posted on April 17, 2001 04:52:59 PM
I'm in a bit of a quandary right now. I'm taking a week-long vacation during the summer and this will be my first vacation as a cat owner. I just got off the phone with a place (at my vet's) which boards cats, and I made reservations for all three cats for the week -- which will actually end up being ten days because I can't pick them up during the weekend.
And now I feel terrible! These cats are my little furry babies, and it seems cruel to lock them up in 26" x 28" cages for over a week while I'm gone. They'll get attention from the people there, but I hate the idea of leaving them for that long in a strange, small enclosure. It's also expensive, though that's not my primary concern.
Cat owners, what do you do with your cats when you go on vacation? Do you board them, use a pet sitting service, or leave them with friends or family? We have some friends who offered to take them for the week, but they already have three cats and we don't want to worry about the cats getting out of their house or doing any damage there.
I don't want to lock my babies away for over a week, unless that's really the best thing to do with them. Any ideas?
Edited because "lock" and "luck" are not the same word.
[ edited by RainyBear on Apr 17, 2001 04:59 PM ]
posted on April 17, 2001 05:13:11 PM
As long as your cats aren't destructive, why not just let them roam the house while you're gone? You can put out a big pan full of water.. a big pan full of food.. 2 litter boxes and let them go. Have a neighbor come and check on them a couple of times during the week.. (ie: fresh water, petting, etc). If the cats are destructive, do the same thing, but put them into a smaller area, such as a bedroom... and make sure all power cords are up and out of the way.. and anything else they'd get into and destroy.
The only time I would board them, is if one or all are not the healthiest.. or need medical care, such as daily pills, injections, or drops..... as it's not exactly fair to a neighbor or friend to subject them to that. Or if you're going to be gone an extended period of time.. such as 2 weeks to 3 months... then it would be best to board them.
As far as the litter boxes go.. get the nice deep ones.. and fill them up half way.. and instuct your neighbor to not worry about it. With 3 cats.. 2 well filled, clean litter boxes should easily last a week. If your cats are extremely picky, put a 3rd litter box in.
posted on April 17, 2001 05:18:10 PM
We've had cats for years, right now we have 3. We just leave them in the house and leave a key with a friend or neighbor. Usually we have that person bringing the mail in anyway, and they would come in each day and check the cats.
We have self-feeders for the food and water, and 2 litter boxes. The cats are always a bit odd when we get home, but for the most part it has never been a problem.
The only time we've taken the cats out of the house is when we had exterminators in 2 years ago. They spent the day at the vets, and were totally miffed by the ordeal. We figured it was better than being exposed to the ant spray.
posted on April 17, 2001 05:41:10 PMRainybear: when I have to go away, I get the teenaged kids of friends to housesit for me. They stay at my house and take care of my dogs and lizards. I pay them a flat $10 per day, allow full use of my sizable video and book collections, and put a few treats in the fridge for them over & above regular meals. This arrangement works out far better than boarding: cheaper, much less stress on the animals, no exposure to diseases, and somebody in the house every night.
With cats, you probably wouldn't need (unless you wanted it) your housesitter to stay at your house. And it would be a lot easier on your cats. Also, I always worry about cats who are boarded, as feline leukemia is *so* contagious & if there is one cat who is a carrier in the kennel...
posted on April 17, 2001 06:33:18 PM
Seconding the notion of letting the little furries stay home, if you can. Cats are very attached to their surroundings, and have routines and schedules. (We generally know where in the house they are and what they're doing at any given time, even when we're not home!)
We had a neighbor come in twice daily to see to our crew. It was necessary because one of them was a diabetic who required insulin injections twice a day.
The neighbor was a certified nurse's aide who was out on disability and happy to make a few extra dollars. It would have cost us almost three times as much to board them at the vet's for the same amount of time, and instead of having the run of their very own home, they'd have been in little cages.
She came for an hour at a time (her choice, she really enjoyed our cats), injected the diabetic, fed everyone, and played with them. We left two clean and well-filled litter boxes and told her not to worry about cleaning them. The cats knew her and liked her, and had a great time with her while she was there. They went about their usual business during the time they were alone.
We got some "cattitude" when we came home, but were forgiven within twenty-four hours.
posted on April 17, 2001 07:11:07 PM
I leave my cats at home when I go away for vacation. When I had a cat that required medication, I asked a friend who had been a vet tech to check on them, pill the sick one, feed them, and scoop the litterboxes. She came over twice a day. I always paid her very well because I was glad she would do this for me and she was very reliable.
Now that I have cats that don't require meds, I have a neighbor check on them daily, scoop the boxes, and feed them. I pay her also. If my vacation is a quick trip (two days), I just leave enough food and water out for them. It's always interesting to return and see if the pecking order has changed - sometimes the wimpiest cat takes everything in stride and the bully is the one with his nose out of joint when we return.
posted on April 17, 2001 07:11:37 PM
I agree...leave the cats at home while you are away. They'll be alot happier and safer in their own surroundings. We had one cat that needed daily insulin injections and, when we couldn't get our son to come and do it, we had an animal sitter that would give him the shots. For $10 a day it was worth it....everyone was happier. Enjoy your trip knowing kitty is safe and happy at home.
posted on April 17, 2001 08:31:46 PM
I have a neighbor I trade pet sitting with. She watches mine while I'm away and I do the same for her. I have a cat and a dog. She has 3 dogs. Works great and no stress for the animals.
posted on April 17, 2001 09:04:16 PM
I agree too -- leave the kitties in their familiar surroundings if at all possible.
I have dogs instead of cats, but since they're grown and (usually!) not into mischief like puppies tend to be, my dogs do just fine with a friend stopping by once a day to make sure they have food, water, and a bit of playtime to burn off extra energy.
It works out well, because our friend just lives a mile or so from us, and along with taking care of the dogs, he also picks up our mail everyday, makes sure any packages get taken inside the house, and does a quick house-wide check to make sure everything else is okay too.
We make sure to leave him an emergency list with the phone number where we'll be, the vet's phone number, a relative's phone number, any medicines the dogs might need, some money in case it's needed, etc.
I feel better with someone we trust checking on the house as well as taking care of the dogs.
posted on April 17, 2001 09:32:21 PM
Well then, it's settled. I'll definitely keep them at home and find someone to take care of them. I'll feel a lot better that way. My mom says she once left our cat at home while we were on vacation and had someone coming in to feed him (when I was too young to remember), and he got really upset and ate holes in all our blankets! I hope they don't go nuts and do something like that, and I hope my one indoor/outdoor cat doesn't scratch the door to pieces trying to get out. It really sounds like the best solution, though. Thanks for all the great advice!
