going away for a few days and seeking care advice

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Coban - 11 Oct 2003 20:13 GMT

I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
days and 4 nights specifically.
I have a friend whom I trust to stop in for an hour or 2 a night to give the
cats some company and some wet food. My cats don't like leaving home so I
thought they could keep each other company and that my friend could remind
them that they haven't been completely abandoned.

Another friend recently informed me that it would be better to have the cats
boarded and that if I can't leave them alone for 4 nights, even with a
friend stopping in to see them. There are some really good (and expensive)
places here in the city that board cats who can be trusted to follow feeding
instructions and whatnot.

I want to do whets best for the cats and I don't want to ruin my (well
earned and first in too long) vacation worrying about my cats. What would
be easier on the cats?

TIA

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Agua Girl - 11 Oct 2003 20:29 GMT

> I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
> the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> earned and first in too long) vacation worrying about my cats. What would
> be easier on the cats?

I think this depends entirely on the cat itself. For some, the stress of
being not only away from you but away from home, might be worse.
Do they socialize well together or do they require a lot of interaction
from you?
Does the place you thought about taking them interact with them
a lot or would they normally just put them in their enclosure and
give them food and water?
Do they know your friend and will he/she be able to give them all
a little petting and attention when he/she comes by? (this allows the
care giver to keep an eye out for problems much like you would).

My cats have always been a little independent. Sasha doesn't even
like other people and while she may not like me being gone, she
would like being "kept" somewhere even less. I have left Sasha
alone overnight before. She has a feeder type dish for both her
dry food and her water and she won't eat wet food so when I
go away for the weekend I have someone just peek in and make
sure she hasn't gotten ill or somehow knocked over her water or
anything. She does just fine with that...much better than she
would do being boarded.

AG

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Iso - 11 Oct 2003 21:40 GMT

I agree with Agua Girl. However, it's completely up to you. I have always
left my cats at home when I travel and have had friends stop by just to make
sure everything is okay. If you leave them at home in your apartment, they
should be just fine. Nonetheless, the decision is up to you.

> > I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
> > the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
>
> AG

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Coban - 11 Oct 2003 21:41 GMT

> > I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
> > the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
>
> AG

Dude, the younger of my 2 cats gets very stressed out whenever we've had to
leave. Twice for the vet and the last time for a fire... that was fun...
NOT!
My cats love eachother and get along very very well. I play with them a lot
and give them a lot of attention but they also play a lot just with
eachother.
This is the longest I've been away for but I did leave them for 2
consecutive nights one other time and I've had the occasional night away
from home. I use one of those water fountain machines and they usually get
wet food once a day with dry food left out all day. Even if my friend can't
make it every night I still think they will be better off at home. The last
time we left was under extreme duress and while Dude loves to roam the halls
outside my apartment (supervised of course), he completely freaks out at any
hint of being anywhere near the street again.

Frankly, my instincts tell me that my cats will be better off at home...
Problem is, I've still only been a cat ownee for less than a year and my
friend with the boarding advice has had cats for a lot longer.
Nonetheless... she boards her cats often as she goes away for weeks on end
for business; though I would never tell her this, but if I were away as
often and as long as she was, I wouldn't have cats.

I need to do whats best for them...
I KNOW that being away from me is more than enough to stress them out...
I KNOW that being boarded WILL stress them out further and I can imagine to
what extent.
I KNOW that being alone (even if together) for 4 nights will stress out any
living creature(s)... but I can't imagine this stress being worse than if
forced to adjust to being boarded.
I also feel that my cats are smart enough that if taken and left anywhere,
especially overnight... well how could that not assume the worst???

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Agua Girl - 11 Oct 2003 21:57 GMT

> Frankly, my instincts tell me that my cats will be better off at home...

Trust your instincts! You know your cats better than any of us.
Sounds like your friend's cats are used to being boarded. If
you want to get your cats used to that, I would suggest starting
with a shorter trip (like a weekend) and working up to it...but
personally unless my animal is older and needs constant looking
after I prefer to leave them in the comfort of their own home.
(my dog got to the point where I boarded her at the vet
when I was gone just to be safe)

Just be sure your friend can come by and check up on them.
Make sure they didn't somehow disable their water feeder
or something of that nature. They will do great...and will
eventually forgive you when you get back. Have a great
vacation!

