Cattery or cat sitter?

[SqueezyIsStartinAResolution]

OK, so we got our lovely wee cat from cats protection about a month ago (she had previously been abused and treated very badly, still a bit nervous etc). Safe to say we have fallen heads over heels in love with her (pic on profile).

So.....we have a wedding abroad in April and then 2 weeks away in July. The thought of putting her in a cattery doesn't feel right, we sort of want her to know this is her home now and that she won't be getting shipped away to a strange place again. And then there's cat sitters, £16 for 2 half hour visits a day to play and change her food, litter etc. Is this enough to keep her occupied, particularly for 2 weeks.....all by herself in the house most of the day

I guess I just want to know people's thoughts and what the best thing to do is. I would easily allow someone to come and stay here knowing she'd have a bit of company but we live miles away from everyone we know so it's not really practical.

Can't believe I would have felt this strongly about a cat Slap some sense into me please

I can't slap in any sense I'm afraid - we got our kitten in October and we're all so madly in love it's ridiculous Even dh is soppy as can be with him. I almost don't even want to go on holiday next summer, but that would be a bit mad I guess.

Having had cats years ago and used catteries then, I think we'll go down that route again if we'll be away for 2 weeks. I would expect a good cattery to spend time with the cat and treat it very well. Also, hopefully making sure there are lots of cuddles.

Have a look at them. They shouldn't mind a visit and are usually run by people who are mad about cats anyway. It's good to choose one that's been recommended by a friend too.

I think the cat will feel more cared for there than a neighbour or sitter popping in and out. It'd also be a worry for the person popping in if the cat disappeared too. That happened to me once when I was feeding a neighbours cat - the cat went awol which was not good.

Not sure about a sitter you pay - haven't considered that. I think for the money I'd sooner go with a cattery though tbh.

I would definitely say a cattery is a no-no as she'll probably think she's back in the cats home and end up confused and sad. Not what you want to be thinking about when you're trying to relax on holiday!

We've never put our two cats in a cattery, as we always think it's better for them to be in their own home. They are usually indoor/outdoor cats but when we go away, we always lock them in. Although we feel a bit guilty that they can't get outside, they wouldn't be outside in a cattery either, but at least at home they have the full run of the house instead of being stuck in a tiny cattery room. The cat-sitter idea is definitely better and sounds about the same cost-wise as a cattery to me (maybe call around for a few prices too). Two half hour visits sounds OK - probably more one-to-one time than a cattery would give anyway.

Have you thought about getting another cat as a playmate for her? Cats love company and having a playmate means she won't be all alone whilst your away, so as long as she is fed and watered she'll be happy (she probably wont want to interact with the pet sitter anyway if she's a stranger). They can snuggle up together, play together, and generally fill the gap that we humans can't!

Another option is, could you take her to stay with someone else, like a family member? Although she'll be away from home, she'll still be in a loving home environment, so she won't associate it with the cats home. You could even take her there a few times between now and April so she gets used to the place.

The final option, if you decide you have to go with the cattery, is to try and get her used to the place as much as possible before you go away. For example, ask if they'll just keep her for a couple of hours one day, building up to a full day, then overnight, then maybe a weekend. Then at least she'll know you're coming back for her, and it won't be a strange place to her when she has to stay for the two weeks.

Hope this helps!

Could you not get a live-in catsitter.
I would never advocate a cattery,especially for a rescue cat.
Even if she only had a visit or two in the day,she will be far happier in her own home.

I have 3 rescue cats of different ages/origin and they seem to cope fine with the cattery for anything upwards of 5 days. If it's under 5 days I pay our teenage babysitter to pop in and feed them and let them in/out twice a day. one is a pickle though and won't always come in so he can be a problem for the cat-feeder as I've said I don't want any of them being left out at night.

I've shopped around for a cattery and gone for one that's quite a drive away - having tried nearer ones that the cats don't seem as content at. Things to look out for include-clean pens with more or less clean kitty litter; heated beds in winter; plenty of space-preferably separate eating/pooing/sleeping areas. IMHO family-run catteries with a few cat toys in each pen give each cat more attention than the ones run purely as a business with employees changing regularly. At our current cattery the owner was able to chat about the cats individually and say things that showed she'd got to know each cat after their first visit there....Also, in a nice cattery the cats will be relaxed, alert and generally content looking when you look round. The first cattery I tried forgot to feed my cat for a whole weekend because she was in a pen in a block on her own. I didn't know any better as she was my first cat but looking back i remember how noisy it was - all the cats constantly meowing-not a good sign!

We have a kind neighbour who pops in to feed our cats when we're away. They're all outdoor cats with access to shelter at night if they want it, frankly catching them to get them to a cattery would be a nightmare. I'd always leave them at home than use a cattery tbh.

Another good way to find a cattery is to ask your vet, they usually know which ones are good and bad.

How about getting another cat and then they can both go in the cattery together to lessen the stress?!

Sorry, I'm just a big advocate for not keeping a cat on it's own - I love to see ours snuggling up together and playing!

I'm another big fan of cat-sitters, particularly for rescue cats who've had a rough time in the past. It's also better for disease control etc if she's at all frail or has been unwell.

Where (roughly!) do you live? I know a great one near Richmond upon Thames who's looked after ours a number of times and is just lovely. Would be very happy to recommend her. She used to work at a cat shelter too so has seen all sorts and is probably a bit more attuned to needy cats than most sitters.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply, it is really great to read everyones different experiences.

I think we are definitely veering towards having a sitter......or.....have been reading the replies to DH and he suggested that we could start taking the cat to SILs when we go to visit, sometimes we stay over as she lives 50 miles away....so we can take her with a few toys, her blanket etc and then gradually leave her for longer periods of time .....getting her used to the idea that we will always be back to get her.

