Cattery refuser 🙀

[Uhohthadidntwork]

I had to cut my holiday short today because the cattery called & asked me to collect my cat as she was miserable & not eating (luckily we were only a couple of hours from home). It’s the first time we’ve gone away since we got her (about 8 months ago) & the first time I’ve ever used a cattery.

I thought a cattery was the best option as she is very people orientated & I was worried she’d be lonely at home alone with someone visiting to feed her.

Not sure what to do now. Has anyone had a similar experience & what do you do if you go on holiday?

Don't most cats prefer to be in their own space? She might have got freaked out by the strangeness of the cattery. We always have a cat sitter, ideally who comes to stay, but okay also to have one drop in if it's a fairly short time we're away.

We used a cattery once and it was awful. It sounds like a caring cattery if they called you which is good.

Personally I wish we'd have gone with someone visiting the house from that first holiday. The lady spends a bit of time stroking our cat, sends pictures etc. The cat has the run of the house and I now realise it's a much better option for us than a cattery. We choose to lock the catflap when we're away so the lady deals with the litter tray. The first time we didn't lock it and the cat went missing for 2 days of our holiday which was so stressful. I think we're all happier with him locked in and someone visiting.

Cat sitter

Cats are happier in their own environment. Ours copes fine with a visit once a day for a bit of fuss and an opportunity to go out for a bit. Plenty of food left out each time.

I think we've used catteries 3 times in the past 25 years. All our cats are used to having outside access with minimal interaction with other cats (there are only another couple of cats ever competing for territory and everybody settles down after a few encounters).

All of ours have hated catteries. One pair stopped drinking (judging by the amount of water they put back after 2 nights away). The most recent pair refused to leave their kennel into the run for 5 days. The poor things were terrified.

We had a pet sitter for about 15 years (or our neighbour popped in for us). She retired and moved too far away, so we need to find a new pet sitter who our 3 year olds can get used to. We found our first via an advert at our vets (just in case that helps you OP).

When i say petsitter, I mean that it is somebody who pops in for 20 mins in the morning and evening to make sure cats have water/food and are fit and well. This is met with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

If you live somewhere interesting/touristy it might not cost too much more to get somebody to housesit in exchange for looking after the animals. I've not tried it, but I did look at a website a few years ago.

I occasionally work as a pet and house sitter and look after cats and dogs, even chickens sometimes. I work a variety of jobs- some paid, some not and it’s fab as the pets are great company and. I get to stay in places I want to go on holiday anyway.

I’m with a couple of sites and don’t think I can give names but just look up housesitters or housesitters- that sort of thing- and you will find many a site. Feel free to DM me if you need advice or are looking for a sitter.

Mine are the same. My girl refused to leave her carrier for days and refused food.

I now pay a dog walker to pop in twice a day. Its actually cheaper and they prefer to be at home.

We have a friend pop in twice a day to fed our car when we are away. She brings her book and reads for an hour in the peace and quiet while giving our cat some attention too,

People are under the illusion that cats are give loads of attention in catteries and they're really not, no matter what the staff say and the odd picture shows, they're alone in a strange place, with strange smells surrounded by other cats that they're naturally wary of.

Keep your cat at home with a good, professional cat sitter, not some random friend or neighbour either, just because you like thrm doesn't mean they know what they're doing with your cat.

I refuse to put ours in a cattery, after having family pets returned to us sick and depressed from being in an environment with other animals

Ours were stuck in a cattery for months before we adopted them, they can't stand dogs and are territorial around cats, so I think they will react to going back and get exceptionally stressed by the sights/sounds/smell of other animals, so we have a cat sitter come in a couple of times a day

I hope yours are ok

When I used a cattery, there were cattery and then there were CATTERY. iyswim!

my then cats hated the shed style cattery but loved the 5*hotel ones with their own soundproof room - 2 storey with outdoor space and heated beds. Cost more for them to go then I paid for myself and Dh to be on holiday!
A pet sitter or a relative who would
also house sit might be better?

Definitely try a cat sitter! Mine are very happy with a little visit twice a day and no other change to their daily life. Cats don't have a concept of time like we do, so they aren't going to be lonely in between visits!

First time in the cattery dcat howled for a week. We added a dkitten to his life and he was fine the next time he /they went. He used to stay home and ndn feeding him and his db but sadly he died.

Thanks everyone, cat sitter it is!

My mum used to look after my previous cats when we went away, but sadly we lost mum a couple of years ago. My previous cats were also a lot more independent than my current girl, who literally follows us from room to room. I’ve never had a cat who wanted to hang out with me as much as she does, which is lovely but makes me worry about leaving her on her own.

@myuterusistryingtokillme she is OK thanks, asleep in her favourite spot on the arm of the sofa & obviously glad to be home.