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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2005What to do with kitty while gone?
My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is to have a friend take care of him. The problem here is that both she and her husband work, so Romeo would be left alone much of the day. Also, she lives a good bit away from us. The other option is to have him stay at a boarding kennel. The (potential) problem here is that I don't know how good they are and am unsure I want to trust our kitty with strangers (of course, I suppose this is their business...). Presumably, the advantage of the kennel is that he wouldn't be alone all day. Any thoughts on the matter?  Signature------------------------------------------------------------------------ Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated. --Gilbert K. Chesterton ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end > of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Any thoughts on the matter? Consider applying kennel fees to an in home professional sitter. They will also do stuff like take in the mail, water the plants etc. Get references. They really make your trip more enjoyable. You don't have the feeling of putting a friend out, the cat does better and they aren't too expensive for what they do. When I have them, I have them come over twice a day. I don't go for the idea of a kennel. It's like putting the kitty in jail for a week. And there are diseases. A friend with a distance to go can also be a problem. There could be a storm, a car breakdown, illness... Ask your vet for a recommendation, perhaps his receptionist or technician. -- Barb Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time. >A friend with a distance to go can also be a problem. There could be a >storm, a car breakdown, illness... You are stretching it a bit here I think.....lol.....your other advice by the way I think was good and will cause me ask my vet should I have the need for a sitter.......rather than really stretching the reasons not to use that friend its just simply not a good idea......for the same reasons you here people say don't go into business with a friend.....if something should happen to the cat the friend feels like crap......you feel like crap.......I guess its just a crappy deal......please don't get upset I think if you look at your reasons for not using a friend open mindedly you will get a chuckle out of it too........ Brad LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL-PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT, SHOUTING... " HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!" There is a "national association of petsitters". Google them and you may be able to find one in your area. They should be insured and bonded, and meet with you and your pet first. We have used ours for over 10 years and it works out well. We get a 30 min visit, they bring in the mail and paper, pill my one hyperthyroid cat, give food and treats, and play with them, brush them, etc. They also leave a report to let us know how they did. Beth > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end > of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Any thoughts on the matter? Be very careful with the boarding kennel, mine does better when left alone at home for short durations with plenty of food and water available. Being alone during the day isn't a huge issue, many folks work and leave their cats alone all day... the cats usually sleep. >> My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end >> of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Being alone during the day isn't a huge issue, many folks work and leave >their cats alone all day... the cats usually sleep. Joe.....what do you consider a short duration.....surely not a week like the OP is talking about but just wondering I have a friend who I think does three day weekends and such leaving her cats alone...... Brad LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL-PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT, SHOUTING... " HOLY @#$%... WHAT A RIDE!" >>>My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end >>>of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Brad 3 - 4 days at most. They are in their own environment... the only thing missing is the staff. :) Joe Negron <jnegron@XmindspringX.com> wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav: > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning > the end of June to early July. We have two options for our cat [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Any thoughts on the matter? As for a cat being alone all day, don't they pretty sleep all day anyway? There are plenty of single working people who have cats and none are the worse for wear being home alone. That said, If you have to board, do it at your vet's office. I tried a kennel once and both Kami and I thought it was awful. Plus she came home with fleas even though they absolutely stated there are in no way any fleas in their facility. She doesn't like the vet much, but there's someone there. Best scenario, maybe, is to ask the vet if they know someone who pet- sits. Pet-sitters will usually play with your cat or brush them for a while and give them treats. It's usually someone who really likes animals instead of just "friends" who will probably dump food in the bowl and leave. SignatureBrandy Alexandre® http://www.swydm.com/?refer=BrandyAlx Well, would you? Brandy Alexandre wrote: > Joe Negron <jnegron@XmindspringX.com> wrote in > rec.pets.cats.health+behav: [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > animals instead of just "friends" who will probably dump food in the > bowl and leave. Just a comment on this for other readers... A vet recommendation of a boarding place or sitter is no guarantee the place or people will be good. I have a personal experience with this where a vet recommended place turned out to be the boarding place from hell. I told the people running the place I'd be gone one week, turns out the trip only took 3 days. They were not prepared for me to pop in after 3 days to see what had taken place. Had I stayed away for a week I probadly would never have known what happened. Be very cautious when trusting others to look after your pets. >Just a comment on this for other readers... > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Be very cautious when trusting others to look after your pets. What happened? