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I don't even leave my cats home alone if I'm gone more than one night! So needless to say, I couldn't fathom leaving them alone for 9 days. I'm sure you've searched, but I find it hard to believe there are no pet sitters in your area. We recently moved to a new area and are using an amazing pet sitter service. They are insured, so no worries about security concerns, and our sitter is wonderful. Loves animals of all kinds, and even my shy kitty has warmed up to her. I wouldn't leave them. I feel guilty leaving them when I go away for a weekend and are having the sitter in!
I've left my cats along for long weekends, but never 9 straight days without having them boarded. You're right that generally, they remain in their enclosures for long periods of time while being boarded, but at least you know you don't have to worry about them while you are gone. My cats are older and need some amount of medical care and I don't want to put my family into the position of having to do this (one cat gets pills you have to wrestle down her throat and the other one gets subcutaneous fluids). Even for my healthy cat, she tends to overeat and needs a certain amount of monitoring. I wouldn't leave mine alone that long without someone checking on them. If I go on a vacation, I just plan a certain amount of my vacation funds for their boarding.
Just got home. Everything appears to be fine. They had plenty of food and water. When I first got home they were a little skittish, but they are warming up now. Pretty soon they will get used to us being around again.
The extra (third, we normally have two) litter box was in the dining room. Half of its litter was out of the box and all over the floor. One of my cats normally kicks litter all over the place, so I'm not sure if that litter around was normal or if somebody had anxiety. There were three places where somebody had thrown up, but they throw up occasionally anyway (one has hairballs sometimes).
My outside cat was not home when we got home. She often goes hunting during the day. She's back now, and she doesn't seem skittish. She just wants attention.
I wouldn't recommend leaving cats alone for 9 days. I worried about them, but they were alright. It wasn't about the money all that much. We didn't really know who we could trust to come in and check on them. Most people we know are not cat people. There are a few sitters in the area, but they are sometimes booked up and there are none in my town so that would increase the expense (mileage might be charged and it might be harder to get somebody to do it). The kennel or vet probably keeps the cats locked up most of the time.
Fortunately everything seems to be fine.
A stray was sitting under our bush when we got home. He/she appeared to be a kitten, old enough to be on his/her own, but not fully grown. The kitten ran away after a while. This town has a lot of cats, and few people really care to try to do anything about it, so seeing a stray is not unusual.
Is there some reason you can't stay home alone with them? I could never have a good or enjoyable time knowing my cats were alone for 9 days. Anything can happen while you're away. If you insist on leaving them, please leave plenty of water in tip-proof bowls or pans for them and plenty of litter-pans.
I'm just curious... how do you get to the college to take classes? Do you drive?
I have online classes right now. I have a lighter schedule this fall and then 18 hours in the Spring.
I worried about the cats, but I took precautions. We closed off bedrooms and accounted for all of the cats before we left, they had clean litter boxes, and we set out 8 pounds of food and at least as many bowls of water.
I had a lot of fun on my vacation. This last year has been really tough for my family, with Grandpa dying and Grandma being so needy now. There have just been so many stresses. We had to get away for a little while to keep our sanity.
I worried about the cats, but I had to go on this vacation, because I wanted to go and also because my family wanted me there. We probably won't have another vacation like this for a few years.
I have online classes right now. I have a lighter schedule this fall and then 18 hours in the Spring.
What are you taking? What will your profession be when you graduate? With so few hours of online school, you can get a job in town, perhaps live on campus and finish school sooner. I assume you're taking some kind of college classes, not HighSchool classes.
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I worried about the cats, but I took precautions. We closed off bedrooms and accounted for all of the cats before we left, they had clean litter boxes, and we set out 8 pounds of food and at least as many bowls of water.
I had a lot of fun on my vacation. This last year has been really tough for my family, with Grandpa dying and Grandma being so needy now. There have just been so many stresses. We had to get away for a little while to keep our sanity.
I can understand that but still would be worried sick for that many days. I suppose when someone works/worked for a vet and gets to see (in my case saw) some of the things that can happen when owners are away, it makes it worse.
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I worried about the cats, but I had to go on this vacation, because I wanted to go and also because my family wanted me there. We probably won't have another vacation like this for a few years.
In a few years you'll be finished with school and most likely out on your own. Do you plan to take the cats with you when you move to the city for a job?
I plan on being a middle school teacher. I will be substitute teaching for the fall, but I'm not working right now. Next week I'll be staying with my Grandma in her apartment to try to transition her back from the nursing home to being in her own apartment. My Bachelor's program starts in the Spring, and then it will be 15-18 hours per semester for 2 years.
I'm not sure what I'll do with the cats once I move out. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
The cats seem to have missed me. They are wanting attention from me and other people in the house.
Why have pets, if you can't afford to take care of them, or have a life stable enough to be with them. I find it odd, to not have any friends who could look in them at least one or two times. I have left Jasper for a night or two, but not a week!
Why have pets, if you can't afford to take care of them, or have a life stable enough to be with them. I find it odd, to not have any friends who could look in them at least one or two times. I have left Jasper for a night or two, but not a week!
What I find odd is why she's still living at home without a job, and taking college classes online. Young ladies her age love living on campus, have loads of friends, are into all kinds of activities, date regularly, have part-time jobs and try and get through school as quickly as possible. They're future oriented. The cats, if I remember right, were more or less stays the family took in, one being pregnant. Then other cats appeared. If she's describing the area correctly, she lives far from any town or city but her parents must work, so there's something in driving distance where they earn a living. All the more reason a young lady would want to escape the social isolation and move on campus or take a cheap room near the university/college. I see so many cats being unloaded on Craigslist by the families of those who leave for school. That's why I was wondering what will happen to her cats when she finally leaves the house where she lives and joins the rest of society. Plans need to be made for her cats when that day comes so they don't end up on something like Craigslist.
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I guess I missed a post.
Do you plan to take the cats with you when you move to the city for a job?
