Cat sitter let me down - help!

[CatOrCushion]

We are going away in a few weeks time and had arranged with a (normally very reliable and trusted) neighbour to look after our lovely boy. She's now informed me that her and her family have booked a trip away at THE SAME TIME as us

MIL & SIL will both be away, we do have other neighbours but living where we do (London) only know them to say hello to. As it's school holidays the catteries are completely booked up as are local cat sitters. What on earth am I going to do?! I've never been in this position after 15 years a cat owner!

Could someone from your vets help? I found out last week that one of the nurses at ours does cat sitting.

I asked my neighbours who I'd never spoken to before to look after my dog for a week. They did! They were really nice and we brought them back wine, a trinket box and money inside for the kids who walked the dog. We have now had a few conversations and I feel better that I know more about them.
If i were you I'd ask your neighbours. If they have pets just say you will return the favour.

I second asking at your vets, I bet there is someone local who could help out.

I am using one of my teenagers friends this year, she is 18 and will house/pet sit for us for a week - she works with animals and is the best person I know to help us. I am paying her for the week but she also gets to have the house to herself.

Thank you so much for your quick replies! I'll give the vets a ring in the morning - there are some lovely nurses so maybe even if they can't help they'll know someone - and I'll get chatting with more of the neighbours, it'll be a good excuse to build bridges!

Thank you again - knew you guys would help me see a clear path to a solution (let's hope!)!

have you tried 'cat in a flat' website? I used them for the last time I went away before my furbaby died -the sitter was great, reliable and was able to give meds.

Monkeypuzzle32 - what a great website! Thank you - definitely opens up our options!

I'm in SE London and used car in a flat when I had the same issue - last minute let down. They were wonderful.

Cat. Obviously.

CatOrCushion no worries-much easier than trawling Google for cat sitters-they were really reasonable rates too

Tailster also a good website....

Cat which part of London are you?

i saw something very similar today on my local neighbourhood website. Are you near bromley? I was tempted to reply as a cat person that I'd be happy to help you out, but I do appreciate it's a bit weird for someone you don't know to offer to do that!
Maybe try task rabbit? They'll have local people providing similar service for a fee :-).

I used Trusted Housesitters a couple of years ago, to find someone to come and stay here for 2 weeks. They looked after the house and animals. Was a bit of a gamble letting strangers stay, but it worked out really well. We got to know each other by phone/email first, and the site does basic background checks. I think you have to pay to register to be a sitter (and to find one), so that weeds out those with nefarious intentions. I got email updates every other day or so, and it was nice to know the house was lived in.

Forgot to say - you probably have a better chance of finding a sitter in London, as many travellers want to visit. Was a bit hard in the not-picturesque bit of Yorkshire!

Second Trustedhousesitters.com. I've been using the site for a couple of years and had great sitters. You can invite people to sit as well as advertise. Look for good reviews left by other users.