WHILE YOU'RE AWAY.

Byline: Mark Baker The Register-Guard

They have everything but a "Do Not Disturb!" sign on the door.

But they could probably get one.

"We're really willing to do anything they ask," says Faith LaCross, who runs Auntie's Cat Kennels in Eugene's River Road neighborhood. It's a cat hotel, if you will, that has 15 individual rooms fashioned out of an old shop building behind her home.

LaCross remembers one guest who wouldn't eat her food unless it was prepared on a plate in one smooth layer - with a slice of turkey and a pimento-stuffed olive on top.

Talk about a "suite" deal.

At the Willamette Valley Dog and Cat Motel, just outside the Eugene city limits on Bodenhamer Road, owner Valerie Stinson is getting ready for the busy summer months.

"We're pretty much booked already," she says.

Yes, dog and cat owners need to make reservations for their pets, just like the ones their owners have made for that July trek to the Tetons or that summer vacation to Europe.

"Oh, my goodness, yes," says Stinson, standing in the hallway of one of her two buildings that can house up to 170 animals. Summertime for kennels is "like Christmas for months," she says.

Not that her kennel isn't busy now, with an average of 75 to 100 pets on any given day - even a rabbit named Rupert. There have been ferrets, hedgehogs, parrots and snakes here, too.

"For a year we had this lady's ducks and chickens," says Stinson, who bought the kennel in 1999 from Ray and Alice Gould, who opened it in 1971.

On a recent Wednesday morning, there was Barney the dachshund, Amber the yellow Labrador retriever, Dixie the English bulldog, Cha-Vez the pit bull, pugs Max and Rocky, Christie the miniature pinscher, Cody the schnauzer, Stella the border collie, Zerbey the Rottweiler, Sam the Chesapeake Bay retriever, Charlie the Newfoundland, Jack the Australian shepherd mix, Gus the Shar-Pei - all housed in cages in one building. Most of them barking and yipping and yowling as Stinson and a couple of visitors walked the corridor.

In another building, one with doors on the individual rooms, Cupcake, a Pomeranian/dachshund mix, wasn't too sure about who might be peeking in when Stinson opened the door. She barked and growled, but her friendly nature finally relented as she bounded into Stinson's arms and lapped at her chin.

There are several cats in Cupcake's wing on this day, including too-skinny siblings Spunky and Missy Anne. The cats are "fattening up," Stinson says, after suffering liver failure from eating tainted pet food that was part of the recent nationwide pet food recall.

In the kennel's office is a four-page printout from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration listing the 95 recalled brands. Just another challenge of the many that kennel ownership presents.

Not that Stinson would give up this lifestyle for anything. She loves animals too much, she says.

Asked what she looks for when hiring employees, she says: "Pretty much the only thing I demand is that they must love animals. Other than that, I'll train them."

If you want to get into the kennel business, Stinson offers this advice: ``Have lots and lots of hours to give. Have the animals' interest No. 1.''

When it comes to finding accommodations for Fido or Fluffy in Lane County, there are many kennels.

The business that LaCross runs behind her 1928 Sunnyside Drive home, where she lives with husband Terry LaCross and daughter Kirah, 8, appears to be the only cat hotel in the area. However, most kennels will take cats even though "man's best friend" is the most frequent kennel guest.

Dog kennels are not allowed inside the Eugene city limits because of zoning regulations, says Mike Wellington, manager of the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority. That's why you'll find most of kennels on the outskirts of Eugene and Springfield.

Fred and Jan Willer have run Holiday Kennels near Interstate 5 in Goshen for almost 30 years.

``So the dogs can bark all they want,'' Jan Willer says, referring to the location.

Her No. 1 advice when looking for a kennel?

``Go and inspect it yourself. If they don't allow that, then I wouldn't board there,'' she says.

Stinson concurs. Take a tour, she advises.

"Always," she says. ``We highly recommend it.''

