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The litter tray

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

Original poster

2 week holiday. cattery or NDN

33 replies

MissAdaSmith · 01/04/2017 20:14

we had the Smith cat for 2 years and haven't been away in that time.

We are going away over Wit for 2 weeks and was planning to put the tiger into the cattery. mentioned it to the next door neighbour (who had a cat that sadly died last year) and she offered to look after our cat. Our tiger knows and likes them and he could stay in his usual surroundings. The cattery would just be a tiny cage.

Having never been in this situation, wwyd?

OP posts:
Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 01/04/2017 20:17

When we go away our ndn feed and water our 2x dcats.

Wouldn't cross my mind to put them in a cattery! They would be horrified!
They have their routine and love 'their' bunk beds!!

Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2017 20:18

I always do the cattery because I need to know where the cat is. She also has a routine that a cat sitter couldn't do without moving in. Also we don't have a catflap into the house and we have a burglar alarm we would want to set if we went away.

The neighbours cat used to go missing every time they went on holiday leaving someone popping in to feed her. It was awful. She was very bonded with them.

It all depends on your cat's routine really. Do they have a catflap?

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 01/04/2017 20:21

We have used a cattery but I would much rather use neighbours. Our cats have a cat flap so can come and go. Plus it means someone us coming into the house twice a day to check all is ok, and it makes the house look lived in.

Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2017 20:22

I wouldn't want the responsibility of looking after someone else's cats if they were away for 2 weeks. In case they had an accident/illness or went missing. A couple of nights maybe.

fluffandsnuff · 01/04/2017 20:22

NDN definitely. But lock the cat flap- Fluffcat (who never wanders) went AWOL while we were away last year and NDN had to go and get him (thank goodness someone looked at his collar). It's rubbish for him but he still gets more room to move about than he would at a cattery (he gave up eating last time we put him in a cattery)

IlsaLund · 01/04/2017 20:25

Depends on the cat - one of mine goes to a cattery as she would be ridiculously sacred and upset if we just disappeared (she was abandoned by her previous owners who moved house and left her - if we are late home her little face is pressed up against the cat flap)

The other three stay home and neighbour feeds them.

Original poster
MissAdaSmith · 01/04/2017 20:30

thanks. Smithcat is very content with NDN. may give this a try. I remember the RSPCA cattery and it was such a small cubicle (it's also our local cattery). cannot see my tiger there.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2017 20:54

We found a cattery we were happy with nine miles away. You have to visit a few and check them out.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/04/2017 20:55

Cattery. Like sparkling I like to know where he is.

It's a really nice cattery with pet gun dogs to look down on.

EachandEveryone · 01/04/2017 22:47

Mine goes to the cattery if im away for more than the weekend and she loves it. Its outside on a beautiful farm and the staff update and post photos of her on social media. Shes been twice and takes her toys and blanket and has lovely things to climb on. Have you actually investigated more than one? Mine costs me £20 in a taxi to get to as its not that local. Its worth the piece of mind knowing she cant excape. Where in the uk are you? This one is in Hertfordshire.

MeDented · 01/04/2017 22:52

Friends and neighbours for me, we put our 2 in a cattery the first time and they were so upset when we picked them up. They'd basically been kept. In a cage for the 2 weeks with lots of other strange cats all around them. At home they are used to coming & going through the cat flap as they please with fields to play in. The cattery really wasn't for them, far too distressing even though the owners were lovely

IvyLeagueUnderTheSea · 01/04/2017 22:57

We put our girl in a cattery once and I would never do it again.
Yes it was nice to know where she was the whole time but she was very upset when she got home. She just sat on the floor and yowlled.

Sparklingbrook · 01/04/2017 23:03

Sparklingcat loves the cattery we get picture and updates of her stays on FB, and I have had to prize her from the cattery lady a few times. Grin

When she gets home she gives her territory the once over then it's like she's never been away.

