Will my nervous rescue cat be okay with twice daily visits?

[Dancinginthemoonlightt]

Hi!

just want some reassurance/ any last min advice really.

I go on holiday for a week in 5 days time but I’m leaving behind my very nervous rescue cat. I have a pet sitter coming twice a day but the problem is she is so nervous she won’t come anywhere near them. She will hide outside the entire time I’m worried she’ll be lonely but she won’t come over to anybody else other than me. I have tried having someone stay over the last time I went away but that made it worse as she refused to come into the house the whole time and hid. I guess my question is will she be okay on her own for a week, with someone coming twice a day just to put fresh food and water down for her, it’s the longest I’ve left her I feel very worried about leaving her. She’s mostly an outdoor cat , she does usually come in over night but as we don’t have a cat flap and she won’t come in for anyone else she may have to sleep outside for a week ( there is an outdoor cat shelter for her )

Why can’t she be indoors whilst you are away?

Tried that before also, makes her worse. She’s outside all the time she would get so stressed being inside alone for a week. She literally comes in overnight and that’s because I make her come in usually lol!

Can you not get a cat flap installed so she at least has the freedom to get in and out?
It's a bit concerning leaving her for a whole week like this.

Thinking about getting a cat flap put in but not sure I have time before I leave! Also did forget to mention the downstairs window is nearly always open so she can come in and out during the day it’s just at night I’ll ask the sitter to close it for safety. She wouldnt be locked out the whole week alone!

Why can't the window be open the whole time so she can come and go as she wants? Is it somewhere where it would be a security risk?

To be honest, it probably could be left open the whole time. Where the window is you can’t see it’s open unless you were physically in my garden - we live in a quiet area so very unlikely there would be any break ins etc but it does still worry me being open over night.
im just very torn wether to keep her in all week ( but I know that would make her miserable , she’s pretty much semi feral) or risk her potentially being out side during the nights!

I’d leave the window open, it’s not fair to leave her stuck outside. And get a cat flap put in for next time.

Has she met the cat sitter st all? Ours came over before we went away for the first time so although she wasn't very well known the cats saw her with me and had sniffed her. Then she makes friends by being the 'treat' lady. She gives them cat treats when she comes - abd then mostly they come to see her when she is there! Bribery and it works.
You said he has an outside shelter so has somewhere safe out the rain. I wouldn't be happy leaving the window open at night either. But do get a cat flap when ypu can then you won't have this issue again.

I once fed a friend’s cats for 10 days and never saw them, but the food went, so I knew they were ok! They were outdoor cats but no cat flap, I was supposed to let them in/out but they wouldn’t leave the bedrooms so stayed in the whole time. You could ask the sitter to text you to confirm the food is being eaten, that way you’ll know your cat is ok. I also fed a different friend’s cats and one generally didn’t turn up for meals when I called (also no cat flap), so in hot weather I would leave dry food and water outside for him so I knew he was ok. Turned up one day and he’d left a toy mouse next to the food bowl as a thank you! 😊

Mine were very nervous rescue cats and they hid from the pet sitter the whole time. I told her not to go looking for them as it would only stress them out, so she just fed them and cleaned the litter.

I agree the cat needs to be able to get inside though. Unless there's somewhere sheltered she can sleep in your garden, like a shed?

Thanks all! We have a shed that will be left open wide with a bed in there and water and food etc & a big cat shelter. Also window is open during the day. I go away on Wednesday so no time for a cat flap but will definitely get one installed asap! When I got my cat I didn’t realise quite how nervous she would be that she wouldn’t come over to anyone else other than me! Still hoping she does end up coming in. I’ve asked cat sitter to call her once, leave her food and wait around 5-10mins to see if she comes in to eat , then they can keep her in over night but shed and cat shelter is my back up. Also got a friend popping over middle of the day most days to check her inbetween the sitter visits because I’m so nervous leaving her!

@Mumdiva99 no she’s not met rhe sitter. She bolts as soon as someone comes In the house that’s not me 🙄😅

I left 8 semi ferals home alone for a week outside, with a neighbour who came over each morning to dish out some wet food which they ate after the neighbour had left the premises. They had an auto feeder for the rest of the time which the neighbour filled up halfway through.

I'd leave the window open and let her come in and eat and shelter as and when she wants.

We have a rescue cat who hates anyone except us. So she will not interact with the cat sitters who visit twice daily. As long as they keep her fed and make sure they find her at least once a day, that's all we can ask. She doesn't like it, but is very happy to see us when we get back. The alternative is to not go on holiday ever.
We decided not to use a cattery as we thought she may think that's her life forever (in whatever way cats 'think').

You will worry about her whatever the set up as that’s what good pet parents do but she actually will survive the week and find a routine that works for her quite quickly. Esp if she has a shed for shelter and regular food. Put some soft furnishings in the shed eg velvet and things that smell of you and she will bed down happily. It’s not cold at the moment anyway. I agree with asking cat sitter to leave the window open if you can bear it but if you are going to be worrying about the burglars then don’t. If she is generally happier out than in then leaving her out with the shed will be best option. If she is being fed and has velvet cushions etc and birds to watch then I don’t think she will run away. Get the sitter to scatter/hide Dreamies/treats in the shed too and she will enjoy finding them. Enjoy your break. Nervous cats are very high-maintenance- I totally understand your anxiety…

Def get a cat flap fitted when you get back so she has time to get used to it before you go away again. It can take a bit of training to get a nervous cat used to them of course.

yes deffo getting a cat flap - the stress this cat has caused me- making me not want to go away haha! I work from home so I’m always at home to let her In / out never thought to get a cat flap.

yes will get sitter to leave treats for her most definitely.

Tempted to leave window open and get a ring door bell put near it or something.

Also one other slight worry - I live in a neighbourhood with a lot of cats. If I leave window open am I going to return home to a house full of cats? 😅