Traveling for Christmas.

Hello, just wanted to ask your opinion. I am going away for the holliday for 10 days and I am trying to figure out what to do with my cats. I would like to take them with me but it's really expansive, the airline charges $75 per cat each way, which makes it $300 just for the air travel. Cat boarding is just about the same. My other option, if I don't want to pay an arm and a leg, is hire a cat sitter to visit (at least they charge per visit, not per cat). But then I'll have practically a stranger going to my house, which I don't know if it is safe.

My questions are, does anybody know a more economical way of dealing with it? are cat sitting services safe? has anybody been in a similiar situation and what was your experience like? (with boarding or pet services) Anything you could suggest will be appreciated.

Do you have any friends or a co-worker that you trust enough to drop in and feed/water and spend some time with your cats? That would be my first choice under those circumstances.

Naturally, a cat lover would be your best bet!

Yeah, that would definetly be my first choice, but unfortunately I can't think of anyone that I could ask that. People that I would trust with that kind of thing are either going away for the hollidays themselves or live too far away from me. I will try that, of course, but what if I can't find anyone... Need some plan B. I was just wondering what other people's experiences are with boarding and/or transporting/shipping cats.

I always drive when I go away and take Oliver with me, but if you have to fly and it's almost the same as to board them, I'd personally take them with me.... although it will be stressful, at least they'll be with you - they'll be just as stressed in a strange boarding place and wont even have the comfort of your face and voice... just my personal opinion as to what I'd do in that situation... but definitely check all your nearby friends and relatives first! I pet sit occasionally and I know that people can be weary of it at first, but I now have great relationships with my clients (do any of your nearby friends/relatives have pet sitters they use or someone they trust VERY much that they could suggest? Just another thought)

Good luck and let us know what you decide and how it goes!

The only people ever to watch my cats were my mom or sister. I don't trust anyone with them! and I couldn't even stay away long enough because I missed and had to come home we were suppose to be gone for a week and ended up staying 3 days only..lol

I don't like boarding places and prefer them at home.. sure you can't think of anyone you trust?

Goodluck!

We used a petsitter twice successfullly. We found them on an International Pet Sitters Association website. She came down to meet the cats and for us to meet her. I trusted her, my cat liked her, so that's what we did. She called me the first day or two to give me updates on Seamus. She did break something, but that was sort of my fault since the closet where I keep some cat toys was precariously loaded with stuff.

but this Christmas, we're taking the boys with us. It is expensive to fly. United is $80 a cat. Delta's a better deal at $50/cat. I don't know if you're flying alone, but you can (usually) only carry on one pet per person.

I prefer cat boarding catteries to the home services. JMO.

Yeah flying Alaska will be $75 per cat regardless of where I carry them, so it will come out to $300 total just to transport them. So that's out of question, not worth it.

I have arranged for them to stay with my co worker's mother in law. She is a cat lover and has 2 kittens of her own, about the same age as mine. So I'm thinking, after a couple of days of adjustment, they'll have a good time.

I arranged for one of my mom's friends to meet a couple of kittens we "rescued" for her. She took the two sisters home. They had to go away for a weekend & her nieghbors are idiots, so they came to play at my house. Twitch got to be upstairs all day & these two got to be downstaris all day. They slept pressed up against my bedroom door all night in hopes of getting in. Twitch would've hated that. You're right. After a couple of days of adjustment, they get along fine.

Don't worry about them too much!(good luck not worrying, too!)

Hello! I agree with you about not feeling all that comfortable with letting a stranger into your home to pet sit your cat! Abbigail is a senior and very set in her ways, does not take to boarding at all...just to give you a hint, the one time she was very sick with some kind of flu or virus, the hospital wanted her to be home with me b/c she would do better there..she would hiss at them...anyways, she did get alot better at home....anyways, the vet advised to me that she will be just fine at home while we are gone and the vet office informed me that a lot of cats that are left in boarding don't eat while there b/c of the stress of it all. Being single until just this year, Abby is very used to being by herself while I'm gone so it isn't anything new to her. I'm sure you guys will do what is best for you!