Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Anthony
Hi Bonnie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always like all animals – they have always been a part of my life. As a child I spent countless hours outside on the farm playing with and taking care of the animals. I always loved playing with all of the cats and kittens that were in our barn – it was always a great adventure to find the kitttens hidden amongst the hay bales in the hay loft.
When I was a young mother of 3 I had a very serious health issue that forced me to be at home, and not be able to drive for a long period of time. Things got better, but I wanted to find something I could do from home (I live on a small acerage) to earn an income, in case I should ever be in that precarious position again.
One day I was leaving a local library, and picked up a used magazine in the “share” bin, and there was an article about a young woman who lived in Maine, and she had started a cat’s only boarding business. I thought this was so unique – and there were absolutely no good places anywhere around me to board cats. I had experienced having to board my own cat in the back room of a veterinary facility in a very small space. I just thought I could do better.
I did a lot of online research for other facilities – there were not many at all in our country. In England it is more common to have a “cattery” for boarding.
It took a lot of digging and looking, and some phone calls to people who did have a facility, to see if they were willing to give any advice. The original girl from Maine, whose article I saw, was helpful. She charged me for her advice, and I would do the same myself today. It is a definitely learning curve, and you want the best advice possible.
It took a number of years for my dream of this kind of facility to become a reality – it was built right on my acreage in a very rural part of Southern Minnesota.
My husband and I did some of the construction of the Inn ourselves. We hired a lot of it done too – all the major parts, but we did a lot of the floor installation, painting, etc.
I’m surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans. I’ve had numerous customers tell me how beautiful this part of Minnesota is, and how much they enjoyed driving through the countryside to get here.
Things were very different back in 2005 when I started – you advertised mostly in local newspapers and yellow pages, and handed out lots of business cards to get the word out. It was very expensive to advertise, for a small business start up. Today, it is much easier to get started for small businesses, with the advent of the internet and social media. You can spread your word far and wide with that, so you are not dependent on such a local market.
Need I tell you that a lot of people thought I was crazy? A lot of people thought it was great – and a lot of people still don’t understand what I do here.
It is a business that requires you to be at work 7 days a week, with very little time off. I have always been so thankful for the people that have been willing to come in and work with me or take over completely for a period of time, so I could have some vacation time.
There have definitely been ups and downs – we were doing really well for a start up from 2005 – 2008, then the recession hit. It was a slow build up again after that. Four years ago (2020-2021) was Covid. Business was almost nothing then. I also had cancer during covid – so that was a challenging time. In 2022 people had to travel – and we were so busy, it was just crazy! Two years ago I had another major health “event” and was in the hospital a few times. I can never thank my oldest daughter Kalisha enough for taking time away from her own job to come in and take over for me, and run this place while I could not. There were others who helped at this time also, and I am forever grateful to them for their help. It takes a village as they say.
I’ve been in business since the Fall of 2005 – so this will be my 20th year.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We specialize in home-like/luxury cat boarding. There are no cages, “condos” or small places of confinement at our Inn.
No dogs in our facility – so there is no stress for the cats of the barking and smell of them. My boarders appreciate that.
We have a number of different room sizes to accommodate from 1-5 cats comfortably. Many of the rooms have windows in them with bird feeders right outside the window for great feline entertainment.
Our facility also has a large 12 x 16 foot playroom that is full of windows, perches and a climbing wall for the cats. This provides time outside of their room for active play and exercise.
We also have a rocking chair in the playroom so we can have lap time with the guests.
Cats at our Inn never “mix” with each other – no direct contact. This prevents negative interaction and possible bites and scratches. All cats are different, and some cats need their space respected.
We have taken care of all different personalities of cats – we see super shy cats and cats that are very social and everything in between on a daily and weekly basis here.
Our facility is unique, and I am blessed to have people drive from far distances to board their cats with us.
It is very fulfilling to provide a service that people need and are happy with.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Honestly, it was riding horses. I had friends I could ride with, and we spent many, many summer days riding around where we lived. I had horses for many years, and I still miss them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.catscottageinn.com
- Instagram: cats_cottage_inn_cat_boarding
- Facebook: Cats Cottage Inn, Cat Boarding Minnesota
