Going on holiday

I am going on my honeymoon for 2 weeks in June, and already I am lying awake at night worrying about what to do with my 2 cats. We have a cat flap so I did think about just getting my mum to come and feed them a couple of times a day but then the cats would be lonely and would wonder what was going on, maybe even run away. I then thought about getting my sister to house sit for the 2 weeks and take care of the cats, but I wouldn't really trust ny sister in my house - she'd throw wild parties probably!!

The only other option I have is to put them in a cattery for the 2 weeks. But, i'm worried this will totally stress the cats out being in unfamiliar surroundings. I don't know what to do. Can anyone give me any advice?

That's why I haven't been on a vacation since I got my kitties!

I've been planning one though, and I think what I'm going to do is hire a pet sitter. They are usually good about spending some time with your animals and will even bring in the paper or mail. Maybe you could do this, and have your mom come over every now and then to play with them. I have gone on overnights or short weekends away, and I always leave tons of toys, boxes, and paperbags out to play with. I also put tvs and radios on softly in different parts of the house.

Good luck and congratulations!

When we go away for the weekend or a week, we hire someone to stay at our house. We don't have any relatives here, so that's not an option. The first place I looked is at the vets office. Sometimes the techs that work there like to make some extra money.

Hi Alicia,

I too was worried about putting my two cats in a cattery, but didn't have any other option.

I looked up all the local ones and went to visit them. I found one where the lady that owned it is a total and utter cat lover; she was a bit more expensive, but I felt really happy about leaving them with her and figured it was worth the extra money for peace of mind.

My boys were a bit wary at first, but they were sharing a unit and soon settled down together. Denise (the owner) goes and sits with them and cuddles them and just generally makes them feel like they're being spoiled (chicken or fish for dinner every night). They were happy to come home, but I know that when I take them back later this year, they really won't mind.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you spend some time checking out your local catteries, you may find one that is just as good. It's worth visiting them so you can see how they cats are looked after and also how happy/unhappy the cats are that are already there. You can also get to know the people that run it, which I felt helped me a lot when I had to leave mine.

Personally, I wouldn't be able to relax on holiday if the cats were just being fed by a neighbour; I'd always be worrying in case they ran away or something. At least when they're in a cattery, you know they are being constantly monitored.