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Original poster

What do you do with your cat when you're on holiday?

33 replies

LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 13:33

We don't have a cat (yet) but DS2 is desperate for a pet so I've secretly promised him a cat when we get back from Disneyland Paris in April (DP doesn't know this yet ).
Trouble is we're away for two weeks in August too and I don't know what we'll do with the cat. next door neighbours on one side are very old and on the other side very unfriendly.

OP posts:
myalias · 23/02/2008 13:38

Have you got any friends nearby willing to come over and feed the cat? I'm lucky as most of my neighbours have cats so if one can't help out the other one will.

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 13:41

My mum's nearby (10 mins drive) but she hates animals so won't be happy to feed the cat.
Has anyone tried a cattery?

OP posts:
Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 13:42

Actually I do have a friend who's only a few streets away who might be willing, if she's around. Not sure I like leaving my keys with someone though.

OP posts:
Aimsmum · 23/02/2008 13:53

Message withdrawn

pointydog · 23/02/2008 14:01

If it's up to a week, the nwighbours deal with the cat. If it's over a week, we put it in the cattery

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 14:07

How much does a cattery cost, roughly?

OP posts:
Spidermama · 23/02/2008 14:09

I've just fed my neighbours two cats for a week morning and evening. I also had to give one of them a pill wrapped in cheese for his thyroid complaint. I barely know him, but I didn't mind at all because now I know I can ask him to do the same.

Your elderly neighbours might not mind as long as you leave everything nice and easy for them. Perhaps you could help them out now and again with shopping.

I thnmk it's the kind of thing neighbours should do for each other. It helps with a sense of neighbourliness and community.

BettySpaghetti · 23/02/2008 14:14

If we go away for a week or more our cat goes to stay with my Mum and Dad. If we're only way for a few days our neighbour feeds her . The neighbour lives alone and works long hours so I don't like to ask her if its for longer than that.

Years ago we often got friends to come and house and cat sit as we had our own place when a lot of friends were still in shared rented accom. They were grateful for the peace and solitude (and a free shag-pad no doubt )

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 14:31

I do help the neighbours out occasionally with posting letters, that sort of thing. I don't like to ask as they're so old but they probably wouldn't mind and they are around all day.
Those of you who have neighbours feed the cat, do you give them your keys or do they feed the cat in their own home?

OP posts:
thirtysomething · 23/02/2008 14:33

ours goes to cattery - it's small and they only take a few cats. It's about £6 a day including food - outs isn't that into the great outdoors so she doesn't seem to mind being enclosed all day. They have heated beds too which she loves!

BettySpaghetti · 23/02/2008 14:34

We give our neighbour our keys and she feeds the cat at our house.

I don't have a problem with that, in fact we permanently have a key to her house in case shes stuck at work and won't be back to feed her cats or has a workman coming who needs to be let in etc.

RosaIsRed · 23/02/2008 14:37

My neighbour feeds the cat when we are away. They have keys to our house and just come in - can't see how they could do it any other way. She is old and would hate a cattery, but a younger cat might not mind so much. If you get a kitten in April, it will still be very young by the time you go away in August and might well be quite lonely and unhappy at being left alone for two weeks. I think in that situation, I would prefer the cattery option. Or perhaps you could postpone getting the kitten until after your holiday?

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 14:46

We could postpone but would then face the same problem next year
I think I'll look into the cattery option. Or try to persuade my mum to get over her dislike of animals.
I know I'm getting ahead of myself but I don't want to get a cat on impulse without thinking it through.

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Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 14:50

By the way, how does one go about buying a cat? Local paper ads? Pet shop?

OP posts:
NomDePlume · 23/02/2008 14:51

My childminder, who lives up the road from me, comes in and feeds my 2 once a day.

Our youngest cat would be ok in a cattery but our older boy (10) would get very stressed.

NomDePlume · 23/02/2008 14:53

I got both of mine from a rescue centre. Both came from CPL rehoming places, 2 different places, 8 years apart.

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 15:00

Do CPL charge? Can you just go a choose one you like? It would be nice if DSs could go in and say which one they want.

OP posts:
ib · 23/02/2008 15:06

We use a cat sitter - she comes once a day and feeds the cat, changes his water, etc. We took our cats to a cattery once and they were traumatised. We swore never to do that to them again.

We got ours from Battersea DH, you could go and choose one.

RosaIsRed · 23/02/2008 15:39

AFAIK CPL expect you to make a donation to cover costs of jabs etc. They will try to match you up with a suitable cat - many of the older cats they have will not be right for homes with young children, but I shouldn't imagine that will be a problem with a kitten, depending on how old your children are. They will probably do a home visit as well to check its suitability. I

NomDePlume · 23/02/2008 20:31

My older cat came from one of the CPL foster homes. It was basically a coverted shed in the back yard of a little stone terrace belonging to an old lady. I think I gave a donation of around £15 8.5 years ago.

My kitten (he is 9mo old now) came from a proper rescue centre. We got him at 10 weeks and we just went around the pens and chose the one we wanted. It was heartbreaking seeing all of the older ones being left behind. I would have adopted an older adult (our older cat was an adult when we adopted him) but my I knew my old boy would struggle to get used to having another cat in the house, more so if it was an adult with it's own mind, sort of thing. At least he could 'train' Oscar a bit. The standard donation at the rescue centre was £50. Oscar was microchipped but not vaccinated or neutered because he was too small (according to the CPL vet) and they were waiting until he got a bit bigger, but we adopted him before he got to that stage.

NomDePlume · 23/02/2008 20:32

converted shed !

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 20:38

I think we'll try Battersea Dogs Home as it's not too far to drive.
They suggest a donation of £50 and for that you get the cat plus

a microchip
free ID disc
neutering or a neutering voucher
a starter pack of food
health check, vaccinations and certificates
three months' outpatient treatment at Battersea
access to the Behaviour Hotline.

Not bad. They want to do a home visit first so I expect it will take a while before we actually get the cat.
DSs are going to be so excited!

OP posts:
RosaIsRed · 23/02/2008 20:44

That sounds like a very good deal Lyra. Just make sure your DS doesn't go in there wanting a kitten and come out having fallen in love with a Great Dane.

Original poster
LyraSilvertongue · 23/02/2008 20:52

He does want a dog but I said no. Too much work.

OP posts:
oggsfrog · 23/02/2008 20:56

Nah. They're not much work.
Will you be getting one cat or two?

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