Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

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

Catsitting advice

6 replies

DanHumphreyIsA · 14/09/2017 09:36

My relative is going away for two weeks in October and I will be looking after her cat.
The plan was for the cat to stay in her house (as I have three otherwise).
However I'm not sure how much time I should spend with her. I'm feeling very guilty about her being alone for long periods of time.
She's mainly indoors, only nips out for 10 minutes once or twice a day. My three are never alone for more than 2-3 hours as I work nights and DH works days so someones always in bar groceries, visiting family etc so I don't know what's normal.

I'm wondering whether I should just bring her to ours? Would it be cruel to keep her in one bedroom for two weeks? We have 2 spare rooms, one which is a box room, with the litter boxes and one is a larger room so plenty of space for food, bed and litter tray.
2 of my cats are outdoor, so I could give her this time to wander around the house. 1 of my cats is indoor, not aggressive at all just curious, she'll have a sniff of any newcomers feet/bags and then flounce off to her den..
However, relatives cat can be abit scratchy/bitey if you stroke her one time too manyGrin

Realistically, if she stays in her own house, I could probably only spend 2-3 hours there, straight after or just before work, without burning myself out.

Would it be better/enough to leave her there and visit once, sometimes twice a day or leave her in our spare room?

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 14/09/2017 09:39

I think it's better for her to stay in her own house, with you popping in. Cats are too territorial to mix luke that.
2-3 hrs wpuld be plenty, and more than she'd get in a cattery.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 14/09/2017 09:40

A cat will always be happier in its own familiar surroundings. A couple of visits a day, as long as you make time for a play and a groom should be fine.

Orangebird69 · 14/09/2017 09:42

Agree with pp. Far kinder to be alone in her own surroundings than locked in a strange bedroom/around other unfamiliar cats.

DanHumphreyIsA · 14/09/2017 09:48

I should add I see her almost daily, so she knows me and loves to nuzzle into my armpit😂 so it wouldn't be completely unfamiliar. But I see about the surroundings.
Think I'll just leave her there then and visit.

Would I be ok to not let her out for these two weeks? She does only go out for a very short time, most of the time she hides when the front/back doors are open lol.
But i'm worried on the off chance she'll want to go off for a bit longer and if I have to get back home/get to work I wont manage to find her in time.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 14/09/2017 10:58

I also agree. She will be much, much happier staying where she is. And yes it's fine not to let her out in the circumstances.

DanHumphreyIsA · 14/09/2017 11:00

Thanks all Grin

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page