Top 10 Catteries in Tauranga & Bay of Plenty: Best Cat Boarding 2026
Here's something we didn't expect when we crunched the numbers across every region we cover: the Bay of Plenty has the highest average cattery rating in New Zealand. Not Auckland, with three times the facilities. Not Wellington, with its $63-a-night luxury suites. The Bay.
Ten catteries serve the region, from Katikati in the north down through Tauranga and Papamoa to Te Puke, plus two in Rotorua. Their average rating sits at 4.89 out of 5. Five of the ten hold a perfect 5.0.
And the prices? The entire region runs between $20 and $28 a night. That's an $8 spread — the narrowest of any major region in the country. In Auckland the gap between cheapest and dearest is $30.
So if you're in Tauranga looking to board your cat, you're in an unusually good position. The hard part isn't avoiding a bad cattery. It's choosing between a lot of genuinely good ones.
Quick Answer
The Cat's Whiskers in Te Puna is the region's highest-rated cattery (5.0 from 63 reviews) at $22.50/night, with individual enclosures and private sundecks. The Big Meow in Greerton is a close second (5.0 from 47) at $24/night with 22 private cat-only rooms. Paws in Te Puna — which many locals still know as Top Katz — has more reviews than anywhere else in the Bay (4.9 from 86) and starts at $20/night with unusually large runs. For the lowest rates, Mamaku Cattery near Rotorua and A Cat's World in Oropi also start at $20.
Book early for summer. Two of the region's top facilities impose minimum stays over Christmas and New Year — five nights at The Cat's Whiskers, seven at The Big Meow — and the best rooms go months ahead.
Why the Bay of Plenty Punches Above Its Weight
Tauranga has grown from 80,100 people in 1996 to roughly 169,600 in 2026 — a doubling in under thirty years, and the fastest growth of any urban centre in New Zealand, according to Stats NZ figures reported by the NZ Herald. The wider Bay of Plenty region hit 351,500 in 2025 and is projected to reach 541,200 by 2053.
Cats came with all those people. Companion Animals New Zealand puts the national cat population at about 1.26 million, in roughly 40% of households — the most popular pet in the country by a clear margin.
But cattery supply hasn't kept pace with demand. Ten facilities for a region of 351,500 people is thin. Auckland has 35 for about 1.7 million. Run the numbers and the Bay has roughly one cattery per 35,000 residents; Auckland has one per 49,000. Better than you'd think — but Auckland's are concentrated in a dense urban area, while the Bay's are scattered from Katikati to Rotorua, an hour and a half apart.
What that means in practice: the Bay's catteries don't really compete on price. They're all clustered within a few dollars of each other because there's enough demand to fill them regardless. They compete on care — which is likely why the ratings sit so high.
How We Ranked These Catteries
We ranked by verified Google rating first, then by review volume as the tiebreaker. A 5.0 from 63 reviews is a stronger signal than a 5.0 from 21, so the more-reviewed facility places higher within the same rating band.
We also verified, for every facility: current nightly rates, accommodation type, on-site facilities, medication policies, and any minimum-stay rules. Prices are the "from" rate for a single cat and were confirmed against each cattery's own published rates or direct contact.
One caveat worth stating plainly: ratings measure how satisfied past customers were, not whether a particular cattery suits your cat. A communal facility with a 4.7 may be perfect for a social cat and completely wrong for a nervous one. Read the "best for" notes below — they matter more than the ranking.
The Top 10 Bay of Plenty Catteries
1. The Cat's Whiskers — Te Puna
5.0 stars (63 reviews) · From $22.50/night · Luxury
The region's highest-rated cattery, on a substantial 63 reviews. Purpose-built at 215 Wairoa Road in Te Puna in consultation with local vets, the facility exceeds Animal Welfare Act requirements rather than merely meeting them.
Every cat gets an individual enclosure with its own private sundeck and patio. There's a deliberate no-mixing policy — cats from different households never share space. Royal Canin food is included, and Lisa and her team post regular updates to Facebook so you can see how your cat's settling.
Rates are $22.50 a day with an $11 half-day option, which is handy if you're collecting mid-morning. A public holiday surcharge of $11 per cat per day applies. Payment is due in full at collection, and there are no refunds for early pickup.
Best for: Nervous cats, first-time boarders, and anyone who wants their cat to have genuine outdoor access without meeting other cats.
