To be totally paranoid about leaving cats alone

[splendidisolation]

I have 2 cats and I get so paranoid about leaving them to go away for a few days. My DP thinks I'm pathetic (doesnt say so, but I can see it on his face 🙄).

One of them is really clingy and follows me around for cuddles and hates other people, the other is a total mischief maker. So basically I get so paranoid thinking the clingy one is going to feel all lonely and abandonned, and the mischiefy one is going to pull a bookshelf down on top of himself or something.

I go away for 4 or 5 days every now and then, I have a really good petsitter who comes in and sends me photos and plays with them and feeds them for an hour each day, plus my DP stays over one night during the 4/5 days but Im just so neurotic.

What if they swallow a tack or something? What if they jump behind the fridge and get electrocuted? What if they manage to turn a tap on and drown in a flooded house?

As my DP keeps saying: "they're just animals (...) what are you going to be like if we have kids????"

I know he's right...I know you can buy those camera things but that would just make me worse ("OMG DP, she's drinking out the toilet, what if she gets stuck and drowns, you need to GET OVER THERE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!").

Please someone tell me I'm not alone in this but am also BU. 😁 i really want to be able to go away and just relax!

I went away for 2 weeks in July & my cat stopped eating!

When I got back she was very clingy & stressed.

I had a really chilled out cat and left him with people popping in, people that liked him and wanted to make a fuss of him. Now I have a lovely but very high maintenance cat, I won't leave her for more than one night but use a posh cattery (also on a farm) when I go away

Mine wouldn't like a cattery, I know that. They hate being confined. So I worry and leave them at home!

They have someone to feed them twice a day. I know they miss us, but I have to go on holiday.

I have always worried. My previous cat had someone to live with her when we went away.

For years I've used local popular cat sitter. Ateotd I don't think either way is great. Good and bad both ways but for my own reasons would feel more guilt putting her in a cattery. Btw I USED TO LOVE MR TREBUS 😊😊

I only use a catsitter when we're away for a night or two- any longer and mine goes to a cattery. Fwiw I've read that a cattery is better for clingy mummy's babies than leaving them home alone- they find it stressful being "in charge" without a grownup. It's the other way around for more independent, territorially-minded cats.

Urgh I'm really torn. They are both rescues so I'm scared they'd be like....we're being abannnnnnndoooonned!!

I use a pet sitter who comes in twice a day, plus odd visits from nearby family & our babysitter next door. DH laughs at me as I get them to leave the radio on to listen to, or make my mum sit & watch TV for an hour with them so they have a bit of noise in the house. We don't let them outside when we are away (too many bloody foxes around here) and the most they get up to is removing all the soft toys from the DCs bedrooms and putting them in random hiding places around the house. They sulk for a bit when we get home, but I think they would be more stressed in a cattery than in familiar surroundings.

I used to worry about mine going out after dark. She was black so I felt sure motorists wouldn't spot her sitting in the road or sauntering across it, at night. Although she hated being in at night, in the end I bought a litter tray and locked the cat flap at night. I also hated leaving her over night even though a lovely neighbour came to feed her. When she was really ill, I set up a hospital ward in the bedroom and at one point thought I'd lost her as she was stock still and didn't respond when I called her. Turned out I was looking at my black boots on the carpet, not her:).

Truly I worried about her almost as much as DD. Especially if she was unwell. You are not alone. I cat sit for my friend's cat and she asks if I mind living in while they're away. I don't mind at all. So you are totally not alone. They are part of the family.

You are in Herfordshire i know a fab cattery.

me too. stay at home

Worst thing our cats got up to when we went away was that one of them figured out how to open our bedroom window and escaped! Panicked my friend who was popping in to feed them, but he came back. After that we taped the window shut if we went away.

Only one cat now and we put a 'catcam' in the kitchen so we can check he's eating and be outraged about him walking all over the kitchen tops.