NILES -- Cyndi and Mark Rotuna both grew up with lots of pets and have always considered themselves

NILES -- Cyndi and Mark Rotuna both grew up with lots of pets and have always considered themselves "animal people."
After Mark Rotuna had to deal with numerous layoffs in the steel industry, the couple decided to make a living doing what they love -- taking care of cats.
"I'm doing what I do best," he said, "which is keeping these guys [cats] comfortable."
The Rotunas call Club Purrr, which they opened in 1996, a cat hotel. It caters to pet owners who don't want their cats kept in small cages.
The Rotunas, who have housed up to 41 cats at once, let the cats out of their rooms in shifts every day, to roam and play.
"We provide the things that are most important to cats, which are to scratch, climb and sleep," Rotuna said.
The facility features a clean, large room lined with 18 cat "suites," each with its own litter box, bed, toys and any items brought from home. An overstuffed couch faces a TV which plays videos of squirrels and birds. A fish tank bubbles in the corner and cat toys and scratching pads are scattered about the room. Each window holds a carpeted sleeping ledge for the cats, and a long carpeted ramp leads to a ledge above human reach.
There is no odor, despite the fact that there are almost always several cats in the room.
"We have good ventilation, and we use a very good air purification system," Rotuna said. "Whether there are 30 cats or one, this is the way it is all the time."
The Rotunas said this is important for the cats' health, as cats are susceptible to viruses.
How business grew
They said finding someone willing to rent them a building for the purpose of housing cats wasn't easy. Their next obstacle was getting people, including local veterinarians, to accept and embrace the concept.
"Although this was being done in other places, many people weren't sold on the idea here," Rotuna said.
"But then people started coming in to us and reporting back to the vets, and the vets saw what we were capable of doing. Now the vets recommend us to cat owners."
Between the Rotunas and manager Carmel Siciliano, the cats get 24-hour care. The Rotunas provide any veterinarian-ordered medical care to the cats.
"If a cat coughs, I want to know if it's a hairball or if there's a bigger problem," Rotuna said.
The Rotunas have 13 cats of their own, four of which they keep at Club Purrr. Two of their cats are certified therapy cats, which they take to nursing homes to visit patients.
The Rotunas were asked recently to send information on the therapy cats to the Animal Planet cable television channel to be considered for a show.