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Old 11-21-2009, 09:48 PM
 
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
36,499 posts, read 53,766,574 times
Reputation: 47903

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A great opportunity for basically a free trip to Hawii in December has fallen into our laps. DH is being sent by employer so hotel, his ticket, rental car and his meals will be paid for. I have oodles of frequent flyer miles I will lose in 2010 if I don't use them so the only costs involved will be our meals, boarding our dog. This is the only way we would even consider this trip and I hate to say no. We will be away 7 days.

My only concern is our 2 7 real old ragdolls.
I won't board them but I think if I put down huge bowels of food and water, start off with clean litter trays and add 2 more for good measure, they will be OK. Of course I will check to make sure there is nothing they can get into.

I have a new friend (we just moved here a few months ago) who I could ask to check on them from time to time but this is the problem. She is very neat and tidy. I'm not plus I still haven't completely unpacked. I would feel like I was being judged and I probably would be. I would feel like I have to hide all my personal papers, jewelry, etc. Do I sound paranoid? I'm not really but I don't have close enough friends or neighbors to help me. What should I do?
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Old 11-21-2009, 10:00 PM
 
2,029 posts, read 4,015,934 times
Reputation: 3398
Sounds like a great trip. There are a lot of pet sitter services out there today. You could have them come 2-3 times to check on them. Just make sure to find a service that is insured.

There's nothing wrong with the way you feel...I would feel the same way.

The longest we left our 4 cats alone was 5 days and there were no problems. The one time I let my brother take care of the cats and house was not good. We came home to over flowing litter boxes, almost empty food dishes, and half the water gone from the pool! He was old enough to know better...he was 42.
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Old 11-21-2009, 10:02 PM
 
Location: Texas
15,893 posts, read 18,205,735 times
Reputation: 62765
Quote:
Originally Posted by no kudzu View Post
A great opportunity for basically a free trip to Hawii in December has fallen into our laps. DH is being sent by employer so hotel, his ticket, rental car and his meals will be paid for. I have oodles of frequent flyer miles I will lose in 2010 if I don't use them so the only costs involved will be our meals, boarding our dog. This is the only way we would even consider this trip and I hate to say no. We will be away 7 days.

My only concern is our 2 7 real old ragdolls.
I won't board them but I think if I put down huge bowels of food and water, start off with clean litter trays and add 2 more for good measure, they will be OK. Of course I will check to make sure there is nothing they can get into.

I have a new friend (we just moved here a few months ago) who I could ask to check on them from time to time but this is the problem. She is very neat and tidy. I'm not plus I still haven't completely unpacked. I would feel like I was being judged and I probably would be. I would feel like I have to hide all my personal papers, jewelry, etc. Do I sound paranoid? I'm not really but I don't have close enough friends or neighbors to help me. What should I do?
If your new "friend" is the type who will judge you based on a lived-in house then do you really want that person as a friend?"

I leave my cats in the house when I am out of town and the summer of 2008 I was away from home for weeks at a time. A friend of mine checked on the girls every single day, changing the water, feeding them, cleaning out the litter box and playing with them for a while if they came out of their hiding places. I do the same thing with her cats when she is out of time.

You are not being paranoid. I'd hide my "stuff", too, if the friend was a new one. I'd give the friend a try. You could call her once or twice to make sure everything is going smoothly.
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Old 11-21-2009, 10:02 PM
 
Location: Hookerville, formerly in Tweakerville
15,107 posts, read 32,119,385 times
Reputation: 9689
I second the pet sitter. If you don't want someone to come every day, have them come every other day. Then they could get attention at the same time.
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Old 11-22-2009, 12:34 AM
 
Location: Mostly in my head
19,855 posts, read 65,574,293 times
Reputation: 19374
Most vet techs do pet sitting. Many of them come over on their lunch hour. I would feel better w/someone looking in on my cats - what if one got sick on Day 2?
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Old 11-22-2009, 06:52 AM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,256,002 times
Reputation: 22173
I have left the Raggies, plus a few, for up to 10 days. And had a friend come check when she could. Lots of litterboxes, food and water. She is not a cat person, but the only one I was comfortable with coming into my house. So, I didn't want her to be cleaning boxes...she did anyway, bless her heart. But, my biggest concern was fresh water for them. They, of course, missed us, but were all fine and happy to see us when we got back.
I did make sure doors were propped open, so no one could get caught in room somewhere.. Took away anything remotely of any danger or could be knocked over...mine open cabinets all the time, so either put something in front of the cabinet door or tied it shut somehow. I also left my shoes (which one in particular loves) and some worn clothes on the floor, so my scent was around for them as a comfort. (Someone coming into the house that didn't know me would have thought I was a complete slob!)
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Old 11-22-2009, 08:09 AM
 
Location: Niceville, FL
13,253 posts, read 22,650,364 times
Reputation: 16387
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah View Post
Most vet techs do pet sitting. Many of them come over on their lunch hour. I would feel better w/someone looking in on my cats - what if one got sick on Day 2?
Seconding asking around at the vet's office. There seems to be more accountability if you know where their day job is. You can also find pet sitters in the phone book that are bonded and insured in many areas. My sister has to travel a lot for business, and the pet sitter has become one of four people her herd of former ferals trust enought that they will walk up and ask for pats from.
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