Since he's only 1 year old and people friendly, I might be inclined to have him
taken care of by your friend.  How good is your friend with cats?  Will he/she
be around a lot to give the cat attention?  Will they be very careful that the
cat does not get out?

For the future, have you ever considered getting a second cat as a
companion/playmate for the first one?  We have 2 cats and I think it helps that
they have each other for company when we're at work or out of town.

Lauren
________
See my cats:  http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm

Uh, you're kind of waiting for the last minute to investigate this,
aren't you?  I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just
learned about the trip possibility.

I've always understood cats to be strongly bonded to their location.
Because of this, when I go away someone comes in to feed them, clean the
boxes, and give them a little TLC.  That's what I recommend to you.
When I catsit my neighbors' cat, I try to spend a little time with her,
and if they're away for a week I'll often take a book over and occupy
their couch for a while to give the cat a sense of someone else being
there for more than a flying minute.  This is one hostile cat, so
petting and snuggling and so on are OUT.  After six years she's getting
better, though.  She doesn't hiss *immediately* any more.  ;-)  Whatever
her attitude, she deserves to know she's not been abandonned.

Now, this does not mean that your cat may not be royally pissed off at
you when you return.  Shredded toilet paper or paper towels and dug-up
house plants should be written off as your fault for daring to abandon
the poor ickle kitty, and said puss may either be very clingy upon your
return or may give you the cold shoulder for a bit.  This will wear off,
and once you've re-ingratiated yourself, you will be forgiven.

Have fun on your trip!

Priscilla

I have had friendly cats and not so friendly cats, and not a one ever liked
going to other people's homes.
Is he an indoor-only cat? They like going to strange places about as much as
I like getting a root canal, IME.

Try this - take him over to the friend's house now, before you go anywhere,
and see how he does for a couple hours with you there. If he's all cool and
relaxed and everything is peachy, you pretty much have your answer.
If he falls asleep somewhere, bonus points. If he hides and won't come out,
subtract 100 points. *G*

If, however, he's more like my cats and gets really peeved about being
brought someplace strange, you'll be best with a sitter.
Have a cat sitter come by your home for at least 30 minutes a day, either a
friend or a service. Also, make sure one at least one of your direct
neighbors has contact info for you in case of emergency, such as burglary or
fire. If you live in a smallish neighborhood, contact the local police dept
to see if they have a program to do drive-bys of vacationing people's homes.
Ours does.

A cat can do fine all alone for 5 days, given enough food and water. But you
want him to have company and be checked on. You can leave the radio on for
some comfort for him, too.
Plus, emergencies happen. So, just think of all the things that could go
wrong and make sure someone can get in touch with you should any of the worst
come to pass. Oh, and make sure anyone caring for the cat has not only your
info, but the number of your vet and the closest emergency pet clinic.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best.  :)

My 2 cents.

I'd opt for a cat sitter.  One you really trust - whether a friend,
relative, or a professional pet sitter.  Professional sitters will sometimes
come in twice/day, at your request (as long as you agree to their payment
schedule).

Cathy

Cats are extraordinarily intelligent creatures, and very flexible.

Here's a tale to inspire.

My neighbours' house is two hundred yards away.  We had never had any
contact with their cat.  A week before they went away for four days they
intentionally brought their cat to us for Sunday afternoon tea, for a
couple of hours.  The cat wandered round the house, investigated, and no
doubt noted the friendliness between the two sets of humans.  A week
later, on the day the neighbours were going away, they brought the cat
over to us (an adult of about 9 cat-years) at 10 in the morning and left
her with us, then departed.  The cat wandered about, soon got worried
about her owners' departure from our house, began to go from window to
window.  Eventually, at about 1pm, I let her out and she raced back to
her own home, where she could get into the porch only and sleep in
safety.

At 7.30pm that night, in the pitch dark outside, we heard miaowing at
our back door.  We let her in, fed her, and while we ate she settled
happily on the couch, washed and went to sleep.  In the morning, she was
eager for breakfast, but after that wanted to return to her home.  We
opened the door and let her go.   Note that the two hundred yards
between the two hours is quite an obstacle course: high wire fence, tall
leylandii hedge, very wet and muddy farmland.

At 7.30pm that night also, she returned, to eat and stay the night in
warmth and security.  In the morning she wished to depart.

She followed the same pattern on two more evenings.

Since the neighbours' return she has never been back.  When we went over
there recently for tea, she ignored us.

Cats are intelligent and canny.  They can look after their interests if
allowed the means to do so, if shown a mechanism of which to take
advantage.

----------------------------------------------

Personally I think cats are happier in their own home.  I get a pet sitter.
Right now I use my vet's recommended vet technician who is able to medicate
and even clip claws for me and is very reliable.

--
Barb
Of course I don't look busy,
I did it right the first time.

I just returned from twelve days on the road. First time my guy has been
without me for longer than a couple of days and that doesn't happen often.
He is 2.5 years old. I've had him since he was 7 months. He is pretty much a
"one guy" cat, but very affectionate to me.

I agonized over this, but in my mind it is much better to have someone come
in and spend a bit of time a couple times per day than to relocate the cat.
He did just fine and actually has become slightly more people oriented than
he used to be. He was very happy to have me home and won't leave me alone,
but he is the same happy, playful, affectionate guy as always.

I really missed him and certainly disliked being away so long, but have to
work to pay for cat and people food. Get a committed person to come to your
home and try not to worry too much would be my advice.

Tom
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