Cattery or stay home for cats?

[Florally]

I’m going on holiday and have two house cats aged 4. Would you..

a) get them a room in a cattery - they don’t love their carriers or going in the car. They will be seen to a few times a day.

b) leave them at home and take the offer from a relative and friend to make sure someone pops in every day to make sure they’re okay, give them water, (they have an electric feeder they’re used to) and have them in their own space where they can roam the house.

Mine hated the cattery so now we get someone to pop in. They are fine with it.

100% option b, for our cat. We had a really good cattery that I didn’t mind sending him to but sadly that’s closed now and I haven’t found another local one I’m as comfortable with.

I've done both and I think it depends on both the cat and the sitter.

I can't say my very anxious cat liked the cattery - she basically hid under a blanket and didn't come out except in private for a week. But she didn't get any of her anxiety bladder issues and was back to normal after a few cuddles at home.

Have had other cats who absolutely could not cope with being at home when their family wasn't there. You don't want to come home to cat poo on your bed after a long flight at the end of the holiday.

So my answer is try it and see. Your cat's preference may surprise you.

Option B! Their own home will by far be their preference. Cats feel secure in their routine on their own turf.

Cattery is really stressful for them. They don’t know they’re only there temporarily and they don’t know you’re coming back for them. Unless they have complex medical or other needs that your cat sitter can’t see to, I would definitely let them stay in their own home.

Always let them stay in their own house! We have built up relationships with a couple of lovely sitters who live in with the cat while we are away..they are almost like family now! And the cat is so much happier being in her own space, with familiar sights and smells.

Cats are territorial animals. Leave them in their own space whenever possible. We have someone pop in once a day to feed them and use a timer bowl for their second meal.

We have an auto cat feeder, large water fountain and multiple litter trays. I feel fine leaving them for a long weekend, any longer then a neighbour pops in every other day to check on them..

100% Cattery. They get really stressed and anxious without family members being around, and we had one incident where a cat was bitten and quite a serious infection, but because they were always in their bed when the sitter arrived, the infection was missed. Never again.

How long you going for?

get a cheap camera so you can watch the cat.

My old girl liked a visit twice a day, my two hoodlums are ok with dry food and water fountain for days , they get more stressed if someone they know calls in

B. Ours are much happier at home.

I believe B is usually better. However my old cat seemed to not be bothered about change of location (I think she preferred my parents quiet house with large garden to home and went on a number of holidays there). She reacted badly to staying at home with someone popping when we left her for a week and toileted under the bed instead of her normal outside.

Home and frequent visits. Have Dreamies for carer to provide. I haven’t used a cattery for years. When I did, it was awful, refusing to eat, when I collected them, they’d lost weight. Let them be in their own surroundings with their food.

Be prepared for sulks on your return. How dare their slave leave them😂

We use a cattery. They get loads of attention and enrichment and come home very chilled. They wouldn't cope with someone just popping by to feed them once a day as they're so used to having attention all day.

Cat sitter at home. Every time.

We used the cattery because we didn’t trust dcat not to use all available carpet in lieu of the perfectly good litter tray or even better the garden (had cat flap that couldn’t be bothered to use)

Home visits, we have a neighbour look after our cat and we return the favour. She has school age children and we don’t so our holidays never cross over.

I have a cat like this. She absolutely hates us being away. We have someone who comes in to feed her but she loathes it . She’s never been in a cattery but sometimes I think she might be happier there than at home without us there. Every cat is different.

But they don’t get attention all day in a cattery!

This! It’s easy for health issues to get missed with only 1 visit a day and our boys get anxious with no one home (expensive bladder issues).

However not all catteries are equal. One we didn’t like. We now use a couple who have just 6 “chalets” beside their house and pride themselves on how much time they spend with the cats. I know they do because they always have lots to tell us about their antics!

Mine cope better in the cattery than having someone visit when we're not there. Plus you don't have the worry of them not coming back inside and getting lost etc. You have to find a decent cattery though.

What’s the cost of a decent cattery these days?

My neighbour & I sit for each other’s cats & the cats know us so it works really well.

Although she’s moving in a few months so things could get trickier.