As the summer weeks roll by, many Kaua‘i families think about getting away and taking a long-deserved vacation. Yosemite? The Rockies? Maybe Alaska? Yet as soon as the destination’s cool breeze begins to blow through the imagination, “Spot” or “Princess”
As the summer weeks roll by, many Kaua‘i families think about getting away and taking a long-deserved vacation. Yosemite? The Rockies? Maybe Alaska? Yet as soon as the destination’s cool breeze begins to blow through the imagination, “Spot” or “Princess” trot through the living room and jump on the couch with attentive ears. Oh no — what to do with the more furry of your family members while you skip town? Moksha McClure of Whiskers Resort in Lihu‘e has created a place that will satisfy the most picky, feisty, spoiled and shy of our animal companions, letting you and your pet enjoy a fun and relaxing vacation away from home.
McClure’s love and dedication to animals began as a young child. From the age of 8, McClure felt a passion for both dogs and cats, taking on the care of her own pets without needing mom to remind her to fill the dishes or get the leash out. Becoming a vegetarian at age 9, it was clear to McClure that animals would hold an important place in her future. “I dreamt that one day I would live on a country hill surrounded by all my adopted kitties and puppies,” she laughs, “and now, I’m up on a hill, surrounded by animals. It’s wonderful.”
McClure moved from New Mexico to Kaua‘i in 2000. Having had a successful dog-walking service in Santa Fe called Doggy Hikes, McClure felt the next step was to open a pet-sitting business. Yet it wasn’t until her move to the Garden Island that the dream began to take shape. Housesitting on the North Shore often included taking care of people’s pets while they were away.
“Many people asked if I could take care of their pets at my home — I ended up moving all my office furniture out of a back room, built lofts and added scratching posts for my first cattery… before I knew it, I was boarding cats and dogs,” explained McClure.
The young entrepreneur began to imagine a full boarding facility, that would include wide open space, multiple buildings to house an office, dog play areas and a quiet, cozy cattery. “I pinpointed a location in Lihu‘e that I absolutely loved. Its beautiful and spacious location is great for the animals for hiking and playing, while secluded enough not to bother any neighbors with our often very talkative animal companions,” said McClure.
When McClure located to the property it was raw and rugged. “We had 6 foot tall cane grass. I had to start from scratch and take it one step at a time. I learned a lot and received amazingly generous help from clients and friends.”
While Whiskers Resort is constantly growing, fleshing out the space and finishing details in paint and landscaping, the property is already extremely impressive and inviting — to humans and animals alike.
One of McClure’s unique business perspectives is in her fervent dedication to “socially and environmentally responsible building, maintenance and energy consumption. You can call it my ‘pet project,’ I want to minimize our facility’s footprint on the planet.”
By using recycled shipping containers for buildings and school buses for storage space, recycling and eco-friendly cleaning products especially in the cattery where “we have always used a holistic wintergreen/rosemary pest control product because kitties can be especially sensitive to harsh pesticides,” she said.
Whisker’s Resort is achieving what most companies are just beginning to take on.
Yet Whisker’s Resort deserves the most tail-wags for its solar and biodiesel energy sources. The recycled vegetable oil (biodeisel) is sustainable for the island and environment at large. Charlie Cowden of Hanalei Solar designed the system for Whiskers to help meet McClure’s expectations for her visionary business.
“Every aspect of the business is thought through, from naturally preserved by-product-free pet foods, organic catnip, and locally made vegetarian pet treats to our gorgeous, tranquil and breezy (a natural healthy ventilation system) rural setting,” writes McClure on the Whiskers Resort Web site.
McClure feels she has been able to create a totally unique community-minded business. “We aim to offer Kaua‘i better pet care options and to improve the lives of companion animals,” writes McClure.
Yet in talking to her about the successful creation of Whisker’s Resort, she is quick to point out the extensive help she receives from local technicians, such as Ray Pigott the electrician, her extensively trained staff of animal care givers, and generous clients “who have donated the majority of my landscaping from trimmings or house plants,” she said.
“We call ourselves the farm girls — we’re up when the doggies get up,” and that’s usually in step with the sun. From dawn til dusk, 365 days a year, McClure described the full-time, 24-hour nature of an animal boarding business. Between play time, groom time, meal time, doggy-movie time (a daily matinee of ‘Benji’ ‘Lassie’ or ‘Homeward Bound’), cleaning and administrative duties, “the days are busy,” said McClure.
For kitties, life at the resort is set just at their pace. They stay in self-appointed kitty-suites in a quiet garden cattery distanced from the constant romp of the doggy buildings, classical music and bird feeders waltz the day away for the lucky cats inside. Multiple petting sessions and extensive toys and carpeted scratching posts keep the purr factor sky-high.
“We know that dogs need plenty of interactive play and cats require peace and entertainment. We feel that a cozy home-like environment, lots of personal care and tons of love and touch (this is the most important ingredient!) ensure a happy stay for your companion animals,” writes McClure on the resort’s Web site.
Registering your furry friend for a day at the resort, or longer vacation is as thorough as signing up your 4-year-old for pre-school.
The extensive and detailed application gives McClure and her staff specific and vital details about each animal placed in their care. Treating every animal individually with focused attention ensures the animal’s health and happiness. “In the first 24 hours after checking in, we are very watchful for any signs that the animal companion may be under stress, or doesn’t feel at home,” said McClure.
While doggy daycare and cat boarding businesses are usually only found in the most metropolitan of Mainland cities, Whiskers Resort is an island-grown business that serves the many animal-lovers living here. Knowing our furry family members have a safe and fun place to be, makes going away a true vacation.
“I’ve had many clients tell me if it wasn’t for Whiskers, they’d never be able to leave Kaua‘i,” said McClure.
Through her own passion for animals, McClure has found a way to serve the community and all the whisker-twitching friends among us.
For more information visit the resort’s Web site: www.whiskersresort.com or call 241-PETS.
