Cattery v Cat Sitter

[pilates]

Just thinking ahead for our summer holiday (nothing booked yet).

What do all you do?

Cattery.

Lovely neighbour comes in. I give her wine.

I've never had a cat that would be happier in a cattery than at home. I know they exist but I haven't had one! So always go route of neighbour or pet sitter. The professionals charge £8 per day for two visits a day where I live.

We don't have a cat flap, so when our friend looked after him while we were away for a week (visited twice a day) he would be locked in or out the house for hours on end. So when we went away for two weeks we took him to a cattery, and he didn't seem too unhappy when we picked him up.
If we had a cat flap I would probably opt for a cat sitter though.

Short weekends etc use a catsitter or friend, if we are close enough to get back in an emergency such as car accident. Longer / further away we use a small cattery run by a friend in her garden, our two have a pen together. I daresay they do find it a bit of a shock, but I'd rather know they were safe and off the streets when we're not around. They've never seemed stressed when we've picked them up.

What's a holiday ? (I've forgotten. )

OK, pros and cons with both really.

I think you can get people to move in to your house while you are away, but DH not keen on that idea.

Cat sitter likely to be cheaper especially if you have more than one cat, then again, you aren't buying food and litter for them when they are in the cattery. Plus someone is actively keeping an eye on your house, can pick mail up off the mat etc.

Last year a friend asked one of her neighbours to cat sit while on holiday and sadly the cat was run over and killed, which was a terrible upset for the neighbour as well as my friend and her family. It has made me think twice about asking neighbours.

Cattery. My DM once looked after a cat for a friend. It was run over whilst they were away. Just awful.

Professional cat sitter to visit twice a day. I think cats are happier in their home if possible. Ours costs £10 a day and will sort post/ water plants etc. She's insured too and would get vet treatment etc if needed.