Without the sign out front, which features a cat's silhouette and a business name, most people would have no idea that 24 Great Neck Road houses a cat boarding kennel.

Bob and Sis Pouliot started Purrsnikitty—which is touted as "clean, comfortable, caring and quiet"—13 years ago. Sis had previously owned a kennel where she boarded all types of animals, including dogs and horses. However, cats were her favorite because they were clean and easy to care for.

"I said when we retired we would board only cats," Sis said.

Purrsnikitty offers a quieter alternative than boarding a feline at the vet, where they are typically housed in the same room as dogs and could be at risk for diseases like kennel cough.

The Pouliot's property in East Wareham included an old chicken coop, which they gutted and turned into the cat kennel, which can hold 16 to 19 cats comfortably. During holidays, when the kennel is at full capacity, Bob opens up his workshop to house the surplus.

Each wire cage contains the traditional food and water bowls and litter pan, as well as a pan with an old blanket or rug serving as a cat bed. Bob and Sis say they take good care to keep the cats' quarters clean in an effort to prevent diseases such as kennel cough and use biodegradable litter and Clorox's line of GreenWorks products, which are naturally-derived

The couple keeps a boom box playing classical music around the clock. They say it soothes both man and beast. The cats are also given some time out of the cages, where they can go look out the window—which Sis likes to keep open during the day—and get some personal attention from Bob and Sis, who said she likes to visit with a cup of coffee and sit in the rocking chair she has set up in the room.

Though they operate in Wareham, the Pouliots have customers coming from as far away as Boston. One woman liked Purrsnikitty so much when she was living in the area that she continues to use the kennel even though she has since moved to New Hampshire.

Over the years, Bob and Sis have become attached to the cats who have stayed with them on repeat occasions and usually remember the their names instead of the owner's.

"Our favorites dying off is the saddest part," Sis said, adding that it's nice that the owners care enough to call the Pouliots when a cat passes away. "I think we buy more cat sympathy cards than human ones."

Sis added that another downside of the job is she and Bob can't go away very often.

But the pros of the job—like hearing stories about how people rescued their cats—far outweigh the cons.

"It's like having all the grandchildren you ever wanted and then they go home," Sis said, laughing.

The Pouliots only take cats that are up-to-date on their shots, have no fleas, and have been spayed or neutered. They charge $12 per day for one cat, due to the rising costs of heat, litter, and food. If an owner brings in multiple cats or is boarding an animal for more than 30 days, the couple bumps the fee down to $10 per day. It costs an additional $1 a day per medication if the cat needs it.

For more information about Purrsnikitty, visit www.purrsnikitty.org or call the Pouliots at 508-291-2125.