to leave cat home alone or cattery for 2 weeks

[knittedsoxer]

our 2.5 yr old cat goes to pil when we go away but we are going away for christmas with them.

our cat is very outdoorsy, we live in a rural place and she loves the outdoors, shes very affectionate but can be a bit jumpy with people she doesnt know. do i:

take her to cattery where she will have some human affection and be looked after but trapped in a cage and i suspect find it very stressful?

or

have neighbour feed her, with free access in and out cat flap, its cold in the house and no one to cuddle?....im worried she might feel abandoned and just bugger off, the neighbour would feed her but not be able to give her a cuddle as she is a bit skittery

poor cat!

I used a cattery once. Never ever ever again! Poor cat was so upset, he want right for weeks.

Generally if you leave them at home they tend to be pissed with you but ok!

We use a cat sitter who goes in twice a day and H seems happy with that. He's always pleased to see us but I know he's well looked after. We set the heating so it comes on if it's cold (I don't want to come back to a cold house either!) and his cat door is set on a timer so he's in at night.

Don't want to present difficulties BUT you may struggle to find a decent cattery with space over the festive period this close to Christmas - the cattery I used to use was booked up for Christmas in the summer.
My old boy (age 14.5) spent 10 days home alone with cat sitters visiting twice a day this summer after advice from MNrs, having always used catteries before. He was fine without any outside access, except watching through the windows - this was the sitters preference as they worried if cats did not return before they left.

My cats have only been to a cattery once and they were really stressed by it, so never again. My mum comes and feeds them/stays in our house (rearranging things)!

I know my girl would be very upset at going to a cattery. She's a total homebody and completely freaks out even on small car journeys. We have my Mum coming in for at least an hour each day. She will sometimes do a free odd jobs, sometimes just watch a bit of telly, but always long enough for miss shy knickers to come over and have a play/cuddles. If she's passing our way more than once a day she will pop in again to check on her. I've only been awy for full holidays in summer months, but when we had a city break in November I left the heating on a timer to come on for 2 hours during the night so she wouldn't be too cold.(crackers I know)

She's always been totally fine with this arrangement, bit more affectionate when we get back but that's to be expected. She doesn't use a cat flap, goes out when she asks usually for ten mins at a time a couple of times a day. Mum lets her out during her visit and she always comes back so she's not protesting against our absence! I would honestly never leave her in carter. The thought of her being locked up in a pen makes me want to weep. She's shy and would be so frightened.

Few odd jobs not free!! That sounds so weird!! And actually we do pay my Mum for looking after her/petrol money etc, and always go a bit nuts at duty free to thank her "from dcat"

Mine would utterly hate a cattery, so stay at home with someone popping in twice a day. If they feel like a fuss they go and find a human outside, but they really aren't people cats and love being outside

Leave at home enjoying the peace and quiet. cattery no way! No cat wants to be uprooted and kept in a cage.

Can you look for a cat sitter rather than a neighbour? A friend of mine uses a cat sitter who actually comes in and plays with the cats and talks to them and stuff rather than just feeding them.