Working in Clark County: Denise Saxon, Tiny’s Place Cat BoardingSubscriber Exclusive

Whether planning for upcoming spring breaks and summer vacations, or just a weekend away, it’s important for cat owners to think about their furry friends’ accommodations while they’re away.

Fortunately for local felines, there’s a new pet hotel in town where the staff is more than happy to cater to their every need.

Denise Saxon is the owner of Tiny’s Place Luxury Cat Boarding, located at 9228 N.E. Highway 99, Suite 101 in Hazel Dell.

While spending the day working with a bunch of adorable cats may sound like the lap of luxury, there’s an extreme level of attention to detail and animal expertise that goes into running a boarding business like Tiny’s Place.

Saxon and her team spend each day tending to their feline tenants’ needs, filling food and water bowls, cleaning out litter boxes, making sure each cat is getting enough social attention and exercise. All while working with their two-legged clientele, facilitating check-ins and check-outs, answering phones and emails, and scheduling future boarding appointments.

At the end of the day, the team members at Tiny’s Place always have their furry friends’ best interests at heart. Making the cats’ comfort their top priority.

“We will always be honest with clients about how things went for their cats during their stay,” Saxon said. “Boarding isn’t for every cat. If a cat is stressed and not thriving while staying with us, we make sure to tell owners upon pickup, even if that means we lose out on future business. A cats’ wellbeing is more important to us than money ultimately.”

While Tiny’s Place may be a recent addition to Clark County businesses, first opening its doors in 2020, Saxon has been professionally caring for pets since the 90’s.

A Portland Community College Rock Creek graduate, Saxon received her certification as veterinary technician in 1994, going on to enjoy a 25 year career in nearly all facets of pet medicine.

Finally, in the summer of 2019, Saxon decided it was time for a career change, and she had the perfect inspiration to get started. Tiny’s Place Cat Boarding is named for Saxon’s own beloved cat, Tiny. After boarding Tiny at former local pet care business for several years, and seeing how her fur baby thrived in such an environment while she was away, Saxon was motivated to take the plunge on creating her own boarding facility.

Now, just over three years later, Tiny and Saxon both couldn’t be happier with how things turned out.

“I love working with cats every day, they have such a wide range of personalities both cuddly and mischievous alike,” Saxon said. “Pets did a lot to keep everyone company for that first year of lockdown, so it’s especially nice now to make up for that isolation by getting to know all my clients through our mutual love for cats.”

Although starting small, if business continues to grow, Saxon and her team at Tiny’s Place hope to someday be able to expand to multiple locations to better serve their whiskered clientele across Clark County.

Future boarding clients, both human and feline alike, can learn more about the kitty vacation process online at www.tinysplacecatboarding.com or call 360-696-6229.