Cat alone at Christmas?

[Devora]

My cat is now 5 and we've had very few holidays since we got her - two, I think, and a good friend cat-sat for the week both times. Another couple of weekends away, and a neighbour popped in and fed her.

Now that friend has moved in with his girlfriend miles away, and the neighbour has had a dispute with others in our street and is refusing to talk to any of us. Meanwhile my mum has booked a lovely (and expensive) holiday house for us all at Christmas; we have extended family flying in.

I'm suddenly getting the collywobbles about what will happen to the cat at Christmas. We do know plenty of people locally, but will anybody want the hassle of having to feed a cat over Christmas? It feels to me like even people who are happy to do it at other times (or, more accurately, are content for me to bribe their teenagers to do it) may feel differently over Christmas.

I guess another option might be to bring the cat with us, if the contract allows it. But no doubt she will spend the week shut in a room with a litter tray and a bowl of food, yowling in horror - is that fair to her?

Option 3 would be a cattery, I suppose. But she is such a neurotic cat - wouldn't she be happier with us rather than in a strange cattery?

Any advice on which option would be least awful for her? She is a lovely cat but not the most resilient - screamingly neurotic and scared of oxygen, more like.

I'd go for the cattery. My cat is quite timid but doesn't seem to mind the cattery, in the winter they put little electric blankets in the cat beds .

Oh ok, it was seeming quite a bleak option to me. Don't they get distressed by the other cats? How do they get exercise and fresh air? Do they get a stroke? Am I worrying about my cat more than my children?

My lad is also very neurotic and I'm certain wouldn't thrive in a cattery! Its worth an ask to see if anyone could. My friend often pops in at Christmas and I tell her to leave enough food and not to bother xmas day but she said she really looks forward to the ten minutes of silence! I would quite happily do it, especially if I was a teen and you were leaving me a few quid!

I think lots of catteries have cat flaps to their owm outside bits, nice people giving them fuss and lots of feliway to calm them! Go and visit some, youd soon get the feeling whether you were happy or not

I'm pretty sure its set up so she can't see other cats and they have an outdoor run bit.

I hear you. Horrible choice.
Please don't take her with you. Been there, wished I could take mine on holiday thinking she'd love it but no, you know she'd be miserably huddled in a corner.
Worth asking the local teens - they might not mind, in fact might be glad to have an excuse to escape enforced family time with great Aunt Mabel ;-) Or if no joy there, would go for cattery.

Find a good cattery. Ours used to go to a lovely one with heated pens, access on demand to an outdoor run through a catalog, fed twice a day and a human pottering about round the yard all day.

Visit before you book, though. Ours did once have a horrible week in what turned out to be a vile place, but we didn't know about it until we collected him as the owners took him off us at reception.

Also go on word of mouth.

Wherever he goes he will sulk for two days when he comes home, it's in The Cat Handbook .

We have a professional cat sitter who visits twice a day if we go away, she charges the same as a cattery. Our cats are much better at home in their own environment. However we have never done this over Christmas. Would automatic feeders be an option that a sitter could programme for Christmas Day?

Thank you all, that's very helpful. I looked up a local cattery that looks very nice, but is already booked up for Christmas . I guess the good ones will be... Anyway, I think I'll pursue all the options for now, see what comes up. My godson is now 13, lives round the corner and is a gentle soul - he may be very happy to do it. What would you normally offer a teenager for this sort of job - £5 a day?

Butterflywings you're right, taking her away is a ludicrous idea. She'll hate the journey to get there, yowl all week, and suffuse the house with an atmosphere of fear and misery. She'll probably do protest poos on the beds as well, so I think we'll abandon that idea.

I think the most stressful option would be taking the cat with you. Yes, she'd have you around, but she'd also be in an unfamiliar (and possibly not cat friendly) place with a load of strangers. At least in a cattery she'd be in a suitable environment for cats and be cared for by people who are used to cats being away from home. I'd definitely ask around for people to pop in though, that way she's in her own home.

X- post! Godson sounds like a great plan, he's old enough to be responsible but not too old to be lazy or moan about it. Is it a week you're away for? £35 for the week is reasonable IMO, or maybe round it to £40?

Oh definitely ask the godson! I looked after cats at his age and loved it.
Failing that a cattery if you can find one

Yes godson or a cat service that will come in once or twice a day.