Cat hiding from catsitter

[EatYourFive]

So we have gone away for Easter and booked a professional cat sitter to come and visit our two indoor cats twice a day in our home to feed and spend some time with them. One of our cats is incredibly shy and always hides when someone comes to our house. She did hide when the cat sitter came to meet them but I managed to get her to come out with some dreamies. It's the first time we have left them for a longer time since the pandemic.

The cat sitter has been to our house for three visits now but has not seen the shy cat at all. The other cat is coming out to greet her but shy cat is nowhere to be seen. Shy cat loves us and is always in the same room with one of us, she's a real people's cat (just with us though or any young kids that visit as she loves children) so I'm feeling quite sad she's now not getting any human contact.

We have used a catsitter before but only for shorter breaks and she did them come out to see her after a while.

There is evidence in the litter tray that she's using it and their food is getting eaten so she's probably fine. Is there anything the catsitter can do to try and entice her to come out? I suggested shaking a box of dreamies in the rooms where she's most likely to hide but nothing. It's a big three storey house so plenty of places..

I feel desperately sad for her as she must feel like we have abandoned her and feeling so guilty. I just keep picturing her sitting at the top the stairs watching us leave, she must have known something was up. I just can't relax and enjoy our holiday at all now. I thought a catsitter was better for them than cattery as at least they could stay in a familiar place, and they are used to having plenty of space for themselves.

Any ideas or experiences?

Sorry, no advice. I'm sorry, I love my cats but always reckon they can survive a bit of unhappiness. Enjoy your holiday, your cats will be fine

I think the problem with trying to find her and interact with her is that the sitter may just end up scaring her even more. She’s likely cosied up in a comfortable spot watching the sitter from afar. It sounds like she’s fine if she’s eating and going to the loo so I would just try to relax and enjoy your holiday. Your cats will be fine. I’d love to say they’ll be really glad to see you when you get back but being cats, you’re just as likely to get a look of disdain and the brush off.

Thank you both for the reassuring words! Will tell the catsitter to just leave her and cuddle our other cat instead. I wish I could just relax and get on with the holiday instead of waking up at ridiculous-o'clock to fret about our cat!

Your shy cat will be absolutely fine. Enjoy your holiday!

My cats won't interact with strangers ever. As long as they have food, water and clean litter they should be perfectly happy. They're a bit solitary by nature.

I have just got back from a week away having left 2 cats at home with someone coming in once a day to feed (timer feeder does the other meal). One of my cats is quite nervous and neurotic. Sitter saw him but cat wouldn't let her near him. I also worried about them being left for so long but both were fine. I got home and both were happy to see me, lots of strokes and sitting on laps, neither any worse for wear. Try and relax and enjoy your break.

Our cat hates strangers and will hide when anyone other than us is in the house. We’ve just been away a few days, catsitter predictably didn’t see so much as a whisker. Since we’ve been back she’s fine, very affectionate and currently asleep on my feet.

Oh bless you, she's fine though and has your other cat for company. Same thing happened when my mum cat sat last autumn. She didn't clap eyes on our boy once in three days but we knew he was coming in at night for food; it was this reassurance that stopped me jumping on the next train home! Enjoy your hols

I don’t have the problem that my cat sitter doesn’t see the cats but I know they miss us (and one has a tendency to disappear for a few days when we go away if we only have someone coming in twice a day) but I just came on to recommend Trustedhousesitters.

You do have to trust people in your house, find and choose your own sitter, and I clean like mad before anyone stays but it does put my mind at ease knowing that the cats are being looked after —often worshipped— and the house is clearly occupied. It’s not for everyone but might be a way to consider.

Aww bless you
I have a very like this
We use a cat sitter too
My cat sitter says she doesn't come up to her.
She's been feeding them for years but it's sporadic
I know that if she stayed for a good amount of time my cat would learn to trust her but she's not there for enough time

I have a very timid cat, and also one that is polar opposite and thrives on social interaction with anyone she meets.

My cats also hate the cattery as they love going outside during the day. So I figure a catsitter is the lesser of two evils for them. Really the only other option is to have someone stay in the house whom the cats both feel comfortable around (e.g. a family member they know well) but that isn't always possible to arrange.

They both definitely miss me when I'm away, but once I'm back they're fine. It's only a few days.

I went away for a week earlier in the year and had a live-in cat sitter for my very shy and nervous cat who is generally glued to my lap and follows me from room to room.

She didn't see my cat for 2 days, and by the end of the week the cat had just about graduated to sitting next to her and being stroked. I don't think a daily-visit cat sitter would ever have seen her.

It's a tough one, but I'm sure your cat is fine - in some ways it's less stressful for them that they they are just dealing with a stranger for a short period a day, rather than having to monitor their presence all day long and hide.

I'm going away for 2 weeks in the summer and will go for live-in again. For shorter breaks of about 3 days in future I'm going to have someone just call in I think. My cat was fine when I got home from the week away - jumped in my lap like I'd never been away.

I have shy indoor cats, and my DSis comes in twice a day to feed & scoop the litter tray if I'm away. I was unexpectedly away for 3 nights recently (bad recovery from an op) and by day 2 Girlcat was emerging to watch her suspiciously and then to oversee feeding. Boycat was seen once, as he whisked behind the sofa on realising it wasn't his mum coming in the door.

They know my DSis, they just don't trust anybody except me. But as there are 2 of them, they keep each other company well.

I'm a professional cat sitter.

There's a cat I look after that (aside from at the meet and greet) I've only ever seen as a lump under the duvet

I think the cat sitter should just carry on as she is - pressuring the cat to come out and say hello may only upset her more - if she's happy hiding away then let her be.

I always say to owners I will do my best to look for cats and interact but I'm not going to force it if the cat isn't keen. The other risk if the sitter pushes, is that the cat could easily lash out through fear and scratch or bite, and cat injuries can turn nasty.

I have a sit starting on Tuesday for brothers - one is super friendly but the other lulls you into a false sense of security and will act friendly then try and beat you up - I don't fuss him

Thank you so much everyone, it has been very helpful and reassuring to read all you comments. I feel much better after reading them, I was really starting to get all worked up about the situtation and regret the whole holiday, but will now try and relax and enjoy the rest of my break.

Still no sightings of the shy cat but plenty of poos in the litter tray (more than one cat could produce) so I guess she is fine. I asked the catsitter to just leave her to it and if she fails to see her when we are away so be it. The other cat is getting quite friendly with her now so guess that's something.