I really don't think I can cope with the idea of a cattery, just feel she has had so much upheaval in her life already.

I would LOVE to get her a little friend as she lost her brother at some point during the abuse, (they had always been together but they were dumped on a farm together, her brother died and she lost half of her tail)....but DH is not keen....he has fell in love with her too but he sees anther cat as being too much. I think I need to work on him a bit more

I'm in south west Scotland Attenborough.

We've always got a cat-sitter for our two cats. I only visited one cattery and hated the idea of having my cats in a cage for two weeks, even if it was a large one.
Plus, I was always told that cats are very territorial and get attached to their home, so we thought it would be better if the cats remained in a familiar environment during our absence.

Hope that helps - and good luck with your new kitten!

We have experience of both leaving the cats at home (with a neighbour coming to feed and fuss them at least twice a day) and recently, over Christmas, we used a cattery for the first time (our cats are 3 years old).

I liked the cattery we chose - they had a small shed to live in and a cage/run that was bigger than I imagined. But it didn't feel nice taking them there, tbh. I felt quite guilty. But then they have each other for company so I think that makes something of a difference. Don't think I would place a single cat in there (particularly a rescue cat).

I like it when they are able to stay at home with someone coming in to feed them. They are indoor & outdoor cats but when we go away they get locked in as my tom can wander for a few days at a time and don't want to worry the neighbour unnecessarily.

Are you anywhere near Ayrshire?

If so, there's also a great 'outdoor' type cattery called Special Cats in Annbank, which have heated outdoor runs dotted amongst a wildlife garden, and it's run by a vet nurse. If carlesburg did catteries...lol!

Course you would need another cat if you did that...!

In response to your DH's concerns, I can categorically say that two cats are no more work than one. But the fun and love is doubled!

I think your idea about your SIL is a really good one. It's also useful to take them to nice places in the car occasionally - if they're only ever in their basket and the car to go to the vet, you'll find it much harder to get them into the carrier.

South Ayrshire MrsL. Annbank isn't that far from me, probably less than 10 miles. I actually seen that cattery and liked the holistic approach.....am gonna take her there for her first grooming as she won't let us near her with a brush and she is long haired. The website said they can teach us how to groom her, just waiting on the darn snow to clear up.

I completely agree with Attenborough about the cat carrier - our cats actually use theirs as their beds (with the doors taken off and comfy blankets in). When we need to take them somewhere, there's no hassle because they know they're safe. Usually they just go to sleep!

Some cats don't like to be in a carrier because it's too enclosed. If she is one of these, you can get carriers with clear tops now. A dog travel crate can also be a good alternative as it's bigger and more open. Once she's used to the car it'll be no hassle to take her with you to SIL's, and then you'll always have a ready-made cat sitter

It's always been our back-up place incase we can't leave them at home one time - the people are really nice when you call, and a woman I work with always uses them when she goes away. It's as far from the 'cats home' type cattery as you can get, so it's a good alternative if everything else fails.

How funny that on a big forum like this, you live just down the road from me lol

I Know MrsL! Small world! Where are you...roughly....? We're about 5 miles east of Ayr in the countryside, middle of nowhere.....lovely part of the world but we're sort of snowed in at the moment

I am thinking we should get her a little friend. Some convincing arguments for DH would be nice

We're right in Ayr, pretty snowed in too though! DH's gran is out near Coylton and she's pretty unreachable at the moment because of the snow. I'm flying down to Manchester on Tuesday for a meeting and have to drive all the way to Glasgow airport at 5am - not looking forward to that!!!

Do you he a cat flap? Or is she an indoor cat? She'll probably be fine being on her own (much much better than a cattery - cats hate it and our ex-rescue dog couldn't go to kennels cos she thought she was being abandoned again). Are there any friendly local neighbours or teenagers who will come and feed her and give her a stroke and some attention, rather than someone who is just doing it for the money?

I'd go with the SIL idea. I have always made a point of getting my various cats used to my parents house straight away so that they almost see it as a second home. That way I can leave them there when I go on holiday and know that they are in a safe environment that they are familiar with. And also being looked after by people who love them as much as I do!

Yes, I think SIL is a good idea, have been on the phone to her tonight and she has agreed to do a few trial runs of getting used to SILs house. Feel really happy about that as SIL is a total animal lover and would make her feel really welcome.

So we will start with the experiment soon of taking her there to get used to the environment :-)

MrsL - we are 2 miles south of Coylton. The area is amazing, moved a couple of years ago from Glasgow as it is nearer to DHs work and have fell in love with the place, great place to live! Love it, love it, love it!

Trills, we don't have a cat flap (yet?). Trying to decide whether to keep her in or let her out. The farmer down the road has lost 3 cats on the road outside and it's not even a busy road, maybe one car every 15 mins. It's a rural location though and feels cruel to keep her in.....but at the same time we don't want to lose her on the road....Cats Prot think this is how she lost half her tail in the past after she was dumped on a farm.

Have been reading up on the arguments for and against indoor/outdoor and still can't decide. I know people have fierce opinions on both sides of the argument.

She seems quite happy for the moment and we're lucky that the house is roomy so she has lots of places to hide and play. I think we will let her decide....if she starts showing signs of wanting out, then we will let her and just hope that she will be ok.

Hi there
I know this is an oldish thread, but I'd love to get the cat sitter recommendation in Richmond mentioned by Attenborough. If they are reading this, would they be able to give me the contact number - would be great.
Thanks

If anyone is in or near Blackheath in SE London, I can highly recommend Pam at Your Happy Cats. She has a website. We used her when we lived there and she was brill, and also does bits like opening and closing curtains, taking post/newspapers in etc so good for security.

We're really lucky now that we've moved back up north, our neighbours have 2 cats same as us and so we can do mutual cat-sitting duties!