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to. --Mark Twain ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA >>Just a comment on this for other readers... >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > What happened? My 18 pound Ragdoll spent the whole time inside her carry cage that I brought her to the boarding place with. I should have suspected something was wrong when they said I could leave the carry cage with them. This carry cage is just big enough to transport the cat for short distances. She cannot stand up inside it and there is barely enough room for her to turn around. She was soaked in urine and there were feces in the back she tried to cover up with the foam pad. She could barely walk after I opened the door to let her out. I was furious. >>>[...] >>>Be very cautious when trusting others to look after your pets. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >I was furious. That's absolutely terrible. I'd have been furious, no doubt. I presume you told the vet what you thought of his/her recommendation? Signature------------------------------------------------------------------------ A hundred men may make an encampment, but it takes a woman to make a home. --Chinese Proverb ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA Find a petsitter that will come to your house. Check at your vet's office; they may be able to recommend someone. Sue > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end > of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Any thoughts on the matter? ***Hands down, hire a "petsitter"! Call around select the one you connect with. A petsitter is the very least traumatic, and most safe remedy you can have. Plus, you'll have someone coming to your home, usually twice a day, but they can come just once, if you like, who can 'keep an eye open' for you, etc. I would neeeever, ever, board my cat (in a small cage) at a kennel and/ or vet office, unless your cat is very sick, that is. Soo, buy locally, invest in a pet sitter :-)! ML > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end > of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end > of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means Dont know if they have the same thing over their, but in the UK, they have housesitters, that will stay in your home for the whole time and are only allowed two hours out of the home a day. They cost around £32 a day, which makes for a very expensive holiday, but there is complete peace of mind. Having said that, we have not had a holiday for 9 years as I just wont leave my old friend, but to have someone in the house all the time with them would be acceptable to me. Chris > government by the badly educated. > > --Gilbert K. Chesterton > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA You are only gone a week? Screw petsitters and kennels, man - it is a cat. They are solitary animals, he will be just fine and happy on his own. Have a friend stop by 2 or 3 times for a little while play with him, make sure he's alive, change food and water, and throw out the litter. Put on a classical station on the radio, leave a light on, and the cat will be glad to see you in a week. Bluesman NO! Very bad advice. Someone should check on the cat at least once a day. The cat might be just fine without the daily routine -- but emergencies arise, and there would be no one to take action under your guidelines. Moreover, you call them "solitary animals," but cats that are used to companionship and attention are not the same as cats in the wild. MaryL >You are only gone a week? Screw petsitters and kennels, man - it is a >cat. They are solitary animals, he will be just fine and happy on his >own. > >Have a friend stop by 2 or 3 times for a little while play with him, >make sure he's alive, change food and water, and throw out the litter. We're relatively new in this neighborhood - none of our friends/family lives anywhere close. >Put on a classical station on the radio, leave a light on, and the cat >will be glad to see you in a week. I think he'd be frantic. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If there is a God, atheism must seem to Him as less of an insult than religion. --Goncourt ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA >You are only gone a week? Screw petsitters and kennels, man - it is a >cat. They are solitary animals, he will be just fine and happy on his [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Bluesman I was away for a week, coming home on Monday. I had someone live at my house while I was gone, but he had to leave on Saturday. So for Sunday I had my cousin stop by to feed the boys and check that all was ok. He called me from the house to ask a few questions and all was fine. Monday I come home and Espy had managed to close a door (he must have been fighting with Nipsy or jumping off a shelf). Anyway, he was locked in a bedroom with no food, water, or literbox. It must have happened very recently because he wasn't hungry or thirsty and he hadn't peed anywhere. But a week would have been a VERY different situation. Even two or three days is too long. >But a week would have been a VERY different situation. Even two or >three days is too long. When I was in college, I did some housecleaning to earn money. One houseowner took a two week's vacation, and asked me to check on the cat every other day. There was kibble available 24/7, so I was to open a can of food every other day, replace the water, scoop the litter, and spend some time giving her attention. It was apparent early on that somebody else had been asked to water the plants. And they were opening some of the cans of food on opposite days. Well, one day I got there and no cat. It took me awhile to find her, but she was trapped in the basement. The other person had gone down to wanter the plant in the basement and didn't realize the cat had gone down. She was trapped without food, water, and kitty litter. It had been only 48 hours since my last visit, but there were already a couple puddles and piles left at the bottom of the stairs, and a section of rug ripped out at the door where she had tried to get upstairs. It wasn't my fault, but I felt horrible for the kitty. It was actually more harm to have a non-animal person in there, and once a day would have been much better. Fortunately for me, I have never been out of town with my whole family at once. My sister lives nearby and can come by 2-3 times a day. We have dogs too, so they need a minimum 2 trips out, and really do better with more. My sister can easily spend the night and come home during lunch, so that works well. Since I rent the basement, I