Meet our amazing team
At Catseye Cattery, our team of 3 work very hard along side Helen and Michael. The cattery is always staffed throughout the day.
Dean Fraser (Team Leader)
I have always had a passion with animals in general and their welfare, but since a child cats have always come on top of the animals list. I have my own cat called Square whom I rescued from Cyprus back in 2014.
Having gained my experience at Lothian Cat Rescue, (LCR) I started working at Catseye in 2016 and I’ve been loving it ever since! I have come across a few ex-LCR residents whilst working here. I love getting to know every cats’ unique personalities, their likes, dislikes and of course making their stay as enjoyable and peaceful as possible!
Jo McIntyre
I’ve always loved looking after and working with animals; I have spent the past 10 years working for the RZSS towards their conservation and education goals, but when I heard Catseye were looking for someone, I jumped at the chance to apply and become part of the family.
For over 20 years now, I’ve been lucky enough to have cats in my life, my current kitty has special needs, but it’s all good. That doesn’t stop him; he’s such a canny cat!
Happy cats, happy owners
About us FAQs
Who are Helen and Michael Dickson?
Helen and Michael are cat-mad people who took their passion for cats and made a business out of it!
Michael and Helen Dickson currently have five cats of their own and have always enjoyed being a ‘multi-cat household’.
Michael has a background in retail with over 20 years of running a successful, customer focused business.
Helen is a highly qualified and experienced registered general nurse.
Both Helen and Michael have a lot of experience in caring for their own cats with a range of medical conditions and Helen’s nursing background adds to the understanding of medical care.
How many staff work at Catseye Cattery?
There are currently 3 part-time staff helping Michael & Helen.
Are the team working there qualified to look after cats?
Yes! We only pick the best!! Our team have loads of cat experience either working in rescue centres or had their own pet service businesses. Some have qualifications in feline psychology, behaviour and wellbeing. Some are currently students working towards animal care qualifications.
Are the staff there all day?
Yes! Our team are around all day for at least 10 hours and at weekends. Helen and Michael live onsite too, so there is always someone here and the property is never left unattended.
What happens when the cattery owner’s go on holiday?
We “semi-close” in November for our main annual holiday. However, our team are still here working and looking after all the cats. A member of the team lives “in-house” when Helen and Michael are away.
What does a normal working day at Cateye Cattery look like?
The day starts at around 7am sharp. Michael checks all of the cats and removes the dirty feeding bowls from the night before and takes them to the dishwasher. The Team arrive at 8am and we all start to clean the rooms, empty litter trays and feed all of the cats. This can take us up to 11am when we stop for coffee!
The rest of the day is made-up of checking cats in and out, cleaning rooms for the next day, answering the telephone and replying to emails. After lunch, the cats are checked again and litters cleaned out. Bedding washed and dried.
The evening round starts at 4pm when we check all the cats again and give them their evening meal!
Checking is done again at 8pm and at 10pm when it’s night night – tuck-in cats to bed and lights out!
Why did you choose to start Catseye Cattery and what made you decide to look after cats?!
Michael and Helen Dickson started Catseye Cattery simply because they couldn’t find suitable accommodation for our own cats at that time. They had used catteries before but often found them to be smelly, dirty, older facilities and bad customer service. They thought “ we can do better than this” – so they did!! Setting up the cattery has been THE most difficult thing that they will ever do – starting any business from scratch is tough – but when you consider that you are asking people whom have never met you before to look after their loved-ones, it’s a big trust thing.
The business is now in its 9th year and it’s all going so very well – thanks to our lovely customers and amazing team!