Although some kennels prefer you call in advance to arrange a tour, Stinson says to just drop by. "I'd rather they didn't (call)," she says. "Just so they know we aren't hiding anything."

John Archer, along with his wife, Donna, owns Claymore Waggin Inn on Alvadore Road near Fern Ridge Lake.

"If they won't give you a tour, it's probably not a place you want to go," John Archer says

To find a good kennel, Archer recommends checking with veterinarians, kennel associations and even your neighbors who have pets.

Rates in the area are comparable; as an example, the daily rates at the Willamette Valley Dog and Cat Motel are $19 for dogs, and $12.50 and $14 for cats and exotic pets, depending on the size room requested. Some kennels offer additional activities for your pet, including ``play times'' and ``nature walks.''

The LaCrosses bought their business in 2001 from Shirley Catterall, a veterinary technician. Catterall and her partner opened the business in 1999 under the name Auntie Shirley's Cat Kennels, Faith LaCross says.

Each room of the 15-room cat hotel has a classroomlike door with mesh wire so you can see in and talk to the residents, but they can't get out.

Of course, Faith LaCross says, kittens like to fling themselves and land on the mesh wire. Two of the rooms are even "adjoining suites," she says, as KLCC plays in the background for the kitties.

On this day, gray tabby sisters Ally and Lexy occupy the rooms that are connected by a small door. But they're lounging separately in their baskets. "My anorexic kitties," LaCross says, joking about the cats' well-fed appearances.

Each door has an index card for notes and a photo of the current resident. Many of the closet-sized rooms that cost $11 a day have views of a garden or blueberry bushes. A west-facing room gets you plenty of warm, late-afternoon sunshine.

Although it's well-known that cats don't exactly take kindly to being relocated, many of the residents at Auntie's Cat Kennel quickly adapt, LaCross says. And you shouldn't stereotype them, she adds.

``I've had a cat who will play fetch. I've had people ask if we had a plug-in so they could bring a TV.''

Then there was the woman who brought a couch (cat-sized, of course) for her beloved.

"It's funny," LaCross says. "Sometimes when the owners come, the cats don't want to come out of their room." It's almost as if they're saying, "Hey, this is my space now," she says.

TIPS ON FINDING A KENNEL

The American Boarding Kennel Association suggests the following when looking for a good place to board your pooch, feline or other furry friend:

Take a tour: Visit and see if it's a place you would want to leave your pet for more than a day. The general appearance should be neat and clean. If the facility doesn't allow you to visit where the animals are kept, it should at least provide some type of viewing window.

Reservations: Ask about the lead time to book a slot. If it's a top-notch place, it's going to be booked well in advance during summer and holidays.

Security: Since your pet might try to find you after being dropped off, look for a sturdy, well-maintained facility with appropriate fences, gates and dividers. If your pet is an "escape artist," make sure to tell the staff.

Safety: Make sure the facility is free of sharp objects, chemicals and objects your pet might swallow. Make sure sleeping quarters have solid dividers and exercise areas have barriers.

Supervision: Animals should be checked regularly by someone trained to recognize signs of illness or distress.

Sanitation: Facility should be free of dirt, fecal accumulation, odors and parasite infestation. "Potty" areas should be well-maintained and without discernible odor.

Food and water: Most facilities supply preferred brands and let you bring your own if you want. Individual water containers should be provided and filled with clean drinking water. Ask about additional charges or special policies if your pet needs any special feeding arrangements.

Veterinary services: Ask what happens in case of illness or injury. Most facilities will ask for your vet information in case of emergency.

Immunization requirements: Dogs should be immunized for rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvovirus and bordatella; cats should be immunized for rabies, panleukopenia or distemper, feline rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and pneumonitis.

Medication: Many facilities will not accept animals who require excessive (more than three times a day) medication. Ask what the facility provides and charges.

Other: Check out temperature control, protection from the elements, ventilation, lighting, bedding, sleeping quarters and exercise areas. In Lane County, all dog kennels must be licensed by the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority.