Help! What to do with kitten when we go away?

[MargaretCavendish]

We have a three year old cat and a thirteen week old kitten. We're going away in early August for four days, and have just discovered that both my parents-in-law who usually (very kindly) look after them while we're away will also be away then. I'm not really sure what to do. I am pretty certain the older cat would not like a cattery, and was thinking of trying to arrange a sitter to come in twice a day. But is that good enough for a (at that point) four month old kitten? Would he better off in a cattery? I've rung to ask and they would take him, since he's now fully vaccinated. I don't think I know anyone who could come and stay, which would be the obvious solution, of course.

i would say that the cattery is definitely the better option as you know both cats will be safe and cared for i get my children to feed my horrid henrys when we go away but they are all adults

i would say that the cattery is definitely the better option as you know both cats will be safe and cared for i get my children to feed my horrid henrys when we go away but they are all adults

Get a house sitter who stays overnight.

I don't think I know anyone who could come and stay

There are apps for that - I used pawshake but catinaflat is one too

Aren't cats less stressed being at home with someone popping in to feed them?

Our cat fucked off when mil cat sat. We had to drive Dartmouth to Midlands, call cat, ring cattery, grab cat, drive to cattery, drive back to Dartmouth. It was so stressful Dh started smoking again to cope.

The worry was agony so he goes to a cattery now.

I can't understand reluctance to put cats in catteries. My fingers is that we care for them really really well the rest of the year and it really won't do them any harm to go in for a few days a couple of times a year. Yes their freedom is reduced but they are safe, warm, fed, watered, paid attention and seen by a vet if necessary plus less stress for you. Cattery would be my choice.

Feeling not fingers!

Ours goes to a cattery. It's not her favourite thing but she copes.

I wouldn't leave a 13 week old kitten home alone, they can get up to all sorts of mischief at that age and end up putting themselves at risk. All my cats have been a bit about catteries but for years my oldies went in to stay when I was on holiday. Current cat stays at home with neighbour popping in but he would have been in the cattery at 13 weeks if we'd gone away then

Yep at that age a cattery or a live in cat sitter would be the way to go. I'm trying to remember what we did with ours when they were small - they're now very much outdoor cats so a local teenager every day to fill up the food bowls is more than fine.

When I had a fairly new kitten, plus 3 adult cats who hated car journey/cattery, I put the kitten in cattery for security & had someone come in to feed the others.

Kitten also hated car journey as it turned out & we had wee, poo, panic all the way both ways (perfect cattery but 30-minute drive)

Now I always have someone come in to feed but would still put a newish kitten in cattery just in case

Thanks all! I feel a little odd about getting a stranger to sleep in the house - I know that's a weird hang-up when I'd be happy for them to come in twice a day! I'll talk to DH about it, but I think I'd be happiest with the kitten in a cattery and a twice a day sitter for the cat. One slight concern - they get on better each day but are very much acclimatising, and I wonder if being apart for a few days will set that back?

It didn't affect mine, & he was in for 10 days & had only been here about a month before that

At such a young age, I think a cattery might be better, two visits a day at home leaves a lot of unsupervised time where mischief can be had.