Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Flip

Original poster

Is anyone else so soppy and daft about their cat that....

25 replies

reluctanttownie · 26/07/2012 16:46

they get quite upset about leaving them to go on holiday?

We have two rescue cats, one very shy but devoted to us who gets very anxious about any upheaval and doesn't like new people, and one very friendly who adores company and follows us around the house like a dog.

We have a live in cat sitter when we go away, so that the anxious one doesn't have to contend with basket/car/cattery trauma, and so the friendly one has company. We keep them inside (which they're not too impressed by) while we're away so neither us and the sitter have to worry about the timid one going awol to avoid her (but they have the run of a 3 bed house).

I get quite upset for a week or so before we go, worried that they will be stressed or sad. For several days of the holiday I really really miss them. And for the last few days I look forward to going home so I can see them and they can have everything back to normal (last time we got back the timid one purred non stop for about 24 hours and the friendly one was so overjoyed she woke us up twice in the night just to cuddle us.)

Come, other mad cat ladies, tell me I'm not tooooo mad?

OP posts:

msrisotto · 26/07/2012 16:49

You're quite mad. But when i'm on holiday, I do ask DH "I wonder what the cat's doing"? and I do miss her so i'm in no position to judge!

TodaysAGoodDay · 26/07/2012 16:52

Not mad at all. I'm always so pleased to see my cat when I get back from holiday. They're worth it aren't they?

redrubyshoes · 26/07/2012 16:53

I have to literally clear all thoughts of her from my mind because otherwise it ruins my holiday.

I am officially pathetic.

Original poster

reluctanttownie · 26/07/2012 16:56

I can cope with being quite a mad cat lady .

Now someone's going to come along and tell me I'm a VERY mad cat lady....

OP posts:

WerthersUnOriginal · 26/07/2012 17:05

Probably mad, but so are we

Our cats look completely outraged and disgusted about being in a cattery despite the fact that it's really nice and small and everyone is kind and they play music for them (it also costs a blimmin fortune).

They look so upset and the last sight of them is that hurt accusing look they specialise in. Then throughtout the holiday 'I hope the cats are ok..' and dd keeps saying wistfully 'do you think they've forgotten us? ' Aargh!

Fuzzymum1 · 26/07/2012 19:50

I always worry that the cats will miss us when we go away. A friend lives over the road and comes in regularly to see and feed them but I still worry about them. Especially McGonagall now as she had a nasty kidney infection in february which has left her with significant kidney damage. I know my friend will take good care of her but it's not the same as us being at home with her.

LaurieFairyCake · 26/07/2012 19:55

Yes, not going on holiday this year because now they're so old I can't bear to leave them. They now need more care and no one else can do it like me.

I love one so much I get up at 4 am with him to let him out when he's been sleeping in my hair during the night. We have a cat flap but one of the others needs to sleep outside now so we have to shut it.

issey6cats · 26/07/2012 19:55

another mad cat lady here i cant put mine in a cattery as they would never speak to me again, so my daughter comes in to feed thenm every day (twice) and play with them, the whole holiday i miss them and when i get back thier heads go up as if to say "oh so your home wheres the grub" and they all head straight for thier dishes as if to say well the least you could do is molly coddle us now your home, wonder why i worry about them so much

RedwingS · 26/07/2012 20:58

I always miss mine when we go away. The cattery is really good and the lady who runs it is lovely with them, but that hurt look on their faces when we leave them there breaks my heart. But then they come home again as if nothing happened, so I don't need to worry really.

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 26/07/2012 21:00

It will ruin my image so I'm not going to say I cried when I left them at the cattery and stressed endlessly if we got a friend to cat sit

EclecticShock · 26/07/2012 21:03

Yes, you're not alone.

EclecticShock · 26/07/2012 21:04

I never use a cattery, did once and they came back Looking half dead and emotionally scarred. Family takes them in now.

Toughasoldboots · 26/07/2012 21:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spockster · 26/07/2012 21:17

My sister has not gone away for more than 1 night for 10 years, because she doesn't like leaving the cat and thinks it won't like a cattery ) it has never stayed in one). Now you can all go robbed reassured that you are, in fact, quite sane in comparison.

Spockster · 26/07/2012 21:18

... Go to bed, that is, not go robbed on behalf of iPad

HellonHeels · 26/07/2012 21:24

I'm another soppy cat lady. Only left my cats in a cattery once and cried :-( the awful heartbroken looks from the cats when I left were terrible. I phoned the cattery and fretted about them during the holidays.

Since then I've had live in cat carers when I've been away, still worried but it was much better for the cats and I got sent pics of them most days :o

usualsuspect · 26/07/2012 21:27

I made my DS who was at home looking after my cat send me a photo of him when we went away

MyCatHasStaff · 26/07/2012 21:32

I just don't go on holiday...

crazynanna · 26/07/2012 21:32

I have yet to go away and leave my little baby I am dreading it.

I let her out the back yesterday (only 3rd time) and she disappeared under next door's fence.

20 mins later I heard her crying at the bottom of the garden where all the brambles are...went running down in carpet slippers, battling through brambles like a scene from Indiana Jones...to look back at the door and see her sitting there positively smirking ...and I am scratched to pieces and look like I have been in a car crash.

But I still love her....

usualsuspect · 26/07/2012 21:38

My cats been sprawled on the sun lounger all day , while I sat on the uncomfortable chair.

Original poster

reluctanttownie · 26/07/2012 21:38

I love you all, mad cat ladies

OP posts:

crazynanna · 26/07/2012 21:47

Yes...we know our place,usual

redrubyshoes · 26/07/2012 21:55

My old Siamese was the only cat ever that worked out how to use use the handle of the outdoor run and was found every morning in the outdoor pen.

He was not bright enough to get back in though.

timtam23 · 26/07/2012 23:01

Another mad cat lady here. LaurieFairyCake I am the same as you. Cats are 16 & 17, one has recently had op for overactive thyroid, the other is a bit arthritic & grumpy. They are too old for a cattery now, although we did use one for many years. Neighbours fed them last summer but it was v embarrassing as one cat was ill & peed/crapped all over the place every day (due to thyroid probs but went undiagnosed for a while) so neighbour had to clear it up. This year we decided to have days out or 1 of us go away with the kids so there was always someone at home with the cats. We're expecting at least 1 of them not to be here by next summer so next year we may go away.

mrsnec · 27/07/2012 11:00

We've not left ours longer than 2 days since we've had her and I still worry about her! We don't think we'd ever put her in a cattery as she was here before we were. It feels more like her house than ours! We get the neighbours and in laws to check on her and feed her when we're away. They sort out a rota between them. I think that qualifys me as a mad cat lady too!

Flip