Paid cat helper while on holiday?

[oliveroses]

Hi, we are hoping to go away for a couple of days - maybe 2 to 3 nights - and have recently given our cat a litter tray as she has been unsettled and was frequently toileting around the house (we moved, cats next door are terrors, and we had a baby ... poor floof!)

We have never had a tray before as she has always been happy to go outside. But now I'm thinking about when we go away. I'm not happy leaving the tray for a couple of days as she will happily go elsewhere in the house if she pleases. But I've never asked anyone to clean a litter tray before. We are quite new to the area and most of our neighbours are colleagues - I wouldn't mind asking if they could pop in to feed her but a litter tray is a different matter. Am I right to think this? What do those of you in similar situations do? I am thinking of looking into paid sitters though my husband is a bit nervous about handing keys over to someone we don't know. By this I mean someone who will visit the cat once a day to feed her and clean the tray rather than anything more! Anyone have any experience here? I don't think it makes any difference but she has full access as she pleases to our garden x

I've used a cat sitter when we've gone on holiday although I did know the woman already. She fed them, scooped the litter (used clumping litter so she could remove pee and poo) and had a play with them if they were about when she came.

Hi OP - I'm a cat-sitter and just finished a job like you described! I charge £8 per visit.

I go in and feed the cat(s), clean out litter trays (and change them if necessary), clean up any accidents/vomit/hairballs, give the cats a fuss if they're interested, and make sure there's fresh water.

Most dog-walkers will do visits for cats and other small animals so it's worth asking your local dog walkers, or ask on a local Facebook page for recommendations. I have three customers who I do regular cat visits for :)

I've used cat in a flat. They're good. You can see all the local sitters in your area and check their reviews. They're insured and DBS checked too.

I now just pay a friend the same amount to do it for me and she spends ages fussing my cats.

uk.catinaflat.com

Thanks everyone, this is really helpful! Feel better already and will check out local services x

Do any of your neighbour s have teenage kids who would be responsible enough to do this and earn a little money?

@OffRampHilton

Do any of your neighbour s have teenage kids who would be responsible enough to do this and earn a little money?

There was a post on here not long ago where someone did this - she came home to filthy, overflowing litter trays and cats who hadn't been fed properly.

I would strongly encourage people to pay for professional pet care where possible, whether that's putting your cats in a professional cattery or getting a fully insured sitter to come and check on them.

Yes, cats are relatively 'easy' pets - until something goes wrong, and then you really want a knowledgeable professional in charge who can identify issues and get your animal to the vets if necessary.

@cupsofcoffee my neighbour once completely forgot to come in and feed our cat for two days
Luckily I'd left plenty of hard food and water down and she was fine, but it could have been a different story. Obviously we were unlucky that time but it did put the wind up me x

[quote oliveroses]@cupsofcoffee my neighbour once completely forgot to come in and feed our cat for two days
Luckily I'd left plenty of hard food and water down and she was fine, but it could have been a different story. Obviously we were unlucky that time but it did put the wind up me x[/quote]
I would have been fuming! That's awful - how do you forget to feed someone's cat?!

I hope you manage to get sorted with a professional - they don't charge much and it'll give you peace of mind too :)