Our resident cat has become elderly, we are taking a break from serving customers to get better, and we have adopted a new cat. Many the hosts are at a loss as to how much and how to communicate these changes.
What matters is not “promoting the cats you can meet quickly,” but rather ensuring the cats can live quietly and that guests do not misunderstand the current situation. There is no need to disclose diagnoses or private life. Gather the minimum facts necessary for lodging decisions in a place visible before booking.
- Conclusion: Separately communicate the cat’s condition and the impact on guests
- First, decide on the guide category
- Decide what information does not need to be made public
- Organize the cat’s life first
- Make the update destination a single table
- Find promises in the present tense
- Situation when contacting guests with reservations
- Announcement example that can be modified and used as is
- Ask AI to only check public statements
- Leave an update record
- Summary
- Reference materials
Conclusion: Separately communicate the cat’s condition and the impact on guests
The following five points are sufficient for guidance.
- Current guidance classification
- The date the condition occurred or the date it was confirmed.
- Possibility and location of meeting guests
- Impact on reserved plans
- Where to update your information next
For example, instead of explaining in detail, “I’m not feeling well,” you can say, “I have been on leave from customer service since XX month, XX month. I have no plans to come to the inn yet. I will notify you on the official website when I will reopen.”
First, decide on the guide category
If you standardize the meanings of words at the inn, there will be no discrepancies between the explanations on the official website and on social media.
| Guide classification | Meaning conveyed to readers | Points to note |
|---|---|---|
| currently living at the inn | Currently living at the inn | There is no guarantee that the traveler will meet |
| Taking a break from customer service | Temporarily not in front of guests | If the reopening date has not been determined, I will not speculate and write |
| Retired from serving customers | I have no plans to serve customers in the future | I will only write about the extent to which I will disclose whether I will continue living at the inn |
| Private | Do not disclose your current whereabouts or living situation | Do not encourage people to ask for information |
| Confirming | Confirming current information that can be released by the inn | Do not speculate about death, disappearance, or retirement |
| Acclimatization period for a new cat | Getting used to the new environment | Do not promise to start customer service or interact with them |
The word “replacement” is convenient, but cats are not replacing equipment or products in charge. Rather than comparing the previous cat with the new cat, we will guide you through each cat’s name, personality, and pace of life.
Decide what information does not need to be made public
Guests need information that will influence their expectations when making a reservation. The following does not need to be disclosed in detail unless the host decides to do so.
- Diagnosis, test results, medication details
- Hospital visit and stay
- Host family circumstances
- Exact location of the guest room where the cat rests
- Detailed circumstances of cause of death and final moments
- Expected date when we do not know if we will be able to reopen
We also separate “public information” and “internal information” and pass it on to staff, production companies, and the AI.Please do not copy the record for consulting a veterinarian directly into the notice.
Organize the cat’s life first
Veterinary organizations’ guidelines for cats’ environments emphasize safe spaces, separate resources such as food, water, and litter boxes, and predictable human interaction that matches the cat’s preferences. At the hotel, we will check the following before updating the information.
- There is a place where you can rest away from guests
- Cat can hide or leave from you
- Do not force people to take pictures, hold people, or serve customers
- Do not suddenly bring the new cat inside the inn or near the native cat.
- If there is any abnormality, priority is given to consulting a veterinarian rather than customer service judgment.
We do not return cats that are resting to customers because they only want to take photos for publicity purposes. If you use a previous photo, include when it was taken and that you are currently taking a break.
Make the update destination a single table
Resident cat information is often not automatically synchronized by inventory management systems, so the posting location is checked manually.
| Update destination | Review content |
|---|---|
| Official website top/notice | Current classification, application date, impact on reservations |
| Resident cat’s introduction page | Sentences in the present tense, when the photo was taken, and past records |
| Official reservation/accommodation plan | Isn’t meeting with cats guaranteed as a bonus? |
| OTA | Plan name, description, photos, notes |
| SNS | Not only the latest posts, but also fixed posts, profiles, and highlights |
| Reservation confirmation email | Are there any old face-to-face instructions or notes? |
| inside the inn bulletin board/paper/PDF | Current rules and contact information |
| External pages such as tourism associations | If the inn cannot fix it, record a correction request |
Detailed cross-media matching method is explained in How to match OTA and official website information.
