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

Original poster

Who looks after your cat when you go away?

38 replies

bendmeoverbackwards · 27/06/2020 12:35

We have been using a lady for cat sitting when we've gone away during the past few years. We give her a key, she comes in twice a day to feed our cat and play with her. All was fine until the last time we went away last Christmas.

We came home to find we had been burgled. Only the upstairs bedroom was affected but they took my entire jewellery collection. To this day we are still not 100% of their point of entry - there was a smashed glass door to a balcony that leads off the bedroom but we think this was a red herring and whoever got in had a front door key.

Cat sitter said she knew nothing about it and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

She seems trustworthy but I am very nervous now about using her again. I can't be sure if she wasn't involved or gave someone the key etc.

We are planning to go away this summer. For security I would feel safer leaving our cat in a cattery but that would mean she's in a cage and can't go outside.

What do you do?

OP posts:
FlamingoAndJohn · 27/06/2020 12:37

For a short trip I have friends who come and feed her, we do the same for them in return.
Last time we went away for a week my mum came and stayed.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 27/06/2020 12:48

Do you have an alarm @flamingo?

We put an alarm in after the burglary so anyone coming in would have to set it.

OP posts:
madcatladyforever · 27/06/2020 12:51

I don't go away, she is too old at 19 to be left and I'd never forgive myself.
If I have to go into hospital overnight which I sometimes do she goes to a lovely local cattery run by a wonderful caring lady who really spoils her, but I try not to do it too often.

Cric · 27/06/2020 13:08

I don't have a cat but when my next door neighbours go away, I feed the cats.

Paranoidmarvin · 27/06/2020 18:44

My cat decided he wanted to live with. But he was from the house down the road. His previous owner is lovely and she was okay with him being here. We did try everything we could to move him back. But he decided. When I go away she comes in twice a day and looks after him. I don’t worry at all when she comes as I know she loves him.

But she wouldn’t go upstairs. So if nothing was wrong downstairs I doubt she would have known anything had happened upstairs.

Bargebill19 · 27/06/2020 19:10

We take the cats with us.

Polkadotties · 27/06/2020 19:14

My mum pops in twice a day to feed our cat and house rabbits. She lives local.
My parents had an elderly cat and when they went away she would come on her holidays to ours and stay in the second bedroom with the door closed so our cat couldn’t get in.

NC4Now · 27/06/2020 19:17

I've had a cat sitter but now I have the kitten I use a cat hotel. It's lovely and I can watch them on camera from my phone. They get spoilt rotten by the owner, they share a room with loads of lovely places to sleep, and have toys, a light show in the evening and a view over the duck pond.
They don't seem to mind not going out, and I know they are being watched the whole time.

Runnerduck34 · 27/06/2020 20:49

Our neighbours come in and feed our cat. Have used a cattery before, cats nice and safe and well cared for but they hated it.
I suppose if you have a seed of doubt in your mind your best option would be a cattery,your cat will forgive you eventually 😂

DanniArthur · 27/06/2020 20:56

I used a very expensive cattery before and my poor cat was terrified when I went to collect him. His fur and cat box was soaked in urine and although I complained to the owner all she said was "some cats are very nervous and urinate so it's their scent around them" I was angry as I'd been calling every day to check on him and she was telling me a lot of rubbish about him being fine, cuddling her and playing! Now my friend lives in my house for the week and looks after him for me.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 27/06/2020 21:03

I've had my cats for a year ( I had guinea-pigs before and they went to Boarding . ££ but its a part of the holiday cost and we knew they'd be looked after someone who knew guinea-pigs )

DH and I went away for a week last Oct . Cattery would be (cheapest we found was £10/cat/day , no discount for sharing) . We paid the DC (adult) cattery rates . (Though my lovely DS said he'd have done for free after he pocketed the money !)

I ended up in hospital so we were away 16 days not 7 . I was glad the cats were at home with my DC .

vanillandhoney · 27/06/2020 21:05

My sister in law comes to feed them twice a day.

