Cat care for DSis holiday

[CatTrouble]

DM and DSis are going away together at the start of November. DSis has 3 cats who were going to be cared for by a neighbour but the neighbour can no longer look after them.

DSis has asked other neighbours, friends and now me, as they’ve all said they can’t. I have also had to say I can’t due to other commitments which they’re aware of and with my sisters house being over half an hours drive from my house, I can’t fit it in with everything else. The cats would need 2 visits due to needing medication. I said she’d have to book them into a cattery but it turns out 1 cat isn’t up to date with vaccinations (can’t have them due to previous reaction) so the cattery won’t take them.

My DSis found out that my oldest DD is coming home from uni for that week as she has a reading week. DSis sent me a text saying ‘oh thank god, <insert my DD name> will be able to look after them, I was starting to think I’d have to cancel my holiday’. I felt annoyed at the presumption that my DD would do it but rather than say anything, I asked my DD if she’d want to do it. She was also annoyed at being taken for granted but has said she can’t do it anyway as she has reading and work to complete, has made other plans with friends for some of the time she’s here and has managed to get a few shifts at her old part time job. I said that’s all understandable so I have let DSis know that my DD can’t have the cats.

DSis and DM are annoyed and I’ve been told I’ve raised a selfish DD. I’ve said she’s not selfish, she’s busy and the cats aren’t her responsibility. They’re now asking if my other children can do it which they can’t due to being at school, college, working, not driving and one having an allergy to cats. DM has called me almost in tears that their holiday will have to be cancelled. I suggested a cat sitter and got grumpily asked whether I think they’re stupid and of course they’ve tried that but they can’t find one with availability. They genuinely seem to think we are being unreasonable by not helping. Are we?

There is an app…hopefully someone will be along soon (or already has been here) to provide the details, but you don’t need to be randomly phoning people. That could help them

Did you not read the bit of the OP where it's over half an hour's drive away? So assuming the actual work could be done in 20 minutes thats two lots of 1.5 hrs, twice a day. I don't know many people who could easily fit an extra 3 hours into their daily commitments.

There will be cat sitters - sister just doesn’t want to pay.

Do you believe her?

If it was just one visit a day I would say it's the decent thing to do to step in (assuming that generally your sister doesn't take the piss) but two visits a day when they live 30 minutes drive away is a bit much.

Your dsis needs to get them vaccinated so she has the option of a cattery.

I'm suspicious that they don't want to pay for two visits a day from a sitter! Are they offering up fuel money and some money for your dd's time? I suspect not.

Agree, I'd want to know! And to have ammunition if either of them flips their mouths again.

Although this isn't your problem to solve @CatTrouble, I am sure that if you spend 10 minutes finding local pet-visiting services you will find several that have availability. It will just be that they will charge minimum £20 per visit and your sister doesn't want to pay. I would be tempted to do this though "good news - I have found Little Miss FancyPaws pet visiting service has availability on your dates - call her now and make the booking!"

Someone owns 3 cats, with a few extra needs. No family in immediately vicinity. Neighbours unwilling or unable to help. Cattery not viable. Cat sitter not a goer.

Hmm, that will be a cancel your holiday situation

We can't use a cattery for our cat because she had an allergic reaction and nearly died when she had her kitten jabs. It's rare but it happens. OP says one cat can't have the boosters due to previous reaction so probably similar - catteries therefore simply not an option.

I completely sympathise with your DD for being taken for granted - very unfair and presumptuous. I am sceptical that cat sitter option has been fully explored as I expect the idea of relatives in your home is preferable to strangers.
There’s still time to get a cat sitter IMO.

The posters tying themselves in knots trying to schedule you and your DD into some sort of rota is ridiculous! I wouldn't bother, it's a them problem. It's unreasonable to take 2+ hours a day to check the cats. I bet they haven't bothered to find a sitter, they just want someone to do it all for FREE.

I bet you've got loads of DMs from this thread offering free help, right?

Yeah but that’s not a long way in my mind, it’s all relative and dependant on what OP perceives as a long way. Sharing it with her daughter is less time consuming, doing it on the way to somewhere else, also reduces the impact etc.

I’m not suggesting she has to do it, but if there is no other option for them other than to cancel the holiday it feels mean.

But like I said, cat sitter, just calling a couple isn’t enough, they need to put more effort into finding someone

It's always difficult when your pet care falls through at short notice. I think your sister is going to have to make a "bitty" sort of arrangement as nobody can do the full period. Could you maybe do one day, and your DD do one day, then hopefully she can find someone more local to do the rest? I do find it surprising that at this time of year no local feeders or teenagers are available. Does she have a street WhatsApp group she could ask on?

It’s not until November, she has time to find a paid cat sitter. YANBU, I have a cat. In an emergency like an ill relative and leaving at short notice I’d be disappointed if a relative or friend didn’t step up. But this isn’t that, there’s no way they can’t find a professional cat sitter.

So you think it’s reasonable to expect someone to do an 8 hour shift plus two x over 30minutes there-and-back trips to feed cats? Are you insane?!

I'd look through some of the petsitting sites like Rover and Pawshake to see if you can find someone with availability then send her and your mum the details. There must be someone.

Yanbu.
THEY are extremely entitled and presumptuous.

My friends sister got a puppy 18 months ago and thought nothing of booking a 3 week holiday for this summer.
She presumed my friend would take the puppy.
My friend said absolutely not.
Her brother and his wife refused too.
Not their problem.
They don't t have nor want dogs.
She had to pay for kennals and was very upset with them both, calling them extremely selfish.
Things have been very frosty and will remain so on my friends side.

Tell her to try Rover, Pawshake or Cat in a Flat.

Or she could ask a different neighbour within walking distance and pay them.

I don’t.

Could you and your DD between you do one visit a day and a local neighbour be willing to do the other? That would be the extent of what I would offer as a compromise.

My guess would be that they don’t want to pay. They have contacted cat sitters but they don’t want to pay £150-£200 for the week. I’d be tempted to go on rover or trustedhousesitters myself and find them someone.

Views on sharing it with her daughter are irrelevant, because DD has said she isn't doing it. OP can't volunteer other people.

She doesn't go on holiday. It's nobody's fault other than her own that she doesn't have a sitter and to talk to you like that is cruddy.

I have a very nervous cat. Cannot get a feeder, cannot put her in a cattery (wouldn't do that anyway) so I haven't had a holiday! It's that simple, my cat my responsibility.