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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

Should we take our cat on holiday?

38 replies

Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:16

We are going on holiday for a week in the uk. We'll be staying in a chalet that is owned by my partners parents and they're happy for us to take him.
We can't get anyone to look after him apart from my sister, but we really don't want to ask her to pop in on him twice a day for a whole week - we feel like we'd be asking too much.

We are also worried because we've never left him for so long. He really likes company and we just don't know how he would cope for a whole week with only a little bit of company twice a day.

He's a very calm, affectionate cat and is quite attached to us.

He's travelled in the car before in his carrier to go to the vet and was fine, but this was only for 45 mins. He does run off and hide once we get home; I'm not sure if that's due to the vet or the carrier and car journey.

It will be approximately a four hour car journey. We've got a larger carrier that has a water bowl attached. He's also good with his harness and lead so I was hoping to take him out for some fresh air if he needed it.

The chalet is secure and he wouldn't be going out without his harness and lead.

We will do some day trips but won't be out all day every day, so he won't be on his own in an unfamiliar place for long.

We would love to take him. I'm going through a really hard time at the moment and he's a massive comfort to me, if that makes sense. A cuddle with him makes me feel better.

So we really want to take him, but only if he will be ok. We don't want to be selfish.

Has anyone ever taken their cat on holiday? How did it go? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks

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MissBattleaxe · 22/07/2015 11:18

If he gets out you might lose him so you will have to factor in shouting "don't let the cat out" every time someone comes in or goes out.

Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:18

Oh I meant to say. He has stayed in a cattery once before, and although it was a lovely cattery he really wasn't happy. He took a long time to settle back home. He was particularly unhappy at me, I think he thought I'd abandoned him

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Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:20

Thank you missBattleaxe I think that's one of my main concerns. It is only me and DP and DSS(8) going so hopefully that shouldn't be too much of a problem. There is a fence just outside the door too so he wouldn't be able to get far if he did walk out of the door.

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 22/07/2015 11:23

We take Harry when we stay at MIL's holiday cottage. He won't use a harness so can't go out but that doesn't seem to bother him thankfully. We're very careful going in and out and the porch is now referred to as the 'cat lock'!

WixingMords · 22/07/2015 11:26

Thought about it, but didn't in the end because taking him from his territory would disturb him and I was too concerned that he'd get out of were we were going and he'd be lost forever.

Had and experience of the territory thing just this week, he's in a cattery now as we've had to move for a week due to building work we are in a house not far from home and had to clear out at 8 am before the cattery opened so I brought he around here. I've never seen him so unsettled and vocal, desperately trying to get out.

What breed is he?

Wolfiefan · 22/07/2015 11:28

I had a friend who used to take her cats every time she went to visit her parents! We also once met a camping cat who used to go with her owners in a campervan?!
How secure is the chalet? What about open windows etc?

cozietoesie · 22/07/2015 11:39

I've done it msyelf umpty times within the UK but that was with bonded Siamese cats - and they're not so attached to territory as they are to their 'person'. (And The Lodger, but he doesn't really count because he would treat the Dark Side of the Moon with equanimity.) No problems at all although you do have to watch that they don't leave the new place in some way because it's unknown territory outside.

I'm not sure I would advise it for every cat but it can work with some of them.

Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:42

Wixingmords that is something that I'm really worried about. People say that cats get really attached to their territory so I just don't know whether he would be happier at home in his own territory but without that much company, or with us but in a different unfamiliar environment. If it was only a few days I would be ok with him being at home with my sister checking in on him (we've done this before and he was perfectly fine, when we got home it was like we'd never been away). But a week just seems too long.

Wolfiefan the chalet is very secure. We don't have the windows open more than 'on the snip' usually so that shouldn't be a problem. Everyone who is going is very aware that we've got to be really careful.

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Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:43

Oh also, meant to say, I'm not really sure what breed he is. The vets put him down as a domestic shorthair.

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Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:44

This is him

Should we take our cat on holiday?

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cozietoesie · 22/07/2015 11:47

I was stupidly pleased when the vets put The Lodger down as a ginger DSH. (That's a ginger mog to you and me but it sounds better.)

Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:48

cozietoesie me too I thought it sounded quite good

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prettybird · 22/07/2015 11:48

Like cozietosie , have done it numerous times or rather my parents did but that was with Siamese cats, who own us are particularly people orientated.

We used to go to Tiree every summer, where we were known as the mad cycling family with 2 Siamese cats. We let them roam there and only lost one for a short period. The post man found him the following day, sitting on a lobster creel.

WixingMords · 22/07/2015 11:49

I was more thinking if he was a Siamese the he'd be attached to you. Mines a domestic short hair too.

It's the getting out part that worried me. He's a jumper and a half so a fence unless it's a giant one) couldn't stop him.

It'll be you with the attachment issues, I'm missing my guy something terrible, I'm thinking he's not feeling the same though. He's only down the road.

cozietoesie · 22/07/2015 11:49

He's a great boy - looks like he might be a powerful cat?

cozietoesie · 22/07/2015 11:52

With my Siamese boys, Exclusion from the Presence for such a long period would be regarded as a punishment of some sort - they would brood and might not eat. It would never have occurred to me not to take them with me. (I wouldn't let them outside though.)

Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 11:53

I like to think he is as attached to me as I am to him, but I have the feeling that's probably not the case he does sleep on my at night and nudges my face a lot

cozietoesie that picture makes him look quite big, he's actually quite a small little thing. He likes to think he's strong and powerful when he sees the other neighbourhood cats (he does not like other cats!) but he's not really

WixingMords sorry you're missing your cat so much, it's a horrible feeling isn't it? That's partly why I want to take him with us, but I don't want to be selfish if he won't be happy.

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BeautifulBatman · 22/07/2015 11:56

Looks like a bengal mix, lovely

I personally wouldn't take him just for a week. The travel, stress of a new environment for such a short time is not worth it. Cattery or sister for me.

RainbowFlutterby · 22/07/2015 11:58

If it was me I'd take him. I wish I could take RainbowCat with me. He's not Siamese (or even anything close), but he's still very much attached to me.

BeautifulBatman · 22/07/2015 11:58

To add, I currently live outside the UK. When I come back for a visit, my cleaner pops in twice a day to feed and poop scoop. All 5 of my cats are fine when I return.

RainbowFlutterby · 22/07/2015 11:59

Can he travel in the car in his harness instead of his carrier?

BeautifulBatman · 22/07/2015 11:59

All my cats are attached to me. But not as much as I would care to flatter myself by. Cats are generally territory, not person motivated, unlike dogs.

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Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 12:04

Thank you beautifulbatman and rainbowflutterby.

It's such a hard decision to make. I wish he could talk so I could ask him!

This morning, and yesterday morning (and any mornings before that when I've not been in work) he has woken me up before half seven because he wants food and company. He even bought me his favourite toy at one point I worry about him wanted some company whilst we're away but no one being there.

The travel is a concern for me too. 4 hours seems like a long time to be in a carrier (although I would take him out on his harness for breaks).

I do think he is quite attached to us. If he's outside and I come back from work or the shops, he runs over meowing and then walks with me back inside

It's so hard. Ultimately I just want to do what's right for him. Thank you for all the advice so far, it's really helping me to think.

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Pinkpenguin89 · 22/07/2015 12:07

rainbowflutterby I did think of that, but then I wondered if he'd be safe. I'm not expecting it to happen but if we had a crash I'd want to know he was secure.

beautifulbatman he's probably not as attached to me as I like to think if we had other cats I'd be happier leaving them I think, knowing they had each other for company. That wouldn't be an option though, he actively dislikes all other cats. Even in the cattery they had to move him so his 'room' wasn't next to any other cats he gets really upset around them for some unknown reason.

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cozietoesie · 22/07/2015 12:34

I've given cats a lot longer than 4 hours in their carriers - which were secured within the car. (I wouldn't release them during the journey unless the car was stopped and closed up tight - and even then, not if it was a real short break. (You don't need a cat escaping onto a strange motorway service area and going missing through fright.))

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