2. The Big Meow — Greerton
5.0 stars (47 reviews) · From $24/night · Boutique
Twenty-two private rooms, cats only, no dogs anywhere on site. Ross and Erin grew up around animals and run the place with the kind of attention that shows up in reviews — the phrase that recurs is "spotlessly clean, no odour," which anyone who's walked into a poorly run cattery will appreciate.
Each cat has its own room with outdoor access during the day. Medication is administered, vet transport is available if needed, and they stock both Hills Science Diet and Royal Canin.
At $24 a night it sits mid-range for the region. There's a two-night minimum stay as standard, rising to seven nights over Christmas and New Year. No deposit is required, which is unusual — payment is due within 48 hours of collection.
Best for: Cat owners who want a cat-only environment in central Tauranga, and anyone boarding for a week or more.
3. Mamaku Cattery — Rotorua
5.0 stars (24 reviews) · From $20/night · Standard
The cheapest 5.0-rated cattery in the region, and one of the smallest. Rachel caps the place at twelve cats at a time, which is the whole point — you're paying $20 a night for something close to individual attention.
Her background helps. Rachel has worked in the veterinary industry, including co-owning kennels and working in a vet clinic, so medical needs aren't a novelty here. Medication administration is $5 a day. The purpose-built cattery connects directly to the family home.
Multi-cat households get a discount: $1 off per additional cat, so two cats board at $19 each. Checkout is by 10am or a $10 half-day fee applies. Pick-up and delivery can be arranged — email for pricing.
Location is a genuine selling point. Mamaku sits twenty minutes from Rotorua via Dansey Road and SH5, roughly on the route between Rotorua, Tirau, Hamilton and Tauranga. If you're driving that way anyway, the detour is minimal.
Best for: Budget-conscious owners who don't want to trade down on care, cats with medical needs, and travellers heading north or west.
4. Katikati Kitty Cats — Katikati
5.0 stars (23 reviews) · From $22/night · Boutique
Set among the fruit orchards at 29 Walker Road West, this small family-run cattery has been operating since 1998. Peter and Theresa took over in 2015 and have since cared for more than 600 cats.
Each cat has its own personal space, with units opening onto outdoor areas. Three family units are available for households boarding multiple cats who already live together. Everything's heated, and the owners live on site.
The practical advantage nobody else in the region offers: it's just off State Highway 2, which makes it a genuinely convenient stop if you're driving to Auckland Airport. Drop the cat, carry on north, collect on the way home.
Best for: Bonded pairs and multi-cat households, and anyone flying out of Auckland rather than Tauranga.
5. Papamoa Kitty Cabins — Papamoa
5.0 stars (21 reviews) · From $28/night · Boutique
The most expensive cattery in the Bay — and still $17 a night cheaper than Auckland's dearest. Purpose-built indoors with full air conditioning, video monitoring and fire monitoring systems.
Cheree is feline first aid certified with seven years of cat rescue fostering behind her. The pricing structure is the most flexible in the region and rewards a bit of planning:
- $28/night standard
- $26/night if you bring your own food
- $25/night on a Gold Card
- $26/night for stays of 14+ days ($180/week)
- $48/day total for two cats
Pick-up and drop-off around Te Puke, Mount Maunganui and Papamoa costs $10. Out-of-hours service is $15, after-hours pickup with 24 hours' notice is $30. Notably, there are no hidden surcharges for peak periods, brushing, medication or senior cats — a contrast with several facilities that add them. Early pickup converts the remaining days to credit for your next visit rather than being forfeited.
Best for: Longer stays, seniors, and owners who want climate control and camera monitoring.
6. Paws in Te Puna — Te Puna
4.9 stars (86 reviews) · From $20/night · Standard
More reviews than any other cattery in the Bay — 86, comfortably ahead of the next closest — at a 4.9 average. If you've lived in Tauranga a while you may know it as Top Katz, the name it traded under for more than twenty years at the same address before rebranding. Plenty of long-standing customers still call it that.
The enclosures are the selling point. Individual runs start at 3 metres long by 1 metre wide, which is considerably more space than most catteries allocate, and each is fitted with ramps, multiple levels, an enclosed inside sleeping area, sneeze guards and privacy screens. The design was done with veterinary input. Runs look out onto sunlit areas and the surrounding birdlife.
Serena runs the place, and the reviews are unusually consistent about her — patience with nervous cats and their owners comes up repeatedly, as does accommodating last-minute bookings. One reviewer has been bringing cats here for over twenty years.
