A 'LUXURY' Gwent cattery has made it into the feline equivalent of the Michelin Guide.

The Cat's Whiskers at Pontypool was the only South Wales moggy motel to be named in a guide to the top 100 establishments in the UK.

The Feline Advisory Bur-eau charity included the Gwent business in its 2005 guide after receiving glowing nominations from customers.

Owner Daniela Woodbridge is now so busy she is planning to employ two staff in the coming months.

She said: "I'm elated to have made it into the first ever edition of the guide. It's a bit like getting into the Michelin Restaurant Guide.

"There are 37 catteries within a 20-mile radius of here, and hundreds in South Wales. So to be the only one in the guide is very rewarding.

"Over the last three years, we've put a lot of hard work and money into the cattery with the intention of making The Cat's Whiskers one of the best catteries in Wales and it's great to see that our clients really appreciate this.

"When we built the cattery, we ensured it was built beyond the recommended specifications, with maximum comfort, hygiene and safety for the cats that stay here. Not surprisingly our cat guests are happy and their owners are already booking with us for next year."

Mrs Woodbridge, 34, used to work with map makers Ordnance Survey before investing £30,000 in the cattery, which is sited in her three-acre garden.

The Cat's Whiskers has 25 heated chalets and secure outdoor runs as well as a state-of-the-art monitoring system. Mrs Woodbridge undertook specialised training in cat care to prevent the spread of disease, injury or escape.

She said: "It's been very hard work. My day starts at 7.30am and ends at 6.30pm, seven days a week. It's a bit like farming. I've hardly had any holidays.

"We're very busy at summer, Christmas and during school holidays. A cat stay costs £5 a night and turnover has now reached £15,000 a year. It's profitable as overheads are very low. I'm still building up trade. A lot of it is about repeat business."

She received backing from Newport-based management consultants CODA and Newport and Gwent Enter-prise. Torfaen council gave her £2,000 towards the start-up.