Leaving Kitten for 2 Nights: A Bad Idea?

So here's my predicament.

My husband has to go up to Northern Maine for work orientation this coming Monday and Tuesday (8 hours of orientation each day). It is a 3 1/2 hour drive both ways. If he stayed at home and drove it, this would mean he would have to get up at 2 or 3 every morning and drive up there and then drive home late at night just to go to sleep. I really don't want him to be driving so far on his own.

The problem is, I don't want to put Seth (who is 6 1/2 months old) through the stress of a long trip and a 2 night stay in a weird hotel. I have no clue how she will react to a hotel, and I'm also worried that she will freak out the whole time we are there and keep us awake.

On the other hand, if I leave her at home, she will get upset with me for not being home and pitch a fit when I get home. (I was gone for 8 hours for holiday shopping on Monday and she resorted to biting and thumping me several times the next day when I tried to pet her).

So, I feel like I'm in a lose-lose situation. I just want everyone to be happy, but I have no clue what to do.

Hm....I wouldn't leave her alone, since she seems to get stressed out about it.

Do you have to go with your husband? Maybe you could stay home with kitty.

Otherwise, is there someone who can catsit for you?

What I find people in my office commonly do is call in favors with each other. Its easy to leave a cat for a while as you can leave out plenty of food and they have their litter box. If you can have someone go by once a day to check on the kitty, scoop the box, and play with him for a little bit he should be fine.

All kitties get a little mad at you when you return but after a while this will melt off and they will be so excited that your back!

I'm going away for 4 nights at new year and my neighbour is going in twice a day to check on Rosie and Sophie for their food, water, litter etc....and i'll be ringing him every night to make sure their safe in their room (guest room).

Can you not do something like me?!

I don't have any friends or family in my area, and I don't really know or trust any of my neighbors. I don't work, so I don't have any work connections either. As for catsitting, that wouldn't really work out because our apartment complex is locked off and pretty strict about letting in strangers.

I would stay home with Seth on my own, but my husband and I never sleep apart. In the 7 years that we've been a couple, we've never spent the night apart..and we never plan on it.

can you ask at your vets? some offer animal sitting services.

Originally Posted by maverick_kitten

can you ask at your vets? some offer animal sitting services.

Click to expand...

Thats what I was going to suggest too, are there any pet sitting places that you could take him for the 2 days?

I'm searching around for a place that does petsitting, but shouldn't I be worried about her catching something from other animals? Like getting sick?

That is sweet that you haven't spent a night apart. Me and Mark had barely spent a night apart either until we got Sleeves, if he went away I went to and Vice Versa but now leaving the cats is not an option. Wouldnt you go a little stir crazy if you had nobody to talk to for 2 days and just had the walls for company?
If you can get the cat sitter thing that would be a great thing for Seth

Professional petsitters usually come to your home and take care of them.

Has your cat ever travelled before (other then to the vet?). Mine actually enjoyed trips and hotels (most of them; had a few that didn't).

Maybe test him out by taking him for a car ride for about 1/2 hour and see what he does.

She has only travelled twice. Once when we brought her home, and once to the vet.. The first trip was about a 45 minute drive and she threw up a big meal (I guess they fed her right before we picked her up). The trip to the vet was about 10 minutes; she was in her carrier on my lap, and she did just fine.

We are discussing getting a hotel at the halfway point and just bringing her along.

The boarding at the vet option is a little more complicated than I thought. She would have to go in before noon on Saturday and end up staying until Wednesday morning! That's too long to be away from my little girl!

Thats a good idea for a half way hotel. It will probably be hard work with the car journey but you could try keeping her up playing for a long time before so she's really tired and (fingers crossed) sleeps a lot of the way?
I like that idea though

She's usually an afternoon napper, so maybe we can travel up there around her nap time. I'll be sure to wear her out beforehand!

Now for finding a hotel in Portland, Maine that's not too expensive!

From having travelled (unavoidably) with many cats over many years, I can only tell you that you'll have a very miserable and VERY noisy cat in the car the whole time, though yrs ago vets used to give Valium to cats for long drives... sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, and they're reluctant to prescribe things these days, but check with your vet. Personally I'd stay home with her... it's not like you're with another man, and believe me you've gotten away lucky for 7 yrs, because there will be all kinds of times you'll need to separate in future to travel, and this seems as good a time to start.

Sorry, it's a promise between us to not be separated, even if we will be miserable for two nights. It has nothing to do with either of us not trusting the other. And we haven't been lucky--we've just made the choice to avoid it whenever it comes up.

I think if you take her she'll be ok if you give her extra attention in the room, she should be ok. just bring things she's familiar with like her toys and her bed if she has one, things that have her secent to remind her of home. i did this a few times with my cat and everything worked out, Kitty was sniffing everything and was facinated by the new place