Experienced cat owners..please help!

[tammyjess]

My lovely cat is nearly 8 months and has just started going outside. She has so far been happy pottering around the back garden. We are going away at Easter and also in May (4 nights each time).

I kept reading how cats generally dislike catteries so I arranged for our cat sitter to come (twice a day). As our road is slightly on the busier side, my thinking was that we would keep her inside for those few days (as I was worried that if there was an accident we wouldn't be around) and the cat sitter would come in and feed her and play with her a bit. I was going to use the litter tray, although I guess by then she will be going to the toilet outside.

However, now she's been outside, I'm starting to re-think. Is it cruel to confine her to the house once she's had freedom!? I guess in a cattery she wouldn't have access to the outdoors either. But I don't want her mewling at the cat flap for 4 days wondering why she can't get out

She'll probably outwit the catflap.

I've never put DCat in a cattery, but DFriend's cat is ok with her cat hotel.
I can't do it as I can remember what he was like when I brought him home when I got him.

Your cat would be fine confined to the house for a few days. But you might need to barricade the cat flap. My previous cat would just remove it from the wall if we had the temerity to lock it.

We are sending ours to the cattery because she can't be kept in here (won't use a litter tray) unless one of the DD's can get themselves home, awaiting exam schedules

Go with the litter tray and keep her inside with the cat sitter visiting as planned. As long as she's happy to keep the litter tray clean as part of her visit I think that's the best plan.

Keep her in, definitely. She might be a bit pissed off but she’ll be safe and sleep most of it anyway.

If the cat sitter will be spending a decent amount of time with her then she’ll be fine kept in.

You might want to consider which rooms she will have access to in terms of her scratching at carpets or furniture.

I'm a cat-sitter.

Some of my clients ask me to keep their cats indoors but others are fine with them going out. I just have them sign a form to say that if they opt for them to go out, I'm not liable if something happens and the cat doesn't come back in when called.

The cats that are kept inside don't appear stressed - they have food and litter tray and toys :)

The first time, we asked our cat sitter to put the cat flap on one way when she came so they'd go out and once they were back they were stuck until the next day. That only worked when we had two quiet cats who were happy indoors but enjoyed a stroll outside. When we got a Bengal we had to ask her to leave the cat flap open so the Bengal wouldn't drive the neighbours mad with her wailing. Whenever she found a closed door or cat flap she'd wail until someone came and opened it, regardless of whether anyone was around. She'd occasionally do it in the middle of the night after closing a door herself by accident so we knew what she'd be like.

We used to have ndn's feed ours then 1 died and we got a dkitten. Too young to have free access to outside and unfair to dcat 1 to lock in. Used a cattery. They came back well rotounded!! The peace of mind was amazing.. Used twice since. They share a holiday abode which has inside and outside areas. Toys, blankets and lots of food!! And music.. And a huge koi pond to look out at!! £13 per night.. Def the best solution for us.

Thank you all so much. That's so helpful. Very kind. This is my little furball who is taking up all my headspace (and heartspace)

Lock the cat flap and keep her in. The first time we used a cat sitter our cat went missing from the first evening we were gone. It was so stressful being away knowing our cat was missing. He didn't return for a day after we got home either. Never again! Now the cat flap gets locked and the same cat sitter comes and deals with the litter tray. That's our very outdoorsy cat too.

Yeah I’d keep her in but unplug everything but the fridge for fire safety.

My niece uses a cat hotel nicer than my first flat. It has flat screen tvs in each chalet & human furniture.