely different stays.
What to ask beyond the licence
Once you have confirmed the licence, the useful questions are operational. How long is my cat out of its room each day, and is that supervised? What happens in a medical emergency, and which vet do you work with? Can I see my cat while I am away? What food and litter do you use, and can I bring my own? What are your check-in documents, and why?
At Catnap we ask for a sterilisation certificate, a vaccination record valid within the last year, and a negative FIV/FeLV blood test from a registered vet, plus flea and tick treatment within a week of check-in. Those are our requirements rather than licence conditions, and we explain the reasoning behind the blood test in a separate post. The full list is on our booking requirements page.
The most reliable way to answer all of these at once is to walk in and look. We run free guided tours — you can book a slot online, and it is worth doing before you commit to any cattery, not just ours. We have also written about what to ask when you get there.
The short version
Check the AVS register first. Ask for the licence number if you cannot find the business. Then ignore the paperwork and ask about playtime, updates, food and emergencies, because that is where facilities actually differ.