Find promises in the present tense
If you just announce your vacation or retirement, the old pages “I’ll be in the lobby every day” and “I’ll come to the guest room” may remain. Search the site and Google for the following words:
Cat name
resident cat
See you
Every day
Attendance
Welcome
Come to the guest room
Cat Plan
There is no need to delete all past articles. Separate the past from the present, such as “Records from 2023” and “Currently retired from customer service.”Keep the URL of the page as much as possible, and modify the title and description if they still appear.
Situation when contacting guests with reservations
The impact will be different if the regular accommodation information clearly states that there are days when you will not be able to see the cat, and if the plan sells interaction with a specific cat as a main content.
If the latter option is no longer available, we will confirm the relevant reservation and contact the guest with the details approved by the inn. Please check the reservation route and applicable terms and conditions for changes, cancellations, and refunds. We will not pass the reservation list or payment information to AI, nor will we allow them to be sent all at once without approval.
Announcement example that can be modified and used as is
Temporarily taking a break from customer service
Resident cat [name] has taken a break from serving customers since 2026/10/27.
Currently, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to meet or interact with the cats inside the inn.
Prioritizing a quiet life, once it is decided to reopen or change the guidance,
We will inform you on this official page.
Retire from customer service
Resident cat [name] has retired from serving guests as of 2026/10/27.
Thank you to everyone who has watched over us so far.
Past photos and records will be kept with the date of shooting.
We are currently unable to accommodate requests for face-to-face meetings or photo shoots.
We got a new cat
We welcomed [name] on 2026/10/27.
I am currently in a period of getting used to the accommodation and the people, and I have not decided when I will start serving customers.
As soon as you decide on the place and rules to meet the cat, check the range of the cat's time.
Information will be provided on the official website.
Announcement of death
Resident cat [name] passed away on 2026/10/27.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has warmly watched over us thus far.
In order to cherish the quiet time between the inn and family,
Please refrain from making inquiries regarding the detailed situation.
You can also choose not to make the death itself public. In that case, it is important to say “I am not currently serving customers” or “the current situation is not public,” and do not make up other excuses.
Ask AI to only check public statements
If you use the following prompt, you can search for update candidates without suddenly rewriting.
Read the inn's public page about resident cat and check the present tense guide.
Please only report this time and do not log in, edit, post, or send.
Current information approved by the inn: [Resident/Rest/Retired/Not disclosed, etc.]
Date of application or confirmation: 2026/10/27
Official website: [URL]
Reservation page/OTA: [Public URL]
“I'll definitely see you”, “I'll be there every day”, “I'll come to the guest room”, etc.
Look for text, photo descriptions, and plan names that may conflict with current information.
For each candidate, please indicate the URL, applicable location, and reason for correction, and do not assume facts.
Please do not print the diagnosis name, hospital location, or family circumstances.
After the host confirms your report, we will ask you to make corrections, register a draft, and confirm publication one step at a time.
Leave an update record
At a minimum, leave the following lines one by one.
Confirmation date:
Confirmed by:
Guide classification approved as an accommodation:
Applicable date:
Updated page:
External pages that have not been updated:
Response to guests with reservations:
Next confirmation date:
This is not a cat health record, but an updated record of public information. Do not include personal or medical information.
Summary
When informing about changes in the resident cat, we will prepare the cat’s safe life and provide only the minimum current information necessary for making accommodation decisions. The basic rule is to separate the period of presence, rest, retirement, non-disclosure, and the acclimatization period for a new cat, and do not leave any promises that “we will definitely meet.”
Past photos and articles can be added to the history of the inn. Please check the official website, reservation screen, OTA, SNS, and confirmation email in the same update table and decide on the next confirmation date.
If you want to organize the update items for the entire site, please also see Minimum information to be updated on accommodation sites, and for how to fix articles for travelers, please also see How to update cat accommodation articles after the resident cat retires.
Reference materials
- Ministry of the Environment: Standards for the proper handling of animals
- Ministry of the Environment: Guidebook for Proper Transfer of Cats
- FelineVMA: AAFP/ISFM Guidelines for the Environmental Needs of Cats
Note: This article cannot be used to judge a cat’s physical condition or behavior. If you notice any abnormalities, please stop serving customers and consult a veterinarian. Please check the contract and reservation route to make individual decisions regarding changes to reservation conditions, cancellations, and refunds.
