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Going for 3 days - bring or leave?

post #1 of 13
Thread Starter 

On Saturday I'm leaving to go to my parents house for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I'll be home in the evening on Boxing Day. 

 

Should I leave Leiki here with food and water, or should I bring her with me? She doesn't like the car at all and isn't too fond of new places, but she would be kept in my bedroom at my parents house while I'm there. The bedroom is on the second floor of their house, no one is really up there unless they're going to bed - so it will be quiet and her meowing won't bother people if she decides to do that the entire time. If I leave her at home, she'll probably eat all of her food during the first hour that I'm gone. 

 

What do you think?

post #2 of 13

Do you have any friends or neighbours that could check in on her a couple times while you're gone, maybe give her some fresh food and water? My experience is that most cats prefer to stay in their familiar territory, but you know your cat best. 

post #3 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugarcatmom View Post

Do you have any friends or neighbours that could check in on her a couple times while you're gone, maybe give her some fresh food and water? My experience is that most cats prefer to stay in their familiar territory, but you know your cat best. 

yeah.gif
I would not leave her alone though..... I would have someone checking on her, at least once a day, twice a day would be ideal wavey.gif
post #4 of 13
Thread Starter 

Unfortunately, everyone that would be willing to do it is going home for Christmas as well, so she would be completely alone. 

post #5 of 13
How long a journey is it to your parents' house? Although I agree that a cat is usually happiest left at home, it is not a good idea to leave her alone for so long. Is she very attached to you in the sense that she sleeps with you, sits with you and generally knows you are her human? Is she unhappy when you are not around? Think about these questions and then maybe you can come to a decision.
post #6 of 13

Two Christmases ago I was in a very similar situation - at my mom's for 3 days, nobody around to look in on Holland, so I brought her with me. The car trip at that time was about an hour and a half. I'm pretty sure I had to pack more stuff for her than for myself... laughing02.gif I'm glad I took her, though, because otherwise I would have spent the holiday worrying. She stayed in a bedroom upstairs, and I checked in on her several times a day and slept in the room with her at night. The longest I've ever left her without having someone look in on her was one night and two days. I just don't think I could go longer than that.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide!

post #7 of 13

I wouldn't bring my cats home with me for christmas, but that is because I know they wouldn't handle traveling well, and they would be stressed out the entire time they were away from their home. If you are pretty sure Leiki won't cause problems or get super stressed out, then I think it would be best for you to bring her along. It is really tough on cats to be alone for that length of time otherwise.

post #8 of 13
Thread Starter 

The drive is only 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and white route I take, it's actually about the same amount of time that it takes to get to our vet, lol. 

 

She has become a lot more bonded to me in the past few months - she has always slept with me, but now she prefers to sleep ON my or right up near my chest, she will also come up to me for pets and hang out with me, which she never really did before. 

 

No one will really be at my parents house when I'm there, my sister and her kids (teenagers) are going to stop by for an hour or so on Christmas Eve, but they'll be downstairs with us and not upstairs. I will, obviously, still be sleeping in the room she'll be in and will go up and visit/play with her regularly. 

 

I don't know that she's unhappy when I'm not around, but it does take her a very long time to warm up to other people. It took her a few months to even let Mike or myself approach her without her running away, about 4 months for her to let us pet her and pick her up on a regular basis. It took her about 4 months to get used to people that came over regularly (friends), and she still prefers to hide if new people or people that she hasn't seen a lot come over. 

 

I don't think that she'll like the car ride much, but other than that I think she'll settle in fine as long as she's only in the one room (which she will be, my dad isn't even too fond of the idea of her coming at all, lol). 

post #9 of 13
I think it is the right decision to take her from what you say. I hope you both enjoy your holidays!
post #10 of 13

What we have found works well is to try to get someone to house sit for you. When we go away and can't take Cappy, the college age daughter of friends comes and stays in our home. Works well - because she loves Cappy, and it's nice for her to be on her own and away from home for a few days. Is there someone like that you can get?

 

Right now we are at my mother's home until next week, and brought our Cappy along - a two day drive in which we spent one night in a motel. For the first half hour, Cappy is unhappy in the car, but he usually settles pretty quickly. 

 

lin

post #11 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by Writerhall View Post

What we have found works well is to try to get someone to house sit for you. When we go away and can't take Cappy, the college age daughter of friends comes and stays in our home. Works well - because she loves Cappy, and it's nice for her to be on her own and away from home for a few days. Is there someone like that you can get?

Right now we are at my mother's home until next week, and brought our Cappy along - a two day drive in which we spent one night in a motel. For the first half hour, Cappy is unhappy in the car, but he usually settles pretty quickly. 

lin

I agree that this is probably the best solution for any cat, but at times like the Christmas holidays it is usually impossible. So traveling may be the next best thing.
post #12 of 13
Thread Starter 

We're leaving to go home in about 1/2 hour. I did bring her with me, it went pretty well. 

 

The drive there was annoying. I ended up blasting music so I didn't have to listen to "meow, meow, meow" and "whine, whine, whine" from the dogs or the cat the entire way, lol. When we got there I set her up in the bedroom with a litter box, food dish and some toys. She seemed pretty content the entire time. 

 

Unfortunately, holidays are pretty much the only time that I can't find someone to stop in and take care of her for me. All of my friends are either from out of town and live here now, or have family out of town and travel to see them. Everyone was going away while I was going to be gone as well - I guess that's what happens when everyone works retail and gets the same days off, lol. 

 

Overall it went well, I think the only part that stressed her was the car ride, but after that she was fine. Anytime we would go upstairs we'd see her paw sticking out from under the door, lol. My mom wanted so badly to let her out, but we knew that she would either knock the Christmas tree over, hide in the basement and we wouldn't be able to find her, or slip outside, so she stayed in the room. 

post #13 of 13
I am glad it went well, and you all enjoyed Christmas. Hope the ride home is not so stressful.
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