What actually regulates a cattery website
Two layers. Animal boarding licensing, which in most developed markets applies to cat boarding and usually comes with an inspection and something you are expected to display. And the law that applies to any website taking bookings and deposits: consumer rules on prices and cancellation, privacy and cookies, marketing consent, accessibility and company details.
Catteries sit in the more regulated half of the pet world, closer to kennels than to groomers, because you hold animals overnight. This is orientation, not legal advice. Your licensing authority and a local adviser are the authorities on your situation.
United Kingdom
Licensing and display. In England, cat boarding is licensable under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018. The local council licenses it, inspects, and issues a star rating. Put the authority, the licence number and the rating on the site where owners look, and link the public register where your council publishes one. Scotland and Wales have their own arrangements.
Consumer law. The Consumer Rights Act on services and the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which set out the information you must give when a stay is booked online and the cancellation rights that attach to it, with particular exceptions where a service is booked for a specific date. State deposits, the balance date and the cancellation window at the point of booking, not only in the terms. Prices inclusive of VAT where you are registered.
Privacy. UK GDPR and PECR. Your privacy notice has to cover what the booking platform stores, including the owner's contact details and the cat's medical and medication notes. ICO registration applies to most.
Company details. A limited company shows its registered name, number and office. A sole trader shows the trading name and an address.
Accessibility. Equality Act, with WCAG 2.1 AA as the working standard.
United States
Licensing and display. State, county or city, and it varies enormously. Some jurisdictions license boarding kennels and catteries and require the number in advertising; many do not. Check with your county or city animal services. Federal USDA licensing under the Animal Welfare Act generally targets breeders, dealers and exhibitors rather than a boarding cattery.
Consumer law. The FTC on deceptive advertising, plus state consumer protection acts. Deposit and cancellation terms have to be clear before payment.
Privacy and marketing. State privacy laws in California and a growing list of others, for businesses over their thresholds. No federal cookie consent rule. The TCPA governs consent for marketing texts, which matters directly if you send booking reminders or peak-season prompts by text.
Accessibility. The ADA has been applied to websites through litigation. WCAG 2.1 AA is the practical standard.
Canada
Licensing and display. Usually municipal, with animal care standards set provincially. Kennel and boarding licences and any display requirement come from your municipality.
Consumer law. Provincial consumer protection acts, with Quebec's the strictest on pricing and contract terms. Misleading advertising sits under the Competition Act federally. A site serving Quebec needs French.
Privacy and marketing. PIPEDA, plus Quebec's Law 25 with its consent and policy requirements. CASL governs consent for marketing email and text, including seasonal booking reminders.
Accessibility. AODA in Ontario, the Accessible Canada Act federally.
Australia
Licensing and display. State and territory. Boarding establishments follow state codes of practice, with Victoria and New South Wales both publishing one, and normally register with the local council. Display requirements come from the council.
Consumer law. The Australian Consumer Law on misleading conduct, consumer guarantees and unfair contract terms. Peak-season cancellation clauses are worth reviewing against the unfair terms rules, because a term that forfeits everything with no notice period is the kind that attracts attention.
Privacy and marketing. The Privacy Act for businesses over the threshold, and a privacy policy is expected regardless once your forms collect personal data. The Spam Act for marketing email and text.
Accessibility. Disability Discrimination Act, WCAG 2.1 AA.
European Union
Licensing and display. National. Germany, for example, requires a permit under its animal welfare law for commercial boarding, and it is commonly displayed. Other member states register boarding in their own ways.
Consumer law. The Consumer Rights Directive sets information duties and a withdrawal right for services booked online, with exceptions for services booked for a specific date once agreed. The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive covers claims. Prices shown inclusive of VAT.
Company details. The e-commerce information duties, at their strictest in the German and Austrian Impressum tradition: legal name, address, contact, registration and VAT numbers.
Privacy. GDPR and ePrivacy consent for cookies. Vaccination and medication records are personal data about the owner as well as information about the cat.
Accessibility. The European Accessibility Act applies to many digital services above the micro-enterprise threshold from June 2025.
What is the same everywhere
- Display the licence, registration or inspection rating your jurisdiction gives you, as text, and link the public register where there is one.
- Never claim a licence, rating, insurance or membership you do not currently hold.
- State nightly rates, the sharing rate, peak rates and extras honestly, tax included where that applies.
- Put deposit and cancellation terms in front of the owner at the point of booking, in the same words as the price page.
- Publish company details and a privacy notice that covers what your booking platform stores.
- Get proper consent before marketing emails and texts, including peak-season reminders.
- Build to WCAG 2.1 AA.
Where this sits
Every cattery website we build runs a country checklist at the content stage covering licence display, price and cancellation statements, company details, privacy, marketing consent and accessibility, and the same checklist runs across our pet business websites with the details changed per business type. Packages are on pricing. For a cattery, the licence displayed where owners look does most of the work on its own.