can usually rely on my mom or dad to take care of them. And I return the favor by taking care of my mom's animals. She doesn't have any cats anymore, but she still has a dog and turtles. Signature-- Meghan & the Zoo Crew Equine and Pet Photography http://www.zoocrewphoto.com I am on vacation now (visiting my sister). I have used the same pet sitter for the last 3 years, and it has worked exceptionally well. She came highly recommended -- I checked several references before hiring her the first time (and later found that she also checked on me because it turns out that she is almost as selective in choosing people to work for as I am in finding someone to care for Duffy and Holly). I also checked with the president of our local Alley Cat Allies and with a veterinarian who were familiar with her work. She was described as "wonderful" by each of them. She came over to the house several days before I left on vacation to meet Duffy and Holly, and we repeated that procedure each of the following years. She keeps a detailed log of information (food, litter boxes, water, toys, brushes, veterinarian, etc.) and also picks up my mail and papers. She comes twice a day and spends some time playing with and pampering my twosome. I think all of this is important and is much better than boarding our pets. This way, they remain in their accustomed environment. At the same time, you must be absolutely sure that you can completely trust the person you entrust with your pets (and with a key to your house). Incidentally, I still worry about my furbabies, so I call her 2 or 3 times a week just to make sure that everything is alright. I also made arrangements with my veterinarian to treat them, in case an emergency were to arise in my absence. MaryL > My wife and I are planning to be away for about a week spanning the end > of June to early July. We have two options for our cat Romeo. One is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Any thoughts on the matter? Check out the professional pet sitters in your area is my advice. Yellow Pages, others who have pets & may hire petsitters, & the vet(s) for references as to who's recommended. I've had the same pet sitter for years (10 maybe??)now: she comes in 1 - 2 x/day while I'm out of town. Besides feeding & watering, scooping the litter box, playing w/ the cat, etc., a pet sitter will usually bring in the mail, water flowers, & so on. Plus the bonus of a car in the driveway at least once/day - the house doesn't appear so obviously vacant. Cathy Thanks to all who replied and gave advice (Karen, Barb, Brad, Beth, Joe, Brandy, Sue, ML, Chris, MaryL, Cathy). After reading some of the replies here, we're not too keen on leaving him at a kennel: the thought that he might come back with fleas, or worse, is none too appealing; nor is the idea of him being in a small cage (thanks, ML - didn't consider that; do all kennels do that?). We don't like the idea of a sitter because we don't want to have strangers in our home while we're gone. Plus, as MaryL pointed out, he'd still be alone much of the day; if something happened, there would potentially be a period of 12 hours, perhaps more, before the sitter would discover it. I guess we'll leave him with our friend. BTW, Brandy mentioned that cats sleep all day anyway (that's certainly the case with Romeo). But, I've since discovered that our friend gets home from work relatively early (early afternoon), so he wouldn't be alone much anyway. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It is completely dark. You may be eaten by a grue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA Joe, If it's possible, I think leaving your cat at home is the best option. I didn't mean to imply that it is a problem to leave your cat alone for 12 hours; I was responding to someone who thought cats could be left alone for extended periods. I am on vacation right now and have a pet sitter who comes in twice a day. Yes, an emergency could occur even during that period. For that matter, one could occur only a few minutes after being checked, but I do think 12-hour intervals (with a sitter coming in twice a day and spending some "quality time") is reasonable and emulates what may happen in their normal routine. It is generally better to leave your cat at home instead of in a friend's home because they will be comfortable in familiar surroundings. However, this is always based on the condition that you can find a very reliable sitter to come in to check on your cats and pay attention to them. I do understand your concern about having strangers in your home, and that is a factor you will obviously need to consider. I found a sitter who had great references, including some from people I know, so I was able to overcome those concerns -- and I now have someone reliable I can depend on any time I need to leave. MaryL ** Joe, MaryL is right 'on target'! Ask a trusted friend who they use for a petsitter, and then call them and make an appt with them. Or, if you have no referrals to draw from then call around, and ask if they are licensed and bonded. Believe me, your cat will be much less traumatized staying home, because that is where her security is and is her comfort zone, literally. Also worth adding is notice and see how your cat responds to your petsitter, and also how the petsitter responds to your cat. This is very important because you want your cat to like the person your trusting her with. ML > Joe, > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > MaryL > Thanks to all who replied and gave advice (Karen, Barb, Brad, Beth, Joe, > Brandy, Sue, ML, Chris, MaryL, Cathy). You're welcome. > After reading some of the replies here, we're not too keen on leaving > him at a kennel: the thought that he might come back with fleas, or [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > We don't like the idea of a sitter because we don't want to have > strangers in our home while we're gone. Otoh, I haven't considered my pet sitter to be a stranger for many, many years now. Also, I got a nod of approval about her prior to first hiring her, from my vet. Turns out at least 2 of the vets at the practice I go to hire her to sit their animals when they're out of town. Cathy Plus, as MaryL pointed out, > he'd still be alone much of the day; if something happened, there would > potentially be a period of 12 hours, perhaps more, before the sitter [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Joe Negron from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY, USA |
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