Not to go on holiday because of cats ...

[wintersherenow]

Basically that.
We are due (me and partner ) to go away on Wednesday.
We have 3 cats and the woman who was meant to pop in and check on them every day has said she's double booked.
So we have nobody to check on them.
None of our friends like cats so have refused.

If we don't go we loose £3,000 as tui won't refund.
It's for a week and a really nice hotel I'm so sad I was really looking forward to it.
Aibu not to go on This holiday?
We have a few other sitters to ask tomorrow but if not I'm not going.
Partner is fuming with me

Definitely neighbours. Preferably with teens. If you want them to have company for a bit leave snacks too. Honestly. Knock on doors. I used to pet sit at 14 and was mega responsible. You will absolutely find someone.

My fab 18year old neighbour looks after my boys. I pay him £100 for two weeks, plus some very nice chocs. But he comes and uses my Amazon prime and binge watches all the shows he wants, and clears out about £30 of snacks I leave him. Win win as cats get company and house looks lived in.

I think more professional services you are looking at around £25 per day.

If you're in Durham I'm sure my teenage daughter would do it for some pocket money!

You'd let your cats drink from the toilet?!! If you go away for a long weekend only leaving a few biscuits down, what if one cat cops the lot, throws it up and the other cats starve for 4 days? You'd be happy with that?

Many cats drink from the toilet. Obviously you don't put chemical in the cistern. I had one that often did.

Rover is fine OP, and if the sitter has good reviews you'll be ok. I agree with the others that you should go for a daily visit.

I cat sit professionally. In the SE so I can’t help. Please make sure the person is properly insured and not just some random off Facebook.

As an fyi, we charge £13.50/weekday visit; £20/weekend visit and £27/bank holiday.

The perk of using a registered business with a small group of employees is that we provide cover for each other so your cat will be visited without fail.

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but Rover.com also caters for cats and you can book somebody to pop in as often as you wish.

Www.catinaflat.co.uk

This is the main reason I don't entertain the idea of owning any pets, regardless of how much my children beg for a dog.
It is always a nuisance when it comes to holidays whether you take them with your or not.
Obviously, you are going to have to cancel the trip as you don't want to leave the cats unattended but I would not buy more cats once these ones die.

Maybe it's just local to us but people use our local facebook townname gossip page for business recommendations. A post like can anyone recommend a cat sitter i've been let down at short notice would get lots of reputable local business tagged and recommended.

Sound like you need the trusted Housesitter's website!
You post your dates along with o go about your cats. You choose who to interview and they Housesit for you. Both sides pay to be on the platform. It's brilliant!

https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF720466/?utmmedium=refer-a-friend&utmmcampaign=refer-a-friend&utmsource=apppnative_share&fm=2

Has catinaflap been suggested yet?

I would always look to have someone come every day. Someone who likes cats would gladly do this.

Look up Animal Aunts. I had great experiences with my local aunt looking after my three cats and a dog. www.animalaunts.co.uk/

Like with kids you build a network though. Mine has a dog walker a couple of times a week and she takes him for me if my mum can't for in home care.

We pay our cat sitter £18 per day for two visits a day.

It's really not a nuisance, there are tons of reliable sitter services and catteries out there. OP was just unlucky that someone cancelled at short notice, but it looked like she'll get sorted through Rover.

Post on your local FB pages that you need someone to pop in and feed/check on your cats as your cat sitter has double-booked. Plenty of older teens who would love the pocket money!

"the other cats starve for 4 days? You'd be happy with that?"

@ohthejoys21 what a melodramatic extrapolation and a fucking ridiculous question.

OP, you really need better friends. How does that even happen?

"Hi hon, would you possibly help me out of a £3,000 pickle and pop in and feed my cats for 5 days?"
"No. I hate cats"

Local dog walking companies may do it as well. Ours certainly does.

That's very fair, but you need to see their credentials and they need to clean the litter trays and food bowls..

My son and his partner have a very nervous {Rescue ex feral } house cat...I went over 4 times in 7 days and stayed over - did her trays and food..I have a Whippet whom cat doesn't like {she hates dogs} but Whippet stayed downstairs, and cat stayed upstairs in her 'safe' zone.

I didn't get paid, but they paid my train fares Cat came out eventually to say ''hello'' 👋

Have you tried catinaflat? It's fab, I've had a few last minute sitters from there and then one has become our regular cat sitter. Worth checking!

We use a professional cat sitting service - am not taking any risks that the cat is cared for. Two visits a day.

There's a north east chat thread on here - there's bound to be someone on that thread near you who can recommend someone or has a teen who might help?

There will absolutely be someone with a teen nearby who would stop in and check on the cats for some pocket money if you asked in Facebook or ask a neighbor. I wouldn't leave the cats without arranging care but I'd not waste the cost of holiday

Put them in a boarding cattery if there is no other option. I wouldn't cancel a holiday because of cats.