what do you guys do for vacations?

[terestrife]

i know this is all about personal choice, and everyones experience is different. 

anyway, i havent taken a vacation ever since i adopted kitty 5 years ago. Partly because i dont want to leave her in a pet hotel, or with family, and partly because i am broke. XD

the only time i had to leave my cat was about 2-3 years ago. i had to have my gallbladder removed and spent 5 days in the hospital. my poor baby spent the entire time meowing in my room, and it got to the point that she refused to eat. i even had to talk to her on the phone because she was so sad. i could hear her little meows on the phone. worst of all, when i got home she didnt even have any water on her bowl.

i had left her in my house with my family (sister in law, and oldest niece) watching her. my mom was with me in the hospital. of course, when i got home, she ignored me until the next day, because she was offended. 

i want to start saving up to see if i can go on a trip in the end of the year, but im not sure what to do. i personally would never leave her with a stranger, its just my own personal opinion. i know it works for many people.

theres only one person i trust with my cat 100%, and thats my mom. And i want to take my mom on the trip. lol 

so, there are really only two options i could take.

1) take kitty with me, but kitty hates cars. it would be 3 hours to get to orlando (we want to go to disney). and just stay at a rented home that allows pets.

2) theres another person i trust somewhat with my cat, and thats my youngest niece. this year she adopted her own cat. but this involves leaving her at my sisters house, or making my niece stay over. she would have to bring her cat, and we would have to introduce her cat to the two cats here, and the dog (american bulldog).

i feel so torn, i badly need a vacation. but i hate the thought of leaving my baby. im the person shes closest to. my mom helps me feed her sometimes, but she wont let her touch her, and comes running to me for affection.

Sorry for the long post, its something i've been thinking about for awhile now. 

 

[boney girl dad]

My wife and I usually take separate vacations. We did take one together in 2013 for 2 weeks. I hired a young lady (daughter of coworker) to come over every 2 days while we were gone. We are out in the country and most folks out here have animals. Her mom and dad drove her here, so she was somewhat supervised. It worked out really well and the young lady made good easy money. I thought about the kitties while gone, but did not really worry. Boney Girl did have a hoarse voice upon our return, so of course I felt bad that she had been crying for me. Xena does not know the difference between 5 minutes and 2 weeks. She just greeted us as usual. 

Sure hope you come up with a comfortable solution.

 

[terestrife]

 
My wife and I usually take separate vacations. We did take one together in 2013 for 2 weeks. I hired a young lady (daughter of coworker) to come over every 2 days while we were gone. We are out in the country and most folks out here have animals. Her mom and dad drove her here, so she was somewhat supervised. It worked out really well and the young lady made good easy money. I thought about the kitties while gone, but did not really worry. Boney Girl did have a hoarse voice upon our return, so of course I felt bad that she had been crying for me. Xena does not know the difference between 5 minutes and 2 weeks. She just greeted us as usual. 

Sure hope you come up with a comfortable solution

thanks for the help =)

ive told my mom that we could just go on vacation separately, but she is stubborn and refuses to go without me. she wont go when our siblings invite her. she needs the vacation more than me, ive told her to go with them, so i can go on my own later. but she refuses. 

 

[molly92]

Would you feel comfortable asking around at the vet you go to if any of the vet techs do pet sitting on the side? It's pretty common, and they're more well-versed in animal health than the average pet sitter should anything happen. You can start off before you go having the vet tech come a couple times when you're at work or out of the house to visit, so your kitty learns that even though this stranger is here taken care of her at the moment, you will be coming back.

Cats usually do best with as little change as possible, so leaving her in her own home with familiar surroundings and having someone come visit a few times a day would probably be the least stressful option for her.

 

[DreamerRose]

There's a website, Pet Sitters, that has people listed who will pet sit. @Donutte  has signed up for this and can tell you more about. Most people do just hire someone in the neighborhood to come in, feed, and scoop litter while pet parents are away. Your vet may also board, but it may be expensive.

 

[donutte]

Sittercity.com is the website. Where are you located btw? I'm in the process of setting my business up, which means I've been talking to a lot of folks that have been doing sitting for a living for awhile now. I can reach out to them. Most won't lower prices unfortunately but at least you'd know your kitty is taken care of. And you could see who has the best price.

There is a site that let's you pay to basically get a free sitter. Someone had posted about it today, so not sure what it is or how much sitters are vetted on that one, however.

 

[tabbytom]

We went for two vacations, 6 days each in June, left on a Monday and came back on Saturday and again left the next Monday for another 6 days. My boy knows that we are going out by our dressing, that's for normal days.
Our vacations were planned way ahead before the