Grrrrrr... House sitter has fallen through. What now?!

[MonaChopsis]

WWYD? I am going home to the Antipodes for 4 weeks over Xmas and New Years. I had a house sitter organised, who has just bailed

I don't holiday often, but when I do I normally get the neighbours to feed the cats twice a day. Another neighbour also come over most days for lunch and cat cuddles. However, both cats are people cats, and I think they will be lonely without people living in the house for so long - especially mid-winter! However, I think they would loathe a cattery, one in particular is very nervous with new places and people.

I am frantically looking for another house sitter, but if I can't find one, what do you think is my least worst option... Cattery or neighbour cat-sitting? Am genuinely struggling to decide what is the least worst option!

Search the NARPS site to see who else there is in your area? Not sure where you are based?

Neighbour cat sitting. One of ours is quite timid too. We keep them indoors and they have the run of the downstairs. Neighbour pops in to give them food and litter change and a stroke. I don't think that they would get much more people time in a cattery, they would be in a smaller space and strange environment. One of ours barely goes out between Nov and March so being inside for 4 weeks would not be unusual.

You need to find someone with in-laws descending who would love a cast iron reason to be out of the house a few hours a day!!

Get on TrustedHousesitters.com. I used it for the first time this summer for our two cats and will definitely use again.

Yep trusteedhousitters.com is your friend. I’ve used it loads. It’s great.

They will be ok for four weeks as long as they are being fed. They much prefer being in their own house, even if alone, to be in a cattery. So if your neighbours are willing to do it, and you can trust then, it will be absolutely fine.

I'm on house sitters UK, and have contacted about 30 people in the last couple of days, but it appears that most people who want to house sit over Xmas and New Years already have houses organised.

So would you all keep the cats indoors for the duration then? I hadn't thought of that as an option, they have a microchip cat flap so normally have 24/7 access outside, to be honest I thought that one of the reasons they would hate the cattery is no outdoor access.

Thanks all for the quick reply and the reassurance. I wouldn't hesitate kennelling a dog but was really concerned about a cattery, so its really helpful to know it's not just me, and that it's a legitimate concern!

Ask people you know - whereabouts are you?

I would and do use a cattery for much shorter periods but I do think for such a long period being at home would be way less stressful.
Hope you can find someone. Any neighbours have reliable students coming home from uni?

When we go away we leave the cat going in and out as normal and people come in and feed him, spend an hour playing, sometime spend the odd night. He has always been fine x

I had a horrendous experience on trustedhousesitters.com.
I met and vetted the sitter, all seemed fine, but he ate me out of house and home, petrified the cat and pissed all over my carpet one night. Never ever again.
Now she stays at home with a neighbour popping in. Catteries aren’t her thing. She’s happier home alone.

Though be prepared for at least a fortnight of silent treatment in your return...!

Where in the country are you?

faitch

Now I'm beginning to think that the housesitting falling through was a stroke of luck!

Nick southern Snowdonia, ie rural Wales.

Well - are your neighbours OK with 4 weeks of being responsible? It's quite an ask...

Or can you find a sitter for at least 1-2 weeks (even if 2 different people) so that it's not such a long time?

It is a long period - I am usually in favour of cats staying on home territory, but it's long enough for them to feel as if this is permanent abandonment and try a different option if they have access to outdoors - and too long to leave them without outdoor access so Catch-22.

Any local (RESPONSIBLE!!) teens who might want to use your house as a weekend base or holiday hangout...? Off school so might be a good bet if you are struggling with "official" sitters - teens might be happy to hang out and watch a movie a few days a week to give cats more company?

It might be worth looking for a professional cat sitter. We use a cat sitter who doesn’t live in, she just comes in twice a day. She’s not cheap but she’s a vet nurse so I know he’s in good hands.

I vowed I’d never put my very nervous cats in a cattery. But due to health issues with both of them, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving them at home with their (very good) cat sitter popping in once a day. I found a really nice cattery and they were absolutely fine. And I was much more relaxed.

Although they did find looking at the horses ducks and chickens a bit overwhelming. I thought they’d love that! 😫