To cancel our holiday because of the cats?

[crisikrinkles]

I know this is going to sound crazy but here goes
Me and my partner have two cats who are 4.
One boy and one girl,the girl is very nervous.
We are going to mexico next weekend for 14 nights.
They are going to my Dads.
We live a hour from my Dad and he’s in his 80s so can’t travel daily to check on them.
They stay every holiday but I worry constantly.
My dad has a spare room which he has a cat tree and blankets and toys for them and they have the upstairs of the house.
He has a dog and he has downstairs.
Theres a downstairs door which has a chain on to stop dog getting up and then a door at the top which is locked with a chain too.
He goes out one day a week for two hours for shopping .
Im terrified he will forget to lock the door and then the dog will then somehow get through the other door to the cats.
(so there’s two seperate locked doors between them )
or they will run out of the front door when my dad opens it (even tho there’s another locked door between that door )
Would aibu to cancel holiday ?
Partner would got crazy I think
I dont know what to do
They have stayed

If youre that anxious you need to book a cat sitter or sort a cattery placement. Cancelling a holiday seems a bit crazy!

Relax. The cats will be fine. Your father will love the companionship. The cats will love a target to try to trip.up. Everyone wins.

Go on your local facebook group and ask for a decent cat sitter (obviously check reviews).

Either trust your Dad, or board them. I have pers and I'm currently looking after my DD's cat, while she's away. You can't forgo holidays for the next ten + years. Understand if your partner says he'll name change and go with a mate.

do what makes you happy but if I was your partner I would be saying “see you when I get back then”

Don't cancel, like pp say, book a cat sitter,have a look at the cat butler.

Do you suffer from anxiety OP? This to me sounds crazy. If you’re not happy with the set up at your Dads (which I think is fine) what about a cattery or cat sitter?

I don’t feel comfortable with a cat sitter either a they are house cats
you have to be careful opening the door to get in
incase they get out
At my dads they can’t get out the upstairs door
In 4 years everything’s been fine
i am on medication for anxiety yeah/

It will be fine, your anxiety will go once you are on your trip!

Driving them to stay at your dad house an hour away sounds like a lot to put a nervous cat through. Would it be possibly to have someone mind them in your own home? If no friends or family are able to do it there are companies like petpals that visit multiple times a day.

Sorry but what a bonkers set up. Get a cat sitter. Then your cats get to stay in their own space and have the least amount of disruption. Ours comes twice a day and we've gone away for 2 weeks before.

I’m worried incase my dad forgets to shut downstairs door properly with chain and safety lock and then the dog runs upstairs and somehow kicks away the door wedge and my dad has forgot to put that safety chain on and he gets in

I don’t like the idea of a stranger coming in
My girl cat won’t eat as she hates strangers
She hides
My male cat eats straight away and would eat her food

They’ll be fine! Is there any reason you’re more worried than usual? I know you say you worry every time, but why are you thinking of cancelling this time? I suffer with anxiety so if it’s that then I understand, but you have to try to reason with yourself. 2 locked doors sounds very safe, and their own room with cat tree and toys a lovely set up.

You sound so extremely anxious, I don’t think you could enjoy a holiday. Maybe cancelling is best as you wouldn’t be able to relax.

From everything you’ve posted OP it seems that anxiety is not only running your life but potentially ruining it and your partners’ experiences of life too. Anxiety also sheds itself on to what kind of pets we raise and how they turn out and the issues they develop.

Whatever made you think it was useful to pretty much write that the OP is ruining her partners life and made her cats anxious?

It’s important to find a cat sitter you trust, if you hire and pay for a proper one they are not idiots, they won’t let your car escape and they are good at dealing with nervous animals. Ours came to meet cats twice before our holiday and we use her every time so the cats now remember her. She’s insured, first aid trained etc. If you want to go on long holidays you need to bite the bullet and find proper cat care that you trust.

Another vote for a local cat sitter. They will be use to looking after house cats and mine send me pictures so I know my cats are doing OK without us.

Leave the cats at home and pay a pet sitter. We do this and the sitter sends photos each time she visits.

You have said in 4 years your cats have had a holiday at your Dad's and been fine. Focus on that OP. Don't let your anxiety get the better of you. Enjoy your trip.

Also you are absolutely kidding yourself if you think driving your cats an hour away to different house with different smells including a dog is less stressful for them than having a pet sitter visit their home twice a day. The only benefit to sending them
to your dads it’s for you because it’s cheaper

My Dad loves them and when I get home they always are happy.
I think I’m letting my anxiety make me think of the worst case scenario
My dad has his marbles fully and never had any issues but my anxiety is kicking in .
As well as that I’m worried my dad might be ill whilst I’m away and I’m the only child.

Mine go to a lovely lovely cattery. It’s a lovely couple and their adult daughters who have six cat “chalets” in their garden. They got to know our boys who are house cats with complex health conditions. They didn’t blink at giving them medication, didn’t care that one of them bites as he’s under socialised and clearly spend plenty of time with them as they talk about their personalities and have got them to a T! They get much more contact than an hour a day from a sitter (which is needed as one of them needs monitoring for symptoms of his condition).

The first cattery tried wasn’t like that and it made me understand why people don’t like them. This place came recommended by my parents, it’s a 25 min drive, rather than local but I love my holidays and am also anxious about leaving my babies so this is the best peace of mind for me.

I think you need to send them to your Dad’s and commit to this holiday but research other options for the next one.

@ToKittyornottoKitty nothing to do with the cost ,I would pay hundreds of pounds as long as I know they both are safe and nothing bad will happen to them.
Im scared the pet sitter won’t lock the door properly or the will run past them and out to the main road etc
Or they just won’t turn up