Welcome to Santosha Boarding Kennels & Cattery!

• Quiet location 10 minutes drive from Nantwich
• Viewings encouraged – by appointment
• Modern, warm and secure
• Lots of friendy attention from dedicated animal lovers
• Enrichment activities and daily exercise
• Day boarding as well as longer stays
• Fully insured with 24 hour emergency vet cover
• Browse our pages to learn more

Our Boarding Kennels

A boarding kennels can be a rather different environment  to what most family dogs are used to. The daily routine is different, there is the presence of other dogs and unfamiliar people and the typically higher activity level. Most dogs, being generally quite sociable animals, take to the environment well and have a really good time. A few can find it a bit intimidating or stressful.

At Santosha Boarding Kennels, minimising stress and promoting positive doggy experiences is central to everything we do. Staying up to date with the latest research into dog behaviour guides everything from how we build and upgrade our kennels, how we train our humans, how we structure enrichment activities for the dogs and how we interact with them. We cannot provide an environment the same as it is at home but we can ensure a dependable routine, lots of positive human contact, physical and mental stimulation, activities to break up the day, security and peaceful times to get some good sleep. We offer all breeds of dog a high standard of friendly, knowledgeable care in clean, modern, well maintained accommodation. We have good quality house dry and wet dog food and are also happy to use food provided from home. We can also manage special diets and medications.

Large Rooms

Our large rooms offer a significant step up from a more traditional kennel – both in size and design. An enclosed room with a glass door, offering much greater privacy from other dogs, they have between 3.0 – 4.2m² tiled, heated indoor area and between 9 and 10m² of total space including a covered outdoor run.  We can house up to 3 larger or 4 smaller dogs from the same home sharing. Each insulated room is heated with an infra red heater, has a fan for cooling where needed and features a smart speaker for a choice of relaxing sounds.

Exercise and Enrichment

Dogs are walked individually in our large paddocks and we have the option of some off lead fun in our large secure enclosures. Different walking routes, rabbit occupied hedgerows, herb gardens and structures to investigate offer plenty of stimulation and things to occupy active minds. Balls and airflow toys to chase and fetch await those with a penchant for such things in the enclosures. Each dog has around 20 minutes of individual exercise per day. We don’t exercise dogs in groups. Exercise is given appropriate to the individual – lively dogs will enjoy a walk and an off lead blast whilst an older one maybe a more sedate stroll for a change of scenery. Additional blocks of one to one exercise can be purchased for higher energy dogs.

We also have an 80m² all weather surface area and two 20m² covered enclosures where our boarders have the opportunity to spend more time out of their accomodation, engaging in various activites to keep their minds busy. This is in addition to us walking around talking to the dogs, asking how they are, sitting in their pens with them and generally ensuring their comfort and wellbeing.

Our Cattery

Santosha Cattery offers friendly, modern, safe and secure accommodation for your cat. Our pens have an interesting outlook over beautiful gardens and have a heated indoor chalet and access to a covered, tiled outdoor run. We have 27 modern pens constructed to meet and exceed CIEH standards. Each cat has their own 16 sq ft insulated, electrically heated indoor pen with multiple shelves to look out of the double glazed window opening on to an individual, covered 6ft x 4ft run overlooking a beautiful water feature garden. Runs have a variety of furniture and multiple raised sundecks for relaxing and watching the world go by in all weathers. Three of these pens are designed for larger families and can house up to four cats, all of the others are designed to take up to two cats. Floors are tiled inside and out to give a light, airy feel. For less able cats, we have a variety of ramps and steps to enable access to raised areas.

Our house food is Iams Chicken dry food and Whiskas & Felix pouches but we are happy to give food provided from home. We can cater for most special diets and administer veterinary medications.  A Cattery is more confining than most cats are used to at home. Our aim is that our boarders are as relaxed as possible, kept engaged and entertained by regular interaction with people as well as their environment. This is on top of the basics of being kept clean, warm and well fed.

Daily Boarding Fees

From 1st April 2023

Dogs

All breeds 1 dog £25.00, 2 dogs sharing £40.00, 3 sharing £51.00
Our largest rooms can accommodate up to 4 small / medium or 3 large dogs sharing.
Day boarding (in from 9am, out by 5pm) from £20.00.
Christmas Stays: £30 per room one off addtional charge.

Cats

1 Cat £15.00
2 Cats sharing £24.00
3 Cats sharing £30.00
Family cat pens are subject to a 3 cat minimum occupancy charge.
Christmas Stays: £20 per pen one off additional charge.

Prices are per day with both the arrival and departure day charged. Bank holiday and peak summer weekends have a 3 day minimum charge.

Extra Services

Sunday PM collection between 3 – 4pm. Pre-booked only £10
Collection from home and drop off – by quotation, from £10 one way.
Extra 1on1 walks, playtime – £6 per 20 minutes.
Bathing – from £10 for a small dog

About Us

Santosha Cattery and Boarding Kennels was established in 1970 by Susan and David Crossley. Although the day to day running is now managed by their son, Adam, they remain engaged in the business.

Santosha (pronounced san-toe-sha) means contentment in Sanskrit. Although only spoken natively today by a very few people, Sanskrit is one of the holy languages of Hinduism. We feel that contentment is a key achievement in caring for pets and a pet who is contented whilst staying with us will go home a happy pet.

Susan & David are internationally recognised breeders and exhibitors of Shih Tzu. We have bred many Champions including several Bests of Breed at Crufts.  They are also international Championship show judges, having officiated as far afield as Australia and have both judged at Crufts – a rare double honour. Our vast experience with dogs is put to good use in the everyday running of the kennels.

We are also former breeders of pedigree British Shorthair cats and this experience enables us to offer knowledgeable care to kittens, elderly cats and others with special needs, including diabetics.

It doesn’t matter whether your pet is a pedigree or a unique combination all of his own, all have the same care and attention and we never forget that each boarder is a treasured member of someones family.

Adam, David and Susan are supported by 4 staff members, the majority of whom hold nationally recognised animal care qualifications.

Our kennels and cattery is located in South Cheshire in easy reach of Nantwich, Crewe, Sandbach, Winsford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Market Drayton and Whitchurch. You are most welcome to come and view by prior appointment.