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I don't think that is a very good idea, getting a complete stranger to move in and take care of your pet, whom you say you consider a child.
I would say to get another cat. Maybe not a kitten either. Can't you just adopt a cat from a shelter who is a bit older and might not be so active for an older cat? You say your cat is 11 years old, maybe you should research getting a cat who is a couple of years old already?
Yes. We could do both; get a companion as well as a person.
Maybe I am wrong, but a stranger is a stranger and a business which supplies people for cat sitting might have personnel who are just as reliable or not as an older couple who would like an apartment for a week in the city. At least with the couple I would be sure to do a background check.
Anyhow, yes, we do consider Zeus a family member, but if we traveled we would be allowed to bring children with us, even if they were somewhat disorderly, but not a pet who is quiet and friendly and clean.
An older cat would suit US just fine, but I think Zeus would be less prone to feel threatened by a small female kitten.
I want to avoid, as much as possible, a scene. He looks through our window and just stares at cats outside but with squirrels and sometimes birds, he makes that peculiar clicking noise and his tail switches back and forth in annoyance with the other animal.
Even getting a companion animal isn't going to solve the problem as someone still has to come in and feed, refresh water and clean the litter boxes during your vacation. That said, I am all in favor of companion animals and given my circumstances over the last 40 years I have LOADS of experience and advice where introductions are concerned.
Even the most hoity-toity single older cat has a hard time NOT getting sucked into the antics of a new baby after a while. It does sometimes take a bit of time but the transition is pretty hilarious to watch and then when you finally see the older one doing body-slams on the baby then you know it's all over and is good!
Even though my "inside" cats are in and out during the day (I make the distinction because the inside cats are always in at night but the six rescued and fixed former ferals outside only wander inside occasionally and are never in at night) they'll still sit on a windowsill while inside and do the chatter routine when an outside lizard taunts them. Goes without saying that since they're allowed outside during the day, their catches are numerous and I'm continuously rescuing all kinds of lizards and baby iguanas which they run in with. Our local birds here are WAY too smart to be caught but that's another story. Never a dull moment here!
I do hope you find a resolution to what I totally understand is a problem and one with which I completely empathize since my cats are also family. Cheers!
I completely understand, since I HATE leaving my babies! But I also love to travel, so they've just learned to deal with it... have you gone away before in his lifetime? If not, I'd suggest spending a night away once or twice, to see how he reacts. A second cat is never a bad idea, IMO, which is why I've always had multiples - even if they dislike each other, they usually seem to enjoy having another feline around. I also happen to be a pet-sitter on the side, and rarely do I encounter a cat that's TOTALLY stressed about their owner being away... the clingy ones usually just cling to me instead, and maybe whine a little when I first walk out the door. But even the most shy and old cats (I had a client who was 20 & many shy ones) are generally fine, and *knock on wood* I've never had to deal with an emergency or freaked out kitty.
Btw, my family has owned Abyssinians for nearly 20 years, so if you need advice feel free to ask. And believe it or not, our very first Abyssinian - Amber - is still alive and will be 19 in April! We've had a total of about 7-8 now, with 4 currently still in the family (with my sister, mother & brother respectively). They are definitely not lap cats, very active and intelligent, so it would probably be a good fit for you.
Giz,
If you were in NY we would probably appreciate it if you would sit with our kid. Thank you about the Aby advice offer.
If you care to impart a bit more information, did you get all the Abys at the same place? Are you pleased with them? Do they have a website and are they willing to ship cats across the country? Are the kittens kept under foot and not in shelters?
I have seen that many places are especially breeding the Ruddys, which I like a lot. One lowered prices because of the bad economy, which is a shame because most breeders love the animals and deserve reimbursement.
We are aware that most breeders do not have kittens to be taken home immediately, but a person is asked to place an order for selection from a future litter.
The only time we left Zeus was only for two days when we got married. When we came home this clingy cat actually snubbed us for a few hours to teach us a lesson.
That was so cute and unexpected.
I totally agree in general, but most pet-sitting companies are bonded and insured... the one I work for is insured up to $30,000 for personal damage (towards the sitter), and I think $1M for property damage/theft. We do overnights for about $45 a night, which isn't cheap - but worth the money if you REALLY don't want to leave them alone!
We can lock most of our valuables, which are not a whole lot, in a storage room. I confess that I am ignorant of the background checks that a sitting service might make on their employees. Maybe suppose the bonding mechanism takes care of that, but I don't know what that entails.
Not meaning to disagree with anything posted here, but just offering another idea if none of that works... change your vacation plans. Ever thought of seeing the U.S. in a motorhome? Most full-time RVers travel with a pet or two. Just a thought.... Heck, you wouldn't even need the apartment until you decided to end the journey.
It seems that lots of people around the country do this, but on the East Coast, at least in our area, I don't think there are many places to accommodate such vehicles and the ones that do often have a questionable reputation. It is illegal, I think, to just park them on streets.
I don't have the first idea of what it would take to do the motorhome thing but I do know they eat gas.
Neither of us drive a lot.
We were thinking of doing some sort of train thing to national parks at some time, though.
Giz,
If you were in NY we would probably appreciate it if you would sit with our kid. Thank you about the Aby advice offer.
If you care to impart a bit more information, did you get all the Abys at the same place? Are you pleased with them? Do they have a website and are they willing to ship cats across the country? Are the kittens kept under foot and not in shelters?
I have seen that many places are especially breeding the Ruddys, which I like a lot. One lowered prices because of the bad economy, which is a shame because most breeders love the animals and deserve reimbursement.
We are aware that most breeders do not have kittens to be taken home immediately, but a person is asked to place an order for selection from a future litter.
The only time we left Zeus was only for two days when we got married. When we came home this clingy cat actually snubbed us for a few hours to teach us a lesson.
That was so cute and unexpected.
Thank you, Giz.
Several posters have suggested you adopt a cat from a local shelter. I'm beginning to be a bit unsure about from where you're coming given your last couple of posts. Are you contemplating an exotic as a companion for Zeus? An exotic from a breeder and a kitten that can be transported to you from a breeder? I guess I'm just losing it a bit here.
A shelter kitten will be all that you want and need as a companion to Zeus and there are scores to choose from at your local shelter. Is it beneath you for some reason to go the local shelter and pick just one which appeals to you and who begs you to take him or her home?
For so many reasons I'm pretty much done with this thread. Cheers!
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But I also love to travel, so they've just learned to deal with it... have you gone away before in his lifetime? If not, I'd suggest spending a night away once or twice, to see how he reacts. A second cat is never a bad idea, IMO, which is why I've always had multiples - even if they dislike each other, they usually seem to enjoy having another feline around. I also happen to be a pet-sitter on the side, and rarely do I encounter a cat that's TOTALLY stressed about their owner being away... the clingy ones usually just cling to me instead, and maybe whine a little when I first walk out the door. But even the most shy and old cats (I had a client who was 20 & many shy ones) are generally fine, and *knock on wood* I've never had to deal with an emergency or freaked out kitty.
We've had a total of about 7-8 now, with 4 currently still in the family (with my sister, mother & brother respectively). They are definitely not lap cats, very active and intelligent, so it would probably be a good fit for you.
