Catnip Bed & Breakfast: Cats-Only Care in Gig Harbor

A calm retreat built around trust and familiarity By Like Media Team

At Catnip Bed & Breakfast, no cat shares a wall with a barking dog, no check-in is rushed, and enrichment is not treated like an upgrade. Owner Mel Perry built the Gig Harbor retreat around a simple belief: cats do better when their care is calm, familiar, and personal. Catnip is for cats only, all-inclusive, intentionally small, and cared for entirely by Mel herself.

Mel grew up in Gig Harbor surrounded by animals. Her parents spent 50 years breeding and showing champion dogs, and their home also included boarding pets. Even as a child, Mel noticed when animals needed more attention than basic care provided, and she quietly gave it to them. That instinct never left.

Catnip is Mel's third boarding facility, and each version has become smaller and more focused. Through experience, she has learned to separate what looks impressive from what actually helps a cat feel safe. Crystal chandeliers and themed rooms may photograph well, but natural light, special-diet preparation, enrichment, and familiar routines are the details she believes should be standard of care.

Mel is Fear Free Certified and completed the Cat Friendly Professional Program through the Feline Veterinary Medical Association. She says she does not know another cat boarder who has completed both. Her childhood friend Erin Hicks, DVM, owns Whisker Wellness Center, Gig Harbor's only feline-focused veterinary practice. As children, the two planned to become veterinarians together. Erin followed that path. Mel earned a graduate degree in business and worked for companies including Amazon, Tesla, and Meta before returning to the kind of animal care that had mattered to her since childhood.

That training shows up in the details. Mel matches each cat's litter brand at home. She does not schedule overlapping check-ins because she does not want to rush a cat or divide her attention. Her days begin early and include about six rounds of care, with two to three separate enrichment opportunities per cat. One may visit the outdoor catio. Another may prefer a quiet stroll through the cabin. Lights go out around 10 pm, and overnight monitoring continues by video.

The small scale is intentional. The cabin sits feet from Mel's home, not in a warehouse monitored remotely. "Doing what I do is a lifestyle," she says.

One couple had delayed travel for a decade because their two cats had complex medical needs. Their routine came with four pages of instructions and eight types of kibble in rotation. Mel sent updates throughout their trip to Japan. At pickup, she offered observations that helped them simplify the routine at home. Before they left, they booked Catnip again for a trip to Europe.

For Mel, stories like that reflect what she is trying to build: not a large facility, but a trusted place where cats receive careful, consistent, informed care. She was once licensed to board 25 cats, but she says she will never come close to that number again. The goal is not growth for growth’s sake. It is better care, refined over time.

A stay at Catnip is meant to feel a little like a stay at Grandma's house. Not home, but familiar in its own way. Understood, special, well-loved. The kind of place a cat is ready to leave when their family returns, and happy to come back to next time.

Catnip Bed & Breakfast

Gig Harbor, WA

253.400.6258

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