Our Story
It all started with a black cat. Over a decade ago, Gwen Sparling’s cat, Birdie, was diagnosed with a UTI. This happened several days before Gwen was scheduled to go on vacation, so she had to scramble to find a place to board her cat. Her only option was the vet’s office, which is a great option if Birdie needed extensive medical care - but all she needed was one pill twice a day.
This led Gwen to compare the care options for her cat with the care options for her dogs. Why wasn’t there a boarding facility strictly for cats? Because of Birdie, Camp Kitty, Atlanta’s first cats-only boarding facility, was born.
The Logo
When Camp Kitty opened its doors in 2009, two cats named Nip and Tigger moved in. They were foster cats from Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF). Because of their shy nature, it took a very long time for at least one of them to get adopted. Tigger went to live with his forever family and Nip continued to live at Camp Kitty – the place he thought of as home. Over the years, Nip saw many foster cats come and go. Even though he was growing more comfortable with people, he was also growing older and that lowered his chances of getting adopted. Nip lived at Camp Kitty for 10 years.
In 2019, Camp Kitty celebrated its 10th anniversary. To commemorate this, there was a contest for the best t-shirt design using Nip’s image. When presented with the winning image, Gwen asked the designer to make the eyes more “judgey,” because Nip certainly was the judgiest. In 2019, Nip was also diagnosed with cancer. The anniversary t-shirts quickly became fundraising t-shirts in order to pay for Nip’s treatment.
Nip was never able to have treatment because the cancer had taken its toll on his fragile body. He passed away in September 2019. The t-shirt design then became Camp Kitty’s new logo.
Why Camp Kitty?
At Camp Kitty, our staff fully understands and caters to the unique needs of cats. Our staff is well-trained in cat behavior and health. Camp Kitty is a place where cats can play or relax in a fun, stress-free environment. Our huge enclosures (what we refer to as cabins) allow our guests to jump, stretch, and even hide. Health and safety as well as your cat’s emotional well-being are top priorities. Learn more about the cat boarding experience.
Our Affiliations & Credentials
We are proud members of the International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA) and our staff is Pet Tech CPR Certified. We are also active volunteers with Lifeline Animal Project and foster cats with Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends.
