Husband and wife team, Paula and Carl, to bring The Cat Butler’s premium cat sitting services to the areas of Dorchester, Poundbury and Weymouth.
The Cat Butler has welcomed its first franchisee in Dorchester, Dorset. The franchise area, headed up by the husband and wife team, Paula and Carl Steffensen, covers Dorchester, Poundbury, Weymouth, and the surrounding villages.
Paula Steffensen, owner of The Cat Butler – Dorchester, commented: “After living in South Africa for the last thirteen years, our family moved back to the UK in 2020. There were a number of reasons for this move, but one of the main ones was our daughter, Eva, to complete her education here.”
“As well as leaving behind a life that we had spent over a decade building up, the move meant that we had to rehome our cats – we made sure they went to good and loving homes, but it was hard all the same to say goodbye to them. We managed to ‘collect’ three cats – at different times and from different places – they came to us completely by fluke but became our treasured friends.”
“We’ve always been cat lovers, and here in the UK, cats – and all other pets – truly are part of the family, and the booming cat care market is testament to that.”
“Once we settled into our new home in Poundbury – and welcomed a new feline member of the family, of course! – we started thinking about setting up a pet care business”, said Carl. “It’s something that we’ve both – Paula especially – wanted to do for a long time, and the stars were finally aligned for us. We’ve worked together before, so we knew we could do that. We also knew that we were living in an area where families had a genuine adoration for their pets, and we saw an opportunity.”
Paula added: “We came across The Cat Butler and loved the idea of somebody coming to look after cats in their own home. It wasn’t just somebody who popped in and put some food out, though – it was a tailored service, delivered by vetted, trained and professional staff. I hadn’t seen anything like it before, and certainly not in the local area.”
“We did some research and spoke at length to Sandra at The Cat Butler. We knew there was a market for these services where we lived, and we were really impressed with what Sandra and her team had built, and the reputation the company had in other parts of the UK where it was already serving thousands of cats,” commented Carl.
“As fate would have it, it turns out that Sandra and I actually crossed paths years ago when we were both living in Durban, South Africa, in our early twenties,” Paula added. “It’s a small world, for sure, and this – along with how seamless the whole system was – told us that this was the right decision.”
“So, here we are as proud owners of The Cat Butler – Dorchester! We’re really excited to get started and cannot wait to serve the many beautiful kitties of Dorset.”
Sandra James, founder and managing director of The Cat Butler, commented: “I am delighted to have Paula and Carl on the team. Like me, they share a real passion for cats and know that these gorgeous animals deserve nothing but the best. I’m really excited about what the future has in store for The Cat Butler – Dorchester, and I know that this husband and wife team will be hugely successful.”
The Cat Butler was established in 2015 as a feline-friendly alternative to a cattery. Delivering tailored care to cats in their own home, The Cat Butler has a team of vetted, trained and professional staff who care for thousands of cats each year.
With the cat population soaring by 63% to 12.2 million in the last 12 months and bookings up by almost 70%, The Cat Butler is now expanding its team across the UK.
