Vacation & the cat sitter

Hello,

I have two indoor / outdoor siblings.  fixed, 10 months old.  boy and a girl.

I'm going on vacation for one week.  

I call them in every evening for dinner (they come when I call their names for lunch & supper and also when I just want to check on them because I haven't seen them in a while.  I trained them well when they were younger before letting them outside.)

I did a test run recently where I came home hours after dark and had a friend try to get them in and feed them for the night.  The boy came in (he is very friendly and vocal to my friends) but the girl is very shy so she was too scared to come in.  She does not let others reach for her or pick her up (even my boyfriend - and we live together!  he even feeds them sometimes...).  She hung around the door area, hiding amongst the bushes and wouldn't come in, even though she was hungry...when i got back she came in when called and was happy to see me (extra affectionate).

I'm looking for advise for trying to help socialize her and get her to relax more with other people.  The boy will come over to check out a friend or will meow at them to say hello.  But the girl will just watch from a safe distance..  I need to leave town for one week but it is impractical to leave the cats inside for an entire week. 

Thanks in advance.  I have learned a lot from this site, this is my first time posting.

And for those of you who hold the opinion that cats should never go outside, save it because my cats are indoor / outdoor cats.  Period.

has anyone trained their cats to come home with the sound of a ringing bell?  ..that might be good for when you have a pet sitter... i'm really stressed about my kitties being safe and inside when i'm gone....does anyone have ideas?  thanks.

I am not sure about a bell.  I have seen Jackson Galaxy use clicker training on his tv show.  That might be something you could check out.  You can do a goggle search for My Cat From Hell Animal Planet.  There are videos on that website that may help you.  You also could check out Jackson Galaxy's website for tips. Perhaps someone here has actual experience with clicker training and could give you some ideas.

Is there any reason they can't be inside full time? Seems like it would be the easiest for a petsitter to keep track of them and feed them.

Some cats will just always be shy. In my experience, boys are generally the outgoing, affectionate type. Girls are more stand-offish. I have siblings and my male is basically like a dog and will run up to complete strangers and beg for pets. His sister is usually found under the bed when strangers come over. Even when it's just me, she'll run if I walk too heavy, or approach her too quickly. Yet the second I lay in bed at night or sit and watch tv, she's all over me licking my hands and wanting attention. It's the moving thing that she's a little unsure of. 

Paiger8, 

Thank for your thoughtful reply.  I live in a small space - it's 40ft by 8ft.  They are used to the front door being opened after I wake up and being called in for dinner just before it's too dark to see (I usually sit outside with them for an hour or so during this time because they become sooo much more active.  It's adorable, fun for me, and I like to try to wear them out.  Their favorite activity is chasing each other up the walnut and maple trees.).

I will put them inside if I have to leave for errands and no one else is home.  They have also been left inside for about 24hours before.  But for my week long trip I worry that it would be cruel to leave them cooped up inside the small space.  They were kept inside for the first two months I had them (beginning at 4 months old) but they were smaller and younger.  They have at least trippled in size since then.  (Though they are relatively small still, about 8 pounds or so each.)

One of their favorite things to do is to sprint with each other across all areas of the garden and yard.  It's an open area that's about 4 acres.  They usually stick closer to the house though.

They are "ranch kitties", but they are also our family members so I am trying to find the best solution for their wellbeing, which equates to my peace of mind.  I don't forsee having a good week away if I am worried about them and wanting a few daily updates, etc...

And Paiger8, you're exactly correct about these kitties personalities.  The time I left for an overnight trip the boy found the pet sitter in the middle of the day and started meowing to her, so she fed them breakfast.  She never saw the girl cat, save one time.  She girl just sat at the front door looking at her, too scared to come in to get dinner.   :/

If anyone has barn cats or indoor / outdoor cats I'd love to hear your strategies.

*Sorry I cannot figure out how to edit my post.  I meant that the boy found the pet sitter in the MORNING when he was hungry, meowed at her, and thus she fed them breakfast.  he is very out going when he wants food or lovin.

There is a pencil button on the bottom of the box on the right side.  You click on the pencil to edit your posts.