What do you do on holidays?

[TheGreatestHo]

We don't take more than 3/4 days away as a family right now for number reasons so we aren't off for a few weeks or anything.

We've been away once since we've had our cat, for two nights. The NDN popped in morning and night to make sure she was fed etc.

He's now gone and we have no one else to help , apart from my brother who works shifts and only promises to pop by once a day.

Is that enough? Cat eats primarily wet food but supplement with dry.

Excuse my naivety please! I might be really overthinking this!

Our neighbour comes in once a day to feed cat, who now pops round to see her regularly

Get a battery operated pop up feeder for dry food and your brother to do other feed of wet food.

For one or two nights we just give wet before we leave and stock up crunchy bowl and water. For longer then our neighbour pops in once a day to give wet food and do top ups etc. If he misses day it doesn't matter really. She is nearly 10 and likes her own company and unlikely to get into any mischief. She has a microchip activated cat flap.

Leave dry food out all the time (topped up by brother when he comes round). Her brother to put out wet food, change water, and too up dry food when he comes round each day. Then they're never without food as dry will last.

Litter tray, can your brother not do each day? Or could you do it on the morning you leave and as soon as you return, with brother doing it once in between? Assuming you're only away 3/4 nights that is.

Ok so you're all going to judge me....

I'm off on holiday day after tomorrow.
Have indoor cat.
Dd is moving home to look after him...this includes...
Feeding on demand at chopping board on kitchen work surface. He will let her know which food he wants and will shake his right paw when finished.
Taking him out on his lead for walks up and down the drive or to just sit in the garden listening to the birds...This can be anytime day or night.
Head butts and snuggles when he gets lonely in the middle of the night.
Regular sprinkling of bird food on kitchen roof and garage roof so he can sit on window ledge and watch the birds.
No visitors because he hates strangers.

OMG I've created a monster but I wouldn't have it any other way and we all love him to bits.

We use Cat In A Flat to find local cat sitters - ours were stuck in rescue for months and I can't bring myself to put them in a cattery when we go away (what if they think we have abandoned them like their last slaves )

So now we have a group of lovely cat sitters that pop in for us and send me photos

It costs about the same as putting them in a cattery but they get to stay home - if you are worried you could top up with something like that?

@Cally62 I would totally do the same if I could

I use a cat sitter. She does two 30 mins visits a day, feeding, snuggles, litter box picking. She also will run the hoover around the morning I come home, opens/closes curtains and will put out and bring in the wheelie bin. She’s worth it.

Our cat comes on holiday with us.

MiniLeo I wish.

User how lovely that your cat sitter sends pics.

I'll skype my cat dd

@Cally62 No judgement from me - I have a best friend who does the same sort of thing as your DD, she doesn't move in though! Takes my chap on longer walks though. And she sends photos. And she makes sure the local stray has his food (not that he needs it - he's got another 3 houses who look after him).

OMG what is it with strays...I feed my neighbours cat gourmet solitaire and royal canin and fresh chicken. He sits on the garden table as early as 5am every morning. And is there for lunch and dinner and snacks in between. In fact I think all the cats in the neighbourhood come here for food.

OP hope this has helped.

These are my local strays they wait for me and one even comes into the flat if im late.

I havw someone who charges £10 a visit snd stays 15 minutes i know because shes been a couple of times when ive been off sick. It annoys me because she puts everybod elses cats on facebook never mine!!!

Ive used cat in a flat and it is a good service. You will know when you meet them your instinct will kick in.

The place we all love is the farm especially at this time of year. They have an indoor/outdoor pen and if truth be told its the same price as a sitter twice a day and they get groomed and everything.

I would pay and do the cat in the flat option when your brother cant fo it and at least they will clean the tray out as you are paying.

We used to get a cat sitter in twice a day, AM to unlock the flap and do the morning feed, then PM to lick him in dirt he might and do the evening feed. But MentounasCat really dislikes being alone so much of the time - I work from home so he's got used to having someone to whine talk to most of the time. So at Easter we used Trusted Housesitters for the first time, it worked great and we're doing it again in summer.
The big downside: I feel morally compelled to give the house a big clean before someone comes to stay, at the same time as trying to get everything packed. And it's expected that you put a fair bit of work into preparing a 'welcome pack' for the sitter - but that's just the first time.

'Lick him in dirt' is an interesting autocorrect. Should be 'lock him in again'

Those catsitters, they'll do most things for money...

We like to have a friend or relative come and stay so the routine stays roughly the same