Lunde · 01/04/2017 23:12

Cattery for 2 weeks - mostly because I had one cat that became acutely sick while we were on holiday - the cattery owner picked up the slighly unusual behaviour when he didn't seem to be sitting comfortably and rushed him (at 90 mph) down the motorway to the 24 hour animal hospital at midnight and saved his life (bladder on the verge of rupturing due to blockage). I doubt if NDN would have even seen him just coming in and out to feed

We did pick the cattery carefully - it is out in the country and the cats have a largish room with curtained sleeping boxes and shelves/branches to climb and then 8am-10pm they have access to their own private outdoor run with wooden outdoor sleeping boxes, branches and grass.

Parker231 · 01/04/2017 23:17

We use a cat sitter. She visits twice a day, sorts out the litter tray, gives the medication and sends regular reports with pictures. The cats are happy to still be in their own home and I have the reassurance that someone who knows what they are doing is looking after them.

DramaAlpaca · 01/04/2017 23:19

I'd prefer the NDN option if she's willing & reliable. My SIL always used to do it for us, until the DC got old enough to refuse to go away with us.

I've no qualms about putting the dogs in kennels, but the cat would get most upset at being left in a cattery. No double standards there, not at all Grin

dailydance · 01/04/2017 23:20

Absolutely with the neighbour. I wish I knew my neighbour's better. I haven't had a holiday for 3 years because of my moggie guilt. My mom has volunteered to fly over to me to look after them so that I can go on holiday (again I have guilt over that too Blush)

tigerdriverII · 01/04/2017 23:20

NDN, or more accurately- teenage child of NDN.

I massively overpay for cat sitting duties, ours are very outdoor cats and can fend for themselves very well but i still want someone keeping an eye on them

AverysillyoldHector · 01/04/2017 23:26

Ours always go to a cattery if its more than a few days. One of my cats left home when the neighbour looked after him, it took weeks to track him down. At least in a cattery they are kept a close eye on, and if either of them are taken ill, they will be whizzed off to the vet immediately. I also remember a neighbour's cat who was knocked down when she was away on holiday (her mum was popping in a couple of times a day to feed the cat). Luckily several of us saw the accident and between us called the vet out and looked after the cat until help arrived. Unfortunately it was too late and the cat had to be put down. Then one of us had to break the news. That didnt seem very fair on the cat or us neighbours tbh.

A lot depends on the cattery I guess, ours is very small and friendly, with huge pens, and the owner spends lots of time getting to know them.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 01/04/2017 23:28

NDN/ cat sitter here. They don't go out though so minimise chance of accidents. They have the run of the whole of downstairs and are in their own environment. One is quite spooked by things and travelling and the other detests dogs after a bad start in life so I think they wouldn't like to be around other animals.

ElizaDontlittle · 02/04/2017 00:03

Cattery. Firstly, because I think it's too much to ask of someone for more than a night of two and secondly, because she is super sociable and needs the human contact of our cattery. She sulks for a few hours when she gets home, walking around the house and miaowing, and then comes for a cuddle like I'd never been away!

Toddlerteaplease · 02/04/2017 12:43

I have a cat sitter but mine are in door girls. If they were out door I'd have them in a cattery as I'd need to know where they were. Our previous vets have always been happy in a cattery.

paddypants13 · 07/04/2017 20:39

My cat goes to a cattery and is absolutely fine. I wouldn't be able to relax if I thought she was locked out or lonely.

Mind you, while I was in labour with ds I tried to make dh ring our landlady (she's just up the road) to let Paddycat in. Blush

I visited both catteries she's been to (we moved area) before I booked her in to make sure I was happy with them.

hapagirl · 08/04/2017 07:24

I'm currently on our first holiday since we got hapacat. She's gone to my cat mad friend's house. I'm waiting to see how it turns out. My friend loves cats but hers died recently so was very happy to have her. Hapacat is very sociable so I thought she would be sad at home alone even though neighbors said they would feed her. Nice to hear some good reports on catteries as well.

Hulder · 08/04/2017 07:30

Depends on your cat - some cats will get very upset being in the house without you there and find it confusing and wee and shit in inappropriate places

I remember getting home from one holiday, cats delighted to see me, got into bed - cat had done a lovely shit right where I sleep Shock

That cat went to the cattery from then on, sat about with food on tap all day and would come home fat and happy.