Cat sitter vs. Boarding

[paperwaffle]

Hi all,

I'm going on a week-long vacation in January, and I'm starting to ponder my options for my kitty while I'm gone. I have at least 3 friends who are cat lovers and would be more than happy to check in on her once a day. The advantages there are: cheaper, could bring in the mail while they're there, would be less disruptive to the cat if she gets to stay in her own home.

However, I'm also considering boarding her instead. Normally I would think this is unnecessary for a cat, but I do wonder if she'd be happier that way; she's not afraid of new places and she loves human attention, so if I board her she might feel less alone/abandoned.

Thoughts? If I go with a sitter, how much should I pay her? My cat doesn't require any special care, so it'd just be ensuring the autofeeder is working, refilling water, scooping litter, and playing with her for a bit.

 

[fhicat]

I think it entirely depends on you, since you know your cat best. If she likes new places, then boarding her likely won't stress her as much. Does she mind being left alone for a time? If she is at home, she will only get to see humans a few times a day. If she's okay with that, I think there's not much point in boarding her. It's only going to be a week, and there are financial advantages to keeping her at home.

 

[paperwaffle]

She is not a big fan of being alone, no. I work from home so she's used to having at least me around most of the time. If we go out and leave for a few hours she does fine (doesn't scratch things or pee everywhere or anything like that), but she gives us an earful when we walk back in the door. She's very social in general and tends to follow us around the house.

I'm still leaning towards cat sitter for all the other advantages, but this one thing is making me hesitate a bit.

 

[red top rescue]

You did not mention where you planned to board her, but I would suggest not boarding her at an animal hospital.  For one thing, the sounds or other animals who are in pain or coming out of anesthesia can be extremely upsetting, and for another thing, she could be exposed to diseases that she would not encounter if left at home.  If you were planning on boarding her at a special cat boarding facility where they have kitty TV and runs etc., that might be fine, but in general, leaving her at home in her normal surroundings and having someone come in once or twice a day (depends on how many friends you have who would like to visit her) is usually better.  I used to do pet sitting professionally and still sit for one of my original clients because her cat does not like strangers.  She leaves the TV on for him, and when I come I spend about an hour, playing with him, brushing him and taking care of the food & litter obviously -- and after about an hour, he's done playing and just wants to curl up at which point I leave.  She pays me $20 a visit because it is a half hour drive each way, so that;s like $10 an hour, and I'm quite happy with that.

 

[paperwaffle]

Ah, that is a great point about the animal hospital that I hadn't considered. I was indeed thinking of boarding her at our vet's because I like them a lot, but the stressful noises and potential for diseases are great reasons to avoid it.

Thanks for listing your rates as well! Very helpful. The friend I have in mind lives very close by, so if I go with the sitter option I may bump the pay down to ~$15/visit and bring her a nice gift from my trip (Hawaii, wooo!!).

 

[red top rescue]

Hawaii is wonderful-- enjoy!!  (I got to go once, a 60th birthday present from a good friend.)

 

[paperwaffle]

Thanks!! My job doesn't offer any vacation time, so after a couple years being incredibly stingy with my days off I decided a splurge was in order. I'm pretty excited!

 

[catgirl12]

i HIGHLY suggest that you board your cat.they can groom her and everything,and if your furry friend has a medical issue than they can take care of that fully.