Room options scale with your household: single runs, doubles for two cats, and larger runs taking three to six cats from one family. Sharing brings the per-cat rate down to $16. There's also a separate social cabin for cats from different households, but only for cats that are vaccinated, healthy and genuinely sociable.
From $20 a night for a single enclosure, $18 for a multi-cat enclosure. A $2 per cat per night surcharge applies over public holidays and Christmas/New Year — the smallest peak loading in the region. Drop-off or pick-up outside opening hours costs $25. Stays over four weeks may qualify for a reduced rate.
Best for: Cats who need room to move, multi-cat households, nervous cats, and long stays.
7. A Cat's World — Oropi
4.8 stars (51 reviews) · From $20/night · Standard
The oldest cattery in the region by a long way, established in 1970 as Animals Unlimited and now run by Nicole and Steve. It sits on four acres in the foothills of the Kaimai ranges at 359 Oropi Road, overlooking the Waimapu Stream, five minutes from Greerton.
Accommodation is individual two-level apartments, each with an enclosed hutch area and its own private run. Six separate alleys handle different needs, including a dedicated alley for senior cats and cats with mobility issues, post-surgery recovery or epilepsy. Heat pads go in during cooler months.
The medical care here stands out. Medication is administered at no extra charge, including for insulin-dependent cats and cats requiring dialysis — that's a level of capability most catteries won't take on at any price. Pick-up and delivery covers greater Tauranga plus transfers to Tauranga and Rotorua airports.
From $20 a night, with discounts for multiple cats and stays over four weeks. Collection outside operating hours carries a $50 surcharge.
Best for: Senior cats, cats with complex medical needs, and long stays.
8. Close To Home — Rotorua
4.8 stars (20 reviews) · From $24/night · Standard
Annette and Clemens have run this Mangakakahi cattery since 2006, with capacity for up to 42 cats — the second-largest in the region.
Cats get individual sleeping cages lined with warm sheepskin rugs, with heating throughout and a communal play area for those who want it. Royal Canin food is provided, and each cat has its own litter box. Long-term boarding is available, which not every facility accommodates.
$24 a night, with a $30 fee for after-hours drop-off or pick-up.
Best for: Sociable cats who enjoy company, and long-term stays in the Rotorua area.
9. Papamoa Kennels & Cattery — Welcome Bay
4.7 stars (52 reviews) · From $20/night · Standard
One of the largest and most established boarding facilities in the Bay of Plenty, at 1222 Welcome Bay Road on the corner of Te Puke Highway. It's vet-owned, which is worth something when things go wrong.
Two things to know before booking. First, it boards dogs as well as cats — if your cat finds barking distressing, look elsewhere. Second, the cattery is communal rather than individual units. For a confident, sociable cat that's fine and arguably better company. For a nervous or territorial cat it's the wrong environment.
At $20 a night it's tied for the cheapest in the region, and the 52 reviews make it one of the most-reviewed.
Best for: Confident, sociable cats. Owners on a budget. Households boarding a cat and a dog together.
View Papamoa Kennels & Cattery →
10. Pawprints Petstay — Paengaroa
4.7 stars (48 reviews) · From $22/night · Standard
Kelly and Dean have run Pawprints since 2004 from 303 State Highway 33 at Paengaroa, five minutes south of Te Puke and about thirty minutes from Tauranga.
The cattery is open-plan and indoors, with climate control and plenty of ramps and cat towers to climb. There's a warm room with a large non-opening ranch slider that gives cats a sunny spot to bask in — a small design decision that cats care about far more than owners expect.
Like Papamoa Kennels, this is a shared-space facility rather than individual units, so the same caveat applies about nervous cats.
Best for: Active, climbing cats who like vertical space. Handy for anyone travelling SH33 towards Rotorua.
Price Comparison: Bay of Plenty Catteries
| Cattery | Location | From | Rating | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mamaku Cattery | Mamaku, Rotorua | $20.00 | 5.0 (24) | Individual |
| Paws in Te Puna | Te Puna, Tauranga | $20.00 | 4.9 (86) | Individual |
| A Cat's World | Oropi, Tauranga | $20.00 | 4.8 (51) | Individual |
| Papamoa Kennels & Cattery | Welcome Bay | $20.00 | 4.7 (52) | Communal |
| Katikati Kitty Cats | Katikati | $22.00 | 5.0 (23) | Individual |
| Pawprints Petstay | Paengaroa | $22.00 | 4.7 (48) | Open plan |
| The Cat's Whiskers | Te Puna | $22.50 | 5.0 (63) | Individual |
| The Big Meow | Greerton, Tauranga | $24.00 | 5.0 (47) | Individual |
| Close To Home | Mangakakahi, Rotorua | $24.00 | 4.8 (20) | Individual |
| Papamoa Kitty Cabins | Papamoa | $28.00 | 5.0 (21) | Individual |
Regional average: $22.25/night. Median: $22/night.
