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we are planning a vacation in a couple of months. this will be the first time , even for a night, since we got our spoiled cat a couple of years ago that we will be separated. I am home 24/7 unless doing errands, so she's used to having someone around most of the time. we're worried because she doesnt handle changes very well.
do we find a cat hotel?, leave her at home and have someone come over every day to check on her,? bring her to stay with another friend's cat? taking her with us will not be an option and even if it was, it would still cause problems yanking her away from what she knows.
trying to find the least disruptive option which probably means leaving her at the house all alone which also would still cause her a lot of anxiety since she's used to having someone around almost all the time to cater to her needs and wants. she hates being alone even for a few hours unless she's in sleep mode.
cats eventually adjust to changes in their environment but, even so, there's stress involved in those changes and , stress can only hurt just like in humans.
Pet sitter in your own house is a good way to go if you can find someone reliable and trustworthy.
Yes, she will be alone, but she will have her own familiar environment, which will be a comfort. In my area, the pet hotels are just as expensive, if not more, than having someone come in 1-2 times a day, and the cat ends up being confined in a small cage, with other cats crying and distressing them. A pet sitter will often stay for 15 minutes to half an hour to give them some attention, and have the added benefit that many of them will bring in your mail and water plants if you arrange it with them.
if you have a friend or family member that your cat likes, some have 'boarded' their cat with friend/family. but.. only if the cat knows them and is comfortable with them. They'll be kinda freaked at the change and you missing.
vet/hotel boarding is an option, some cats like it at the swanky places, and you're comforted to know that there is oversite much of the time. but.. it is expensive, and not all cats will take to it.
the easiest is to have a friend/family/pet sitter come and regularly check on your cat in its own surroundings. they'll be bored, they'll miss you, they may not eat as much.. but it's often less stressful than moving them. and you have the advantage that said person may bring in your mail & paper as well so the place doesn't look vacant. this is what I do.
We have five and always use a pet sitter of some kind. If it is a teenager or child, we always get the parent involved. Occasionally we use a prof. service.
Works out well since the cats get to stay on their own schedule and have their own territories set up.
We pay very well and have some committed sitters. We also have a local vet (2 blocks away) and could call on them if an emergency.
We always hire a professional pet sitting service that is bonded and insured. The cats are so calm when we get back. It is well worth the expense to allow them to stay home.
We do, however, hear about our departure for at least 2-3 nights after returning with loud scolding!
Looks like all us cat owners agree ..someone you know and/or prof pet sitter.
I once left an elderly cat at the vet for a week, as I was concerned about her meds etc...but the day I left, she reportedly quit eating...creating a huge issue...she had to be given an appetite stimulant.
I was devastated to find this out....but when I got her home, first thing she did was head to the food bowl and hungrily went after everything in sight!
I think it depends on how long. If its for a week, find someone to come in once a day for a contracted half hour or hour to scoop, change water, play, basically just move around and a be a presence.
Longer than a week with only one cat (changes if there are two or more) I would probably go with a nice cat kennel if you can find a good one. I think they get a little freaked with no live presence after a week or so.
I always have someone come take care of mine too. I have had family that they know as well as a professional pet sitter that my family and a friend of the family use. I feel keeping them at home rather than boarding is the least disruptive and also eliminates any possibility of them getting into a fight or getting anything from fleas to disease from another cat.
I know my cats are lonely without me here and with someone only coming in twice a day - but at least I know they are in their own home where they are safe and sound.
Last trip we went on my hubby installed a few FOS CAM in home security cameras. Kind of like a baby camera - I LOVE THEM!! They are in the rooms the cats hang out in the most and we could check in on them any time I still do even when I'm just out and around town. We call them the kitty cam's.
I have an app for my phone so I can see them from there, or you can check from a tablet or website on computer.
My home alarm system also pages my phone when someone comes or goes. So when the sitter left the house I would log onto the cameras and do a quick head count to make sure all the babies were safe and sound and there were no accidental escapes Made me feel sooooo much better about leaving them
Yes, a petsitter is definitely the way to go. Sometimes cats will become a little timid after being home alone for more than a week, but they bounce back pretty quick once their owner returns. It's definitely less stressful than being boarded. Plus, even if you use a flea-preventative it doesn't always work at a kennel, and your cat could come home with fleas--which can be very hard to eradicate.
I think it depends on how long. If its for a week, find someone to come in once a day for a contracted half hour or hour to scoop, change water, play, basically just move around and a be a presence.
Longer than a week with only one cat (changes if there are two or more) I would probably go with a nice cat kennel if you can find a good one. I think they get a little freaked with no live presence after a week or so.
we will be gone for week.
most then agree..leaving at home is best option with being looked on at least once per day. unfortunately, our cat is even shy when family is over. generally goes and hides under bed. hates for anyone to pick her up (kids). she also refuses to drink water from her bowl (next to food bowl), but will drink from a cup left in the bathroom if thirsty enough but prefers to drink from faucet. (told you she was spoiled !! ).
we have family that have two cats and thought about taking here there for the week but I really dont think that would go well for her or their cats. when we moved into our new house 2 years ago, she wouldnt eat or drink for a couple of days and we were very close to taking her to the vet to get her force fed, but she finally started to adjust, just very slowly.
also, they live about 30 minutes away so it would be somewhat of an incovenience and well out of their way for any of them to come by our house once a day. The person she is most familiar with is our teenage granddaughter and we would love haviing her house/pet sit for the entire week but she has no driver's license or other mode of transportation to get her to where she is working which is also on the other side of the city.
whatever we end up doing , she'll just have to deal with it and hopefully the disruption wont adversely affect her health in any way. I very much appreciate all the responses/suggestions.
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this is what I do.
..someone you know and/or prof pet sitter. 
I still do even when I'm just out and around town. We call them the kitty cam's. 
