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Do you offer board and train for cats?

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Do you offer board and train for cats?

The question usually comes from a household with a dog heading into training and a cat at home, or a cat with habits of its own. Here is why a residential training stay does not suit cats, what Dogtown does offer them, and how to start training a cat at home.

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A Corgi and a calico cat run side by side across a snow-covered yard.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · reviewed by Gabriella Pope, Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist

The answer

Board and train is for dogs only, and for cats Dogtown offers grooming

Both board and train programs, Foundation and Advanced, are built around dogs: leash skills, place, recall, daycare integration with playgroups of 7 to 10 dogs, and go-home lessons with the owner holding the leash. None of that translates to a cat. Cats come to 210 Eastern Ave for grooming instead, in a quiet studio set apart from the dog areas, handled by cat behavior specialists using gentle, low-stress techniques.

Cat grooming needs no advance evaluation appointment and can be booked online or in the Dogtown app. Every cat is assessed at the start of the service so the treatment fits its coat condition and temperament, and a cat that cannot be groomed safely is referred to a vet rather than pushed through. The table lists the four cat services and their prices.

Cat service	What it includes	Price
Full Service	Full bath plus shaving, trims and nails	$120
Full Bath	Bath with water, nails and brush	$95
Minimal Trims	Trim and partial shaving, no bath	$45
Nail clipping for cats	Nails only, bookable on its own	$20

Why not cats

A training stay depends on a new place feeling safe, and unfamiliar places are where cats struggle most

Board and train works for many dogs because a dog can settle into a busy building, join a group and learn in short sessions from people it met that week. Cats are built differently. In a 2017 study of clicker training in shelter cats, Kogan and colleagues described the shelter as novel and confining and a source of stress for many cats, and they suggested an unfamiliar room and trainer held some cats back before training had even begun.

The 2022 Cat Friendly guidelines from the AAFP and ISFM make a related point about vet visits: stress from several sources stacks up across the whole experience, so a positive experience should start at home, including carrier training. A week away in an unfamiliar building would pile those stressors onto a cat for little gain, when the same reward-based methods work in the cat's own rooms.

Cats learn with rewards, just as dogs do
Unfamiliar rooms and people slow cats down
Stress stacks up across a visit
Home is the better classroom for a cat

At home

Train a cat at home with short, reward-based sessions, starting with the carrier

If your cat needs to learn something, a quiet room at home is the place. The Kogan study used a clicker to mark the moment a cat did the right thing, followed at once by a treat, and noted that this kind of training allows predictable interactions, a welfare benefit as well as a teaching method. The same rules that serve dogs apply here: keep sessions short, reward quickly and stop before the cat loses interest.

The most useful first skill for any cat is the carrier, because every groom and vet trip starts there. Leave the carrier out as furniture, feed near it and then inside it, and close the door for a few seconds at a time before any car ride. A cat that walks into its carrier on its own arrives at a Gloucester grooming appointment calmer, which makes the groom itself easier for everyone.

01
Leave the carrier open in a room your cat uses, with a soft blanket inside
02
Drop treats beside it, then just inside, then at the back
03
Serve a meal inside the carrier with the door open
04
Close the door for a few seconds while your cat eats, then open it again
05
Lift the carrier briefly, set it down and reward
06
Take a short drive around the block before the first appointment

Other help

For cat behavior problems, start with your vet, and let grooming keep the coat out of the picture

Some cat problems that look like training issues start with the body, not the habit. For a cat soiling outside the litter box, Cornell's Feline Health Center advises a thorough veterinary exam and diagnostic tests first, and notes that cats with medical conditions may not always act sick; your vet can refer you to a behavior specialist if one is needed. Dogtown's cat service is grooming; behavior consultations for cats are not among the services we list. Our cats hub gathers the grooming guides, and the cat grooming page explains each service in more detail.

Coat care is where we can help most. Long-haired cats mat, and mats pull on the skin, which can make grooming at home a battle. Regular visits to the studio, from Minimal Trims at $45 to Full Service at $120, keep the coat manageable between home brushing, and the groomers can tell you what they see. The studio sits in the same Gloucester building as the dog side, but in its own quiet space.

A sudden behavior change: your vet first
Litter box or handling trouble: your vet first
Mats and shedding: grooming at the studio
Carrier practice: at home, before any visit

At Dogtown

What Dogtown offers cats, and the dogs they live with

Low-stress grooming in a quiet studio for the cat, and force-free training for the dog in the same household.

Groomer holding a ginger-and-white cat in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign

Cat GroomingFrom $45 · Explore

Australian shepherd sitting attentively during training

Dog TrainingFrom $94 per session · Explore

Every price on one page

Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Is cat grooming at Dogtown really low-stress?

That is how it is set up: a quiet studio away from the dog areas, cat behavior specialists and gentle techniques tailored to each cat. Every cat is assessed at the start for coat condition and temperament, and a cat that cannot be groomed safely is referred to a vet.

Can you train my cat to tolerate grooming?

Cat training is not one of our services, but each groom is planned around your cat's tolerance. At home, short sessions with a soft brush, a treat after each stroke and stopping before your cat walks away build tolerance between visits. Our cat grooming page explains each service.

Do I need an evaluation before my cat's groom?

No advance evaluation appointment is needed for grooming, for cats or dogs. Book online or in the Dogtown app. Every cat is assessed when it arrives so the groomer can choose the right treatment for its coat and temperament, and nail clipping for cats can be booked on its own for $20.

Can board and train help my dog live calmly with our cat?

The dog side, yes, in part: impulse control and place are on the Foundation list, and both help in a home with a cat. Tell us about the cat at the consult so the plan reflects your household. The cat is not part of the stay, so the first days back are about careful reintroductions, which our guide covers.

Training for the dog, grooming for the cat.

Send the training form for your dog and mention the cat at home. Cat grooming books online or in the Dogtown app.

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