How the Bay Compares to the Rest of New Zealand
This is where the region's character becomes obvious. Here's every major region we cover, by average nightly rate and average rating:
| Region | Catteries | Price range | Average | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch | 11 | $15–$24 | $19.23 | 4.82 |
| Bay of Plenty | 10 | $20–$28 | $22.25 | 4.89 |
| Waikato | 9 | $18–$30 | $23.06 | 4.74 |
| Auckland | 35 | $15–$45 | $24.95 | 4.75 |
| Wellington | 14 | $17–$63 | $26.29 | 4.86 |
Two things stand out.
The Bay has the highest average rating in the country — 4.89, ahead of Wellington's 4.86 and comfortably ahead of Auckland's 4.75. With ten facilities and 435 reviews between them, that's a small sample but a consistent one.
It also has the narrowest price band. Eight dollars separates the cheapest from the dearest. Auckland spans $30, Wellington spans $46. What that means for you is refreshingly simple: in the Bay of Plenty, price is a poor guide to quality. The cheapest cattery in the region holds a perfect 5.0. The most expensive also holds a 5.0. Choose on fit, not cost — the money you'd save going down-market is $8 a night, and you'll give up nothing by picking the one that suits your cat.
Christchurch is genuinely cheaper. But if you're reading this you're presumably not planning to drive your cat to Christchurch.
Booking for Summer: Start Now
It's August. If you're planning to board over the Christmas and New Year period, you're already at the point where the good rooms start disappearing.
The Bay's peak-season rules are stricter than most regions, and they're not always obvious until you try to book:
- The Cat's Whiskers requires a minimum five-night stay over Christmas and New Year
- The Big Meow requires a minimum seven-night stay over the same period, up from its usual two
- The Cat's Whiskers adds an $11 per cat per day public holiday surcharge
- Papamoa Kitty Cabins is the notable exception — no peak-period surcharge at all
Minimum stays matter more than people realise. If you're away for four nights over New Year, several facilities will still charge you for five or seven. Factor that into the comparison — a $22.50 cattery with a five-night minimum can cost more for a short trip than a $28 one without.
A few other timing notes for the region. Tauranga's summer is genuinely busy — the city's population swells with holidaymakers from December through February, and catteries fill accordingly. Rotorua's two facilities are often a good fallback when Tauranga is full, and Mamaku in particular is only about an hour from Tauranga.
What Every Bay of Plenty Cattery Will Ask For
Vaccination is non-negotiable across the region. Every facility requires a current F3 vaccination, which covers feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus — the last two being the main causes of cat flu.
Timing catches people out. The vaccine needs two to three weeks to take effect, so a jab the day before boarding doesn't count. If your cat's booster has lapsed, book the vet appointment before you book the cattery.
Most Bay facilities also require:
- Desexing, with kittens under six months generally exempt
- Current flea and worm treatment — A Cat's World specifies not less than 7 days and not longer than 5 weeks before arrival
- A physical vaccination certificate presented on or before arrival
The SPCA and the New Zealand Veterinary Association both identify boarding catteries as high-risk environments for infectious disease, which is why the requirements are enforced strictly. Expect to be turned away without paperwork — several Bay catteries state "no exceptions" explicitly.
Minimum standards for all catteries are set out in the Ministry for Primary Industries' Code of Welfare: Companion Cats. It's worth a skim if you want to know what a facility is legally obliged to provide — though the better catteries in this region clear that bar comfortably.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best cattery in Tauranga?
The Cat's Whiskers in Te Puna, on the numbers — a perfect 5.0 from 63 reviews. Individual enclosures with private sundecks, purpose-built with vet input, from $22.50/night. The Big Meow in Greerton is a very close second and is more central if Te Puna is a stretch. If you weight review volume more heavily, Paws in Te Puna has the region's biggest sample by some margin — 4.9 from 86 reviews — and costs $2.50 less a night.