From the other side, I work as a pet sitter and go to peoples homes to feed their cats. I go in twice per day and charge £5 a visit Smile

MsSquiz · 27/06/2020 21:12

When we go away for 3 nights or less, DH's parents come in twice a day to feed and play with our 2 cats. (They only love in the next street)

If we are away longer or with PIL, we have a woman who comes in twice a day for an hour each time to feed and play with them. She is the wife of a guy who worked with DH until they set up a pet sitting & dog walking business.
DH's parent may also pop in on occasion, if we are away for a week, just to break up the cats' day

We also have our next door neighbours who keep an eye on our property while we are away (put the bins out, etc)

mothtoaflame · 27/06/2020 21:21

We use a Cattery, there are some lovely ones around where you can visit first and see what you think.

AnneElliott · 27/06/2020 21:40

Mil or my cousin comes in to feed them. The small one once went to stay with mil when we went away, but mil found her too troublesome!

violetbunny · 27/06/2020 21:57

If it's just a couple of nights, our neighbours feed them (and we return the favour when they're away). Otherwise, cattery,

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 28/06/2020 13:38

Glad to hear of the positive experiences of catteries.

After the burglary I am wary of giving anyone a key now. I will look for a local cattery.

OP posts:
cliffdiver · 28/06/2020 13:43

MIL stays at our house or a cattery.

MintyCedric · 28/06/2020 13:51

I'm very fortunate that my best friend is in a position to come and stay with my cats when I go away. She lives in a flat share, so she gets a house to herself with a well stocked fridge for the duration and I know that the cats are very happy and well looked after which works for both us.

If her circumstances were to change I would put them in a cattery. They are indoor cats anyway and I wouldnt trust someone else not to let them out be accident.

FedUpOfChangingName · 28/06/2020 13:58

We have only been away Monday - Friday so far. So just Tuesday-Thuraday shes alone really and luckily has a mix of dry & wet food. Makes it easier

A friend comes in once a day for an hout
We pay her £10 a day

Does litter, has a little play with her...
Puts 2 pouches of wet food down with a bowl of 'complete' dry food and a dish of snacks...

She's fine for 3 days, as we see her for afew hours on the Monday and make a fuss of her and are normally back by lunch time Friday.
We leave the bedroom door open so she sleeps on the bed , where as she's not normally allowed.

She's not our friend for afew hours once we are back, But then shes ok 😀

minniemoll · 28/06/2020 14:10

My neighbours come in twice a day to feed mine whilst I'm away, and I return the favour. If we're both away together our other neighbour does both lots - we're all very friendly and have each other's keys, parcels get popped in too and workmen get let in.

Topseyt · 28/06/2020 14:14

I used to have neighbours and friends calling in twice a day whenever we went away. My cat hated going into a cattery so we only tried that a couple of times when he was young.

He would live in the kitchen and utility room if we were away. His bed, food, water and the litter tray were in there, plus his cat flap to the back someone visiting twice a day to check on him and feed and water him was fine.

Was the lady who visited your cat someone you knew well? I was able to stick with people I knew well when I needed cat visiting - fortunately. I'm sorry you went through the burglary. It must have been a shock, and you are no longer confident on who to trust. I don't have any answers, I'm afraid.

evod · 28/06/2020 14:17

My cat goes to my mums house. She can't go out but seems to enjoy the view out the bedroom window where she can watch the birds. She went to a cattery once and was ok after it.

Kittytheteapot · 28/06/2020 14:17

If it's just a couple of nights, I leave food on a timer for my cats. It is a bit of a risk, as one cat might eat all the others' food leaving them to go without or have to hunt for food, but, on the whole, I prefer this option as I know it is not going to cause them any stress.

If it is for a longer period, I used to use various catteries but my cats hated going, even more than they hate the vet. In the last few years, I have been lucky to be able to ask friends of my children who like cats to come in and feed them. Or my mother in law has been known to volunteer to house sit. She isn't a cat fan, but I trust her to be decent towards them. I can't imagine hiring a stranger to come into my house when I am not there.

Topseyt · 28/06/2020 14:18

Oh, and yes, I too used to return the favour for those neighbours and friends who had cats and needed it.

We all paid each other and/or gave gifts of wine and chocolate.

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