When retired educator Douglas Horton opened Happy Cats Retreat in 2017, he knew exactly the kind of boarding facility he wanted to create: a calm, cat-only sanctuary where felines could feel safe, soothed, and genuinely cared for. After 37 years in education and a lifetime spent around animals on his family farm, Douglas was ready for his new chapter.
Today, Happy Cats Retreat in Apex, North Carolina, is a beloved haven for local cat parents, offering individualized care, 24-hour attention, and an environment designed entirely around feline comfort. With a team of five dedicated employees, including Keiko with more than 30 years of medical experience and years of fostering cats, Douglas continues to live out a lifelong love of animals while planning for his future dream: establishing a cat rescue organization.
But building a successful, cat-focused business came with common growing pains. And that’s where Gingr stepped in.
As Happy Cats Retreat’s reputation spread in its early years, demand began to skyrocket. Before long, the business was juggling a full calendar, seasonal surges, and an increasing number of new clients looking for a reliable cat-only boarding option — something Douglas knew was rare and deeply needed.
“As the business grew, it became next to impossible to keep up with all the tasks," Douglas said.
Happy Cats Retreat wasn’t just getting busier, it was getting busier fast. And busy seasons amplified the pressure. With dozens of moving parts, from bookings to customer communication to daily care routines, Douglas needed a platform that could help him keep pace without sacrificing the personalized, attentive care he’s known for.
He signed up for Gingr's pet-care business software, which helps Douglas manage appointments, payments, pet parent communication, and reservation check-ins and check-outs the easy way.
"With Gingr, managing the business is a breeze," he said.
Douglas’s favorite Gingr feature? Online booking.
“Owners being able to book their own reservation” has transformed how Happy Cats Retreat operates, he said. For cat parents, the process is simple, intuitive, and available anytime. For Douglas and his team, it means fewer phone calls, less administrative backlog, and more time focusing on what matters most: the cats.
Happy Cats Retreat even offers a detailed, step-by-step booking guide on their website, helping first-time visitors know exactly what to expect. And Gingr supports the entire workflow behind the scenes.
The feature Happy Cats Retreat uses constantly is the boarding calendar. For a specialty business with 24-hour care, out-of-enclosure playtime, and frequent updates for extended stays, visibility is everything. Gingr’s calendar helps Douglas and his team:
“It has enabled us to keep up with the pace of our growth with ease,” Douglas said.
At its core, Happy Cats Retreat is a deeply personal business. Douglas and Keiko are proud parents to their five cats: Clementine, Leo, Tigger, Ruby, and Pumpkin, and they extend that same level of love to every feline guest.
Because Douglas struggled to find high-quality, cat-only boarding options in the past, creating a dedicated feline sanctuary was personal. He's made it his mission every since opening his doors to be the cat-care business he would want as a pet parent.
Happy Cats Retreat provides:
The facility is calm, quiet, and designed around feline behavior. No loud dogs, no stress-heavy environments, just spacious suites and gentle interactions. They offer a dozen standard condos and a dozen condos with a view. Each cat condo is designed with separate rooms for eating, playing, relaxing, and using the litter box.
"We can connect condos as a suite for our guests to enjoy a more spacious stay or for multi –guests from the same family," Douglas said.
Gingr supports his mission by giving the team the organizational infrastructure they need to maintain consistency, responsiveness, and exceptional care—even during the busiest times of year. With integrations like live webcams and built-in report card features, Douglas can run his business his way without paying for countless ad-hoc software solutions.
With a steadily growing customer base and a business that becomes more efficient each year, Douglas is already thinking about the future—including his long-term goal of starting a cat rescue organization.
And with Gingr supporting Happy Cats Retreat’s operations, booking, and customer experience, he has more time and space to focus on what he loves most: meeting new cats and the people who love them.
From humble beginnings on a childhood farm to running a thriving cat-only boarding facility, Douglas has never lost his passion for animals. Happy Cats Retreat reflects that lifelong devotion, offering a peaceful home-away-from-home for feline guests.
And behind the scenes, Gingr helps ensure that the business runs with the same level of care, clarity, and calm that Douglas brings to his guests every day.
“Gingr was one of the best business decisions I have ever made,” Douglas said.
Grow your business with pet-care software made for pet lovers, by pet lovers. Book a demo with Gingr today!