Which Bay of Plenty cattery is cheapest?
Four tie at $20/night: Mamaku Cattery near Rotorua, Paws in Te Puna, A Cat's World in Oropi, and Papamoa Kennels & Cattery on Welcome Bay Road. Mamaku holds the highest rating of the four at 5.0, though Paws in Te Puna has by far the most reviews at 86. Both offer multi-cat discounts — Mamaku takes $1 off per additional cat, and Paws drops to $16 per cat for two or three sharing.
Is there a cattery near Tauranga Airport?
A Cat's World in Oropi offers transfers to and from both Tauranga and Rotorua airports as part of its pick-up and delivery service. Papamoa Kitty Cabins runs pick-up and drop-off around Papamoa, Mount Maunganui and Te Puke for $10.
Which cattery is best for a cat that needs medication?
A Cat's World administers medication at no extra charge, including insulin and support for cats requiring dialysis — the most capable medical setup in the region. Mamaku Cattery charges $5/day for medication and has a vet-industry-trained owner. Papamoa Kitty Cabins includes medication with no surcharge.
Do any Bay of Plenty catteries take cats and dogs together?
Papamoa Kennels & Cattery boards both, and is one of the largest facilities in the region. Pawprints Petstay in Paengaroa also takes both. If you're boarding a cat alone and it's noise-sensitive, the cat-only options are The Big Meow, The Cat's Whiskers, Katikati Kitty Cats and Papamoa Kitty Cabins.
How far ahead should I book for Christmas?
Two to three months minimum, and earlier for the top-rated facilities. Several Bay catteries impose minimum stays over the Christmas–New Year window — five nights at The Cat's Whiskers, seven at The Big Meow — so short trips over that period need planning. If Tauranga is full, try Rotorua.
Are communal catteries worse than individual units?
Not worse — different. A communal or open-plan facility like Papamoa Kennels or Pawprints Petstay suits confident, sociable cats and often gives them more space to move. For a nervous, elderly or territorial cat, an individual enclosure is far less stressful. The right answer depends entirely on your cat, which is why we've flagged accommodation type for every facility above.
What if my cat has never been boarded before?
Book a trial stay of one or two nights well before your actual trip. Most Bay catteries welcome pre-booking visits — and seeing the facility yourself tells you more than any review. Our guide to what to look for on a cattery inspection covers what to check.
The Bottom Line
The Bay of Plenty is a good place to need a cattery. Ten facilities, an average rating of 4.89, and an $8 spread between the cheapest and dearest — you're unlikely to go badly wrong wherever you book.
Which means the decision comes down to fit rather than quality:
- Nervous or first-time cat? The Cat's Whiskers or The Big Meow — individual, cat-only, no mixing.
- Medical needs? A Cat's World, without much contest.
- Tight budget? Mamaku at $20 with a perfect rating, or Paws in Te Puna at $20 with the region's biggest review base.
- Multiple cats? Paws in Te Puna drops to $16 per cat for two or three sharing a run.
- Long stay? Papamoa Kitty Cabins at $180/week, or A Cat's World's four-week discount.
- Sociable cat? Papamoa Kennels or Pawprints Petstay — more space, more company, less money.
- Flying from Auckland? Katikati Kitty Cats, right on SH2.
And if you're reading this in August thinking about Christmas — book now. The minimum-stay rules bite hardest on people who leave it late.
Related Reading
- Cat Boarding Costs in NZ: What You're Actually Paying For
- Getting Cat Boarding During Peak Season in NZ
- Vaccination Requirements for Cattery Boarding in NZ
- What to Look For on a Cattery Inspection
- How to Choose the Right Cattery
- Top 10 Catteries in Auckland
- Top 9 Catteries in Hamilton & Waikato
Browse every facility by area on our Tauranga, Rotorua and Western Bay of Plenty cat boarding pages, or compare all catteries nationwide.
Sources
- Companion Animals New Zealand — National Pet Ownership Report
- NZ Herald — Tauranga on track to become NZ's fourth-largest city
- Ministry for Primary Industries — Code of Welfare: Companion Cats
- SPCA New Zealand — Vaccinations for cats
- New Zealand Veterinary Association — Vaccine use in New Zealand cats and dogs
Prices and ratings verified August 2026. Rates are the "from" price for a single cat and are subject to change — confirm directly with the cattery when booking.
