I've had cats for more than 20 years and have always used sitters when I've had to be away. But, as I posted some time ago, my current boy is super-social, and I worried that sitters might not provide enough human interaction for him, especially since I'm retired and home all day.
So a found a "luxury resort" that had small rooms with big windows (no cages) and I could pay for as many special play times for him as I wanted. I visited to check it out, and it seemed ideal, so I brought him for 2 days last weekend when I was traveling to see how he'd do. I brought his food, some toys, and even a mat and small bed that he uses (in the TV room--of course, he sleeps in MY bed at night!).
It was a disaster! When I picked him up, the director commented, "He didn't eat last night." I asked, "What about this morning?" The response was, "Oh, we haven't checked yet." He'd been fed more than an hour earlier, and it seemed to me that since there was some concern about his eating, they should have checked. (When they went to get him, they told me that he hadn't eaten breakfast either.)
When I brought him home, he would go to his food, but then turn away. He was incredibly restless and seemed unable to get comfortable enough to sleep.
I forgot to mention that he had a horrible odor on him, and I called the "resort" to ask if they'd given him some kind of flea treatment or anything that would have caused that smell (it was slightly medicinal). They said no, so I asked about the smell, and they suggested that it might have "transferred" from the techs' scrubs when they held him. That didn't seem possible, since the odor was so very strong.
That afternoon, I brought him to my vet because he wasn't eating and was so restless. After a thorough exam, my vet found that the side of his tongue was raw and inflamed, something that he's seen with cats who "over-groom." Of course, my boy must have been miserable with that smell and desperately tried to get rid of it! By the time we got to the vet, I had washed the stuff off him, but from what I described, my vet thought it might be the stuff they use to clean the kennels. He said that perhaps they'd used it on the walls in his room, and he'd rubbed against the wall when it was still damp.
Not only did this seem careless on the part of the resort staff, but my boy was supposed to have 2 play and 2 "loving" sessions each day. I find it odd that no one there noticed that he smelled so badly--or perhaps they didn't interact with him as promised?
My vet gave him a shot of Metacam and subQ fluids. By Wednesday, my boy was eating and resting well. I'm traveling next month for a few days--and I already have my sitters lined up. No more boarding--ever!
So a found a "luxury resort" that had small rooms with big windows (no cages) and I could pay for as many special play times for him as I wanted. I visited to check it out, and it seemed ideal, so I brought him for 2 days last weekend when I was traveling to see how he'd do. I brought his food, some toys, and even a mat and small bed that he uses (in the TV room--of course, he sleeps in MY bed at night!).
It was a disaster! When I picked him up, the director commented, "He didn't eat last night." I asked, "What about this morning?" The response was, "Oh, we haven't checked yet." He'd been fed more than an hour earlier, and it seemed to me that since there was some concern about his eating, they should have checked. (When they went to get him, they told me that he hadn't eaten breakfast either.)
When I brought him home, he would go to his food, but then turn away. He was incredibly restless and seemed unable to get comfortable enough to sleep.
I forgot to mention that he had a horrible odor on him, and I called the "resort" to ask if they'd given him some kind of flea treatment or anything that would have caused that smell (it was slightly medicinal). They said no, so I asked about the smell, and they suggested that it might have "transferred" from the techs' scrubs when they held him. That didn't seem possible, since the odor was so very strong.
That afternoon, I brought him to my vet because he wasn't eating and was so restless. After a thorough exam, my vet found that the side of his tongue was raw and inflamed, something that he's seen with cats who "over-groom." Of course, my boy must have been miserable with that smell and desperately tried to get rid of it! By the time we got to the vet, I had washed the stuff off him, but from what I described, my vet thought it might be the stuff they use to clean the kennels. He said that perhaps they'd used it on the walls in his room, and he'd rubbed against the wall when it was still damp.
Not only did this seem careless on the part of the resort staff, but my boy was supposed to have 2 play and 2 "loving" sessions each day. I find it odd that no one there noticed that he smelled so badly--or perhaps they didn't interact with him as promised?
My vet gave him a shot of Metacam and subQ fluids. By Wednesday, my boy was eating and resting well. I'm traveling next month for a few days--and I already have my sitters lined up. No more boarding--ever!