Cat-Friendly Travel: How to get a Good Airbnb Review

Finding a cat-friendly accommodation can be a whole process, but there’s more work to be done if you’re hoping to receive a positive Airbnb review! Below I outline some of the steps that I take when traveling to ensure that my cats and other travel cats will be welcomed by the accommodation host:

  1. Confirm cats are welcome

  2. Pack with chaos in mind 

  3. Cat-proofing the space

  4. Supawvising your cat

  5. Tidying up

Keep in mind that this post is meant to help you secure a good review and not about how to find an accommodation that will allow your cat. To read more about the process of obtaining a pet-friendly home, you can read through my post on selecting a pet-friendly accommodation.

Confirm cats are welcome

Remember that pet-friendly does not always mean cat-friendly, especially when you are traveling within North America where canines are the most common traveling companion. We have commonly been turned away by hosts who believe that cats will only lead to scratched up posts, torn curtains, and an infinite amount of fur clinging to any upholstered surface. 

To ensure that your cat doesn’t get turned away at the door, it’s always best to send a message to the host explicitly asking if they accept cats. I usually send a message like this before booking a home:

The host may have some follow-up questions, so make sure you answer honestly. If a host says that they don’t allow cats, respect their wishes and try searching elsewhere! 

While not recommended and a bit risky, there are some cat-owners who filter their searches for “self check-in” homes and then stay without disclosing what kind of pet they’ve brought. Do not do this if the listing specifically says “dogs only” as sneaking in cats could be a health risk if the host has allergies. Keep in mind that some hosts also randomly visit their properties to check on guests, and if they see a cat when they weren’t expecting one, you may be in for an awkward conversation or have to pay additional cleaning fees.

Pack with chaos in mind

As with any trip, always prepare for the worst. Pack your typical away-from-home gear, but also consider bringing a few extra items in case there are any oopsies. While I can certainly vouch for Reinhardt, I know that sometimes Perseus can cause a little chaos when in a new space. Here are some items that I always try to bring when vacationing with the cats:

  • Pet wipes 

  • Paper towels or Lysol wipes

  • A plastic bag 

  • Food mat 

  • Travel dustpan 

For the most part, these items will be helpful in the event that your cat makes some sort of mess in the home. When it comes to Perseus, he forgets the rules about staying off the dinner table and often knocks food onto the floor or spills someone’s drink. Not every place comes with cleaning supplies, so bringing your own travel-sized dustpan can be very convenient for small issues like this.

As another example, Percy is a fiend for grass and he’ll chomp away like a madman only to vomit it back up the moment we get home. For this reason, I like to bring paper towels or Lysol wipes to clean up the mess and a Ziploc to lock in the smells stuck to the wipes. Pet-friendly wipes are also good for cleaning up anything stuck in your cat’s fur or for post-adventure paws.

Cat-proofing the space

Upon entering the Airbnb you’ve booked, you’ll want to begin scanning the space for areas that could be problematic. Typically I look for three things: breakables, plants, and hiding areas.

To get a good review on Airbnb, you want to make sure you're leaving the property in the same state that you found it. Obviously accidents can happen, but to reduce the chance of the cats breaking something, I often move any fragile decorations off of shelves or tables and place them in a cupboard that the cats can’t access. Sometimes I’ll take a photo before moving anything so that I know exactly where to put it back before checking out. 

Similar to breakable objects, I inspect the home for plants that might entice a few bites from the cats. Plants can be very delicate but they can also cause your cat to be sick if ingested. Fake plants are easy enough to tuck away, but make sure to be gentler when moving a real plant.

Once you’ve reduced the chance of broken goods, take some time to look for areas where your cat could hide without being easy to reach. These could be spaces underneath a bed, high up on kitchen cupboards, or behind appliances. Sometimes you can’t prevent the cat from going to those spaces, but at least you’ll know where to check for them if they’re not in plain sight.

Supawvising your cat

Sometimes you’ll finish searching the home and feel satisfied that you’ve cat-proofed the space only to realize your cat is much more creative than you thought. Always take some time to monitor your cat as they explore their new environment to see if they discover something that you overlooked. 

We once booked an Airbnb where there was access into the walls hidden behind the washing machine; I certainly couldn’t fit through the tiny space, but my cats certainly could. It was also very difficult to notice due to the positioning of the washing machine, and if I hadn’t been there when the cats found it, they likely would’ve disappeared into the walls. If you find particularly problematic spaces like that, you may want to close that room off from the cats or find a way to block them from accessing it.

Tidying up

The last thing I do to ensure a good Airbnb review is to tidy up after our stay. This might look like lint rolling beds and couches, sweeping up litter, and wiping down the surfaces where the cats ate.

Alright, I know you’re probably wondering why you need to be cleaning on vacation when most Airbnbs already charge you for cleaning fees, but hear me out here. Cats are already considered to be problematic travellers, so if you want more people to be open to the idea of allowing cats, we need to show them that they have nothing to be worried about. 

Sweeping up any litter that has escaped the litter box and lint rolling surfaces should really only add an extra 5-10 minutes to your check-out experience. Every time we take the extra time to tidy up, we like to think that it’ll help convince the host that their home should stay as pet-friendly instead of just dog-friendly! At the very least, receiving positive reviews on your profile will help convince future Airbnb hosts to let you and your cat stay in their home.

Here are some of the Airbnb reviews we’ve received from various in the last year while traveling with the cats:

And here’s a final word from Perseus: /xcdxb