Anyone used a cat sitter?

[dementedpixie]

We are going abroad for 2 weeks at the start of July and have 2 x 7 month old kittens. My sister was going to have them but has recently been given notice to leave her rented house so is going through upheaval herself. Not sure if I like the idea of a cattery as they are in a confined space that they don't know so was looking at cat sitters instead.

Have managed to find someone who can come in twice a day to feed/scoop litter but will still feel worried that they are being abandoned for a lot if hours each day. Does anyone have experience of this and did it work out Ok?

I always use a cat sitter for Harry - I looked into catteries but the thought of leaving him made me cry so I decided to stick with the sitter! Ours is lovely and I now think of her as a friend and I know Harry safe hands with her. She even gives him toys!

Did yours visit twice a day? Was the cat ok with that and not trash your house?

Yes, she comes in twice a day. Morning is breakfast and set the automatic feeder for lunch (he can't eat biscuits so has to have wet down)and she comes back in the evening to give him his dinner. As far as I know he's never trashed the house, I think he sleeps quite a lot!

I've just seen you have 2 x 7 month old kittens. Harry is 12 now. I've never had kittens...

I have a cat sitter. The girls love her. Not sure how long she stays with them though. But I've always come home to happy cats. Putting them in a cattery this yeah for a week due to health issues and having jitters about it.

Following. I'm in need of a housesitter for my two in August for 11 days. But we don't have a cat flap so really need someone to stay. Hoping I can talk a couple of colleagues into splitting the time (I live crazy close to work so could be a favour for them to!)

I don't have a catflap either but they can be housecats for a wee while. I might be able to get my mum to come over a few times and she could let them out for a short time

Ive just used one for the first time she came highly recommemded and cost £20 a day double what the cattery charge and i would never do it again unless it was for a couple of nights only. I just worried about my girl being lonely and escaping. The cattery gives me piece of mind its out doors on a farm and the staff are lovely and im sending my girl and her new sister who will be 16 weeks old by then in a couple of weeks. I know they will be fussed over far more than the cat sitter who barely spent thirty minutes in my flat if that. I know i had a bad experience but i thinj a good cattery is worth its weight in gold and you know they are safe.

I think if I tried to keep them in for 11 days they'd destroy my furniture. They'd make a break for the door every time whoever was feeding them came in or went out.

My friend's daughter and her boyfriend cat sit for me. She gets a break from living with the in-laws. My boy gets live in doting cat lovers ( they work during the day, but so do OH and I). I pay her £20 a day, but she always tries to give it back as she loves looking after him.

I have used a professional catsitter, my cats have never gone into a cattery.. The longest my cats have been left with two visits a day was 1 week. When I went away for two weeks, I had them do a couple of sleepovers as well.

Now I use Trustedhousesitters.com as well for longer trips - complete strangers (with a review system) living in your house. It's worked really well for me.

My three are house cats. When we go away our ndn comes in twice a day to feed and do litter. She also plays with them for a little while each day. I pay her £50 for a full week+. Next time we leave Wednesday and return a week on Friday so 9 nights. She is wonderful with them. We had many years previously with a lovely cattery but one of these 3 (Trevor) is extremely distressed by even a short time away and reacted very badly to cattery. I'll never risk it again.