AG

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NickKnight - 11 Oct 2003 23:23 GMT

>They will do great...and will
>eventually forgive you when you get back.

Yeah...in about a year.

Alot depends on the cat. Some cats get very stressed
just going to the vet, much less going to a boarding
facility.
--------------------------------------------
"It took us 15 years to McGyver this thing."
-------------------------Carter on Stargate

To send me e-mail exorcise NO Spam from
my e-mail address.

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NickKnight - 11 Oct 2003 23:16 GMT

>I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
>the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>thought they could keep each other company and that my friend could remind
>them that they haven't been completely abandoned.

The preferred method would be for your friend to look
in on your cats in their own familiar environment. It's
hard enough that they will be away from you, at least give
them the comfort of being in familiar surrroundings.

--------------------------------------------
"It took us 15 years to McGyver this thing."
-------------------------Carter on Stargate

To send me e-mail exorcise NO Spam from
my e-mail address.

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philo - 11 Oct 2003 23:20 GMT

> I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
> the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> TIA

by all means leave your cats at home...
for four or five days they will be absolutely fine!
boarding the cats will probably be stressful as they will be removed from a
familiar environment

they will be very happy to see you though...
when you return

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a - 12 Oct 2003 02:39 GMT

Cats are often independants. I've had a cat that was left completely alone in the
house for a full long weekend (3 full days, 2 nights). He was healthy and very well
after he's isolation. When we returned, he was alternating betwin asking a lot of
atention and petting, and snobing us for having abandoned him alone. After a few
days, all was back to normal.
As you have two, they can keep company one to the other. Having a, known to them,
frient coming every day will show them that they are not abandoned and give them more
recomfort. As they are fine at home, and don't like changing place, I don't think
that placing them in a cat's board house to be tha best solution, they may feel
rejected if you board them.

Alain

> I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
> the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> TIA

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MaryL - 12 Oct 2003 03:01 GMT

> Cats are often independants. I've had a cat that was left completely alone in the
> house for a full long weekend (3 full days, 2 nights). He was healthy and very well
> after he's isolation. When we returned, he was alternating betwin asking a lot of
> atention and petting, and snobing us for having abandoned him alone. After a few
> days, all was back to normal.

This is a very bad idea. Even though it worked out for you, there are all
sorts of things that can be wrong when your cats are left alone for so long.
It is important for someone to check on them and give them some attention.
What if there had been an emergency when you were absent? The OP plans to
have a friend come in each day, and that is a much better plan (as you seem
to recognize in the following paragraph). Please make similar arrangements
for your own cats in the future.

MaryL

> As you have two, they can keep company one to the other. Having a, known to them,
> frient coming every day will show them that they are not abandoned and give them more
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Alain

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Agua Girl - 12 Oct 2003 05:57 GMT

> > Cats are often independants. I've had a cat that was left completely alone
> in the
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> to recognize in the following paragraph). Please make similar arrangements
> for your own cats in the future.

I agree with that. If I am going to be away for more than one night, I
always arrange to have someone look in on Sasha. Most the time they
don't see her, but they can make sure she hasn't gotten sick, disabled
her water feeder, or something else equally unlikely. It's just a
precaution and it gives me an added peace of mind.

AG

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Sherry - 12 Oct 2003 04:51 GMT

I think with a dependable friend to spend an hour a day with them, they'll be
fine. The only other thing you might cover is...how about letting a neighbor
know, and giving them that friend's phone number, just in the unlikely event
something dreadful should happen (break-in, fire, power failure, etc.).
Boarding is tough on most cats, and mine refused to eat. They're just so much
happier at home.
Sherry

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M.C. Mullen - 12 Oct 2003 06:46 GMT

| I have 2 wonderful cats that happily share my NYC apartment with me. For
| the first time since they joined me I need to go away for a few days... 5
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
|
| TIA

If your friend is reliable then her care is fine. The litter box should
be cleaned daily too.
A boarding place is expensive. But most cats prefer to stay in their home
anyway. Plus they have each other's company which helps a lot.

Look after your friend, one like that is worth everything... and enjoy your
holiday _without_ worrying over the cats, they'll only love you more when
you come back!
(Btw I think having cats _and_ being able to go on holidays is better than
only having one of the two, isn't it?)

Carola

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