A LUXURY hotel with 12 bespoke apartments really is the cat's whiskers.

For the apartments - complete with piped-in music, sun terraces, and mats from Harrods - are available for felines only.

After two years under construction, the cattery, called Just Cats, opened in a £100,000 bungalow in Whessoe Road, Darlington.

Residents can choose from Mayfair Apartments or Mayfair Mews.

Owner Muriel Marshall, 55, admits the finished article has left her "gobsmacked".

"Catteries don't have to be chicken wire and concrete," she said. "People want their cats to stay somewhere nice, and this provides it. We call it the Hilton for cats."

Mrs Marshall, originally from South Tyneside, was a volunteer at Willows Cat Shelter, Tyne and Wear, for 25 years.

Just Cats was built on the site of an old garage next to Mrs Marshall's home.

"We kept coming further and further down the motorway, looking for somewhere suitable," she said.

"The location is perfect - semi-rural, but close to the town. The bungalow looks in better shape than our house, which needs some work doing, but we decided to finish the cattery first."

Each apartment is only slightly smaller than a boy's bedroom - and considerably tidier - has a window, furniture, and some have a sun terrace.

For cats that can't bear to be apart, some apartments are linked by an extra-large cat flap.

Mrs Marshall, who has four rescued cats, provides round-the-clock care, and a vet is on hand 24 hours a day. Even the cats' food is prepared on site.

"From the outside, it looks like any other bungalow, so I think people will be surprised when they come in," Mrs Marshall said. "We wanted it to be like a home from home, and I think it is. It's built to the same specification as a house, right down to the insulation.

"It's fully accessible for the disabled, and we have a disabled toilet. It's taken a while, but I'm thrilled with the final result."

Mrs Marshall would also like to thank Kevin Liddle Joinery and Construction and Darlington Timber for their help.

Just Cats is located at 2 Railway Cottages, Whessoe Road, Darlington. Call 01325-749955.