Cat Care Whilst Travelling?

[jolo84]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for some advice on cat care. I'm a teacher and I'd really like to go away during the long summer holidays for an extended trip to South America, However I'm worried about leaving my 2 cats.

I have a pet sitter who I trust who has taken care of them on weekends when I've been away but the trip I'm looking at would mean me being gone for 4-6 weeks which I feel is a really long time to leave them. I don't want them to be bored whilst I'm gone for such a long time but I know in general cats are happier in their own environments.

The other option is boarding them at a cattery, they've never been to a cattery before but I'd be willing to give it a trial run before the summer to see if they'd prefer it. They're indoor but they're quite nervous and they don't really like new people/places so I'm not convinced it would be right for them but could be worth a try if it means they'll get more attention.

Just wondered what other people thought and whether anyone else had taken an extended trip and had some advice.

TIA,

Jo

 

[happilyretired]

I have not taken trips longer than 2 weeks, but my cat (at the time) was a total love bug, and I didn't want to leave him with only sitter visits. My sitter is a neighbor, and although she works (I'm retired), she agreed to live in my house while I was gone. Keep in mind that the cat is stressed by any change in his/her schedule or environment, but it's best to minimize that stress as much as possible.

Is it possible you could get a house/cat sitter to replace you during your long trip?

I tried boarding my boy once because a new 'pet spa' opened up where he would have his own room, big picture window, etc., etc. It cost a fortune, but fortunately I tried him for just a weekend--and it was a disaster [details are too long]. Unless my cat needed to be boarded for medical reasons, I'd stay home before boarding a cat ever again.