West Sussex woman launches cat care business after career break caring for her mum in the pandemic

Julie Dunn (59) has swapped running a project management consultancy for visiting local cats in their own homes with the launch of her brand-new business, The Cat Butler. She will be offering her premium cat care service to felines and their owners across Chichester, Bognor Regis, Arundel, Littlehampton, Barnham, Selsey, The Witterings and Bosham.

Julie started life as a radio presenter and producer, before opening her consultancy business in 2011, project managing for the NHS. When her mother became ill during the pandemic her business took a back seat, whilst Julie took on caring duties. Like many other people at that time, this allowed Julie to think about what she wanted to get out of life. She decided it was time to do something completely different, and something that would involve one of her big passions in life, cats.

The cat-loving businesswoman said: “I love running my own business and I love cats, so when I was looking for something to do after Mum got better, running my own cat care business was a bit of a no brainer.’

Cats lucky enough to have their very own Cat Butler can expect nothing but the finest of care. They will be visited at least once a day for feeding, litter tray cleaning and lots of fuss and cuddles if their owners are away on holiday, for the weekend or simply at work during the day.

Julie recently qualified as pet first aid trained and can give cats medication including diabetes injections.

Cat Butlers also pride themselves on providing a ‘light touch’ security service for homeowners, checking through the premises when they are away, opening and closing curtains, putting the bins out and generally making the home look ‘lived in’. If required owners can also receive regular video and photo updates.

“After taking time out to look after Mum I knew I didn’t want to return to an office-based role and being able to run my own business, visiting cats all day, is a dream come true. As the owner of two 5yr old rescue cats myself (Charlie and Larkin, named after characters from The Darling Buds of May), I know how hard it is when you want to go away. I have tried catteries in the past, but they just weren’t right for us or our cats. Like many, my cats are happiest in their own home and I’m really looking forward to providing that premium service to other loving cat owners, like me, across the area.”

To learn more about The Cat Butler, visit thecatbutler.co.uk/location/ or call Julie on 01243 767 247.