Why Are There So Few Catteries in Central London?

Central London has very few licensed catteries because cat boarding needs space, planning tolerance, vehicle access, and separation from dense housing. Here is what that means for owners.

The short answer

Licensed catteries need physical space: individual sleeping cabins, exercise areas, hygienic drainage, ventilation, waste handling, and staff access. That makes them hard to run in dense central London premises.

The result is a supply pattern that looks unusual if you search by city name. Many practical London options sit in outer boroughs or just beyond the M25 rather than in Zone 1 or Zone 2.

Planning and premises constraints

A cattery is not just a spare room with cat beds. Operators need a premises that can meet licensing conditions for disease control, pen layout, heating, noise, cleaning, and emergency access.

Central London premises are expensive and tightly packed. Even when a site is technically possible, neighbours, noise risk, traffic, and limited outdoor service space can make permission and day-to-day operation difficult.

Why outer boroughs carry the supply

Outer boroughs have more detached homes, smallholdings, garden plots, kennels, and mixed-use premises. These are more suitable for licensed animal boarding than flats or high-street units.

For many London owners, the realistic cattery search is therefore Bromley, Bexley, Croydon, Enfield, Havering, Hillingdon, Kingston, Sutton, or nearby commuter-belt areas rather than Westminster or Camden.

Alternatives when the nearest cattery is too far

A visiting cat sitter can be a better fit for anxious cats, indoor cats, very short trips, or owners without a car. The sitter visits your home, so the cat stays in familiar surroundings.

This is a different service from licensed cattery boarding. Visiting sitters are not normally regulated under the Animal Activity Licence regime, so check insurance, references, emergency procedures, and how long each visit lasts.

Start with our London cattery page, then compare sitter marketplaces if the licensed supply is thin for your exact postcode.

Frequently asked questions

Are there no catteries in central London at all?

There may be individual operators over time, but central London supply is consistently thin compared with outer boroughs and commuter-belt areas.

Is a cat sitter less safe than a cattery?

Not inherently. It is a different risk profile. Catteries are licensed premises; visiting sitters keep the cat at home but rely more on the sitter's own insurance, process, and reliability.

Should I search by postcode instead of London?

Yes. A postcode search is more useful because the closest practical option may be across a borough boundary or outside Greater London.