Hello! In a few days I'm going on vacation for a week and my family has decided to leave my cat at the vet. I've only had him for 3 months. I'm also really worried that he would feel terrified and lonely at the boarding place and think that i abandoned him forever. Has anyone experienced this? Did your cats behaviour remained the same? How did your cat react when they saw you after several days?
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Im Boarding My Cat For 7 Days At The Vet? Worried?
- Thread starter kangbrian
- Start Date
I boarded for a week when Link was injured recently. I have also boarded for a week in the past when our house was being fumigated.
The older time, the only place I could find that would board cats was too far away for daily visits (my vet at the time didn't offer non-medical boarding). Both the cats lost weight during their boarding and seemed very withdrawn when I got them. I had gotten them a kennel large enough to stand in with three levels, a cat tree in the corner and a window they could look outside. When I got there they were in their carriers on the floor. Despite that, they both were fine within a few days of the boarding and there was no lasting change to them. A little grumpy for a day or two but I think they were more grateful to be home then anything else.
The recent one when Link was on a medical stay, he had broken his leg and they had to special order a piece of equipment for his surgery. Since my family was out of town, he'd have to be on kennel rest and I was working 12 hour days at the time I opted to board him. I stopped at the vet every day on my way home from work to visit with him. I brought him a bed and toy from home but he was in a small kennel for mobility restriction. Most days he would scoot out of the kennel and into my lap during the visit. The vet staff said he was grumpy but he usually is on pain medications. They also said he was very interested in whatever was going on in the room around him and frequently talked with people who came in. He also didn't seem to have any lasting impact from the stay and was grumpy for a day or two. But that first 48 hours he was home he was recovering from his surgery and still reacting to the medications.
The older time, the only place I could find that would board cats was too far away for daily visits (my vet at the time didn't offer non-medical boarding). Both the cats lost weight during their boarding and seemed very withdrawn when I got them. I had gotten them a kennel large enough to stand in with three levels, a cat tree in the corner and a window they could look outside. When I got there they were in their carriers on the floor. Despite that, they both were fine within a few days of the boarding and there was no lasting change to them. A little grumpy for a day or two but I think they were more grateful to be home then anything else.
The recent one when Link was on a medical stay, he had broken his leg and they had to special order a piece of equipment for his surgery. Since my family was out of town, he'd have to be on kennel rest and I was working 12 hour days at the time I opted to board him. I stopped at the vet every day on my way home from work to visit with him. I brought him a bed and toy from home but he was in a small kennel for mobility restriction. Most days he would scoot out of the kennel and into my lap during the visit. The vet staff said he was grumpy but he usually is on pain medications. They also said he was very interested in whatever was going on in the room around him and frequently talked with people who came in. He also didn't seem to have any lasting impact from the stay and was grumpy for a day or two. But that first 48 hours he was home he was recovering from his surgery and still reacting to the medications.
I have never boarded my cats when I went on vacation, but one of my cats had to be medically boarded (mobility restriction) for 5 days only a few months after I'd adopted him. The staff was great (specialized animal hospital with board-certified vets), and they gave me daily reports on how he was doing. He was fine when I brought him home.
In my experience, cats are like toddlers--extremely resilient.
In my experience, cats are like toddlers--extremely resilient.
Something to try, if the vet and his staff will permit it. Leave a item of clothing you've worn or a used pillowcase from your bed. The idea is to leave an item with your scent with your cat in his cage. When I tried it, I left a t-shirt in my cat's cage. On the next visit, I noticed someone had removed the shirt. So much for that idea.
I boarded my cats for five days this summer while I was on vacation. (I had tried to get a pet sitter but I couldn't find anyone who was able to handle Maisie's medical needs.) It... was not a positive experience, unfortunately. The cats were really scared and upset the whole time. I don't think it affected them in the long term, but in the short term it was pretty negative for them and I wouldn't repeat it. If at all possible I encourage pet sitting for cats instead of boarding.
I boarded my diabetic foster cat with my vet clinic while I went on vacation. She had just been recently diagnosed and needed her blood sugar monitored closely. It was a small clinic and after hours they let her explore which I was told she was happy to do. I could tell when I returned she had been lavished with attention and she came home very relaxed and happy.
This isn't relevant to the OPs situation, but although I keep my cats at home with a sitter when I go on vacation, I don't change my sheets before I leave, and I don't make the bed. Since my cat sleeps with me, I hope that having my scent there while I'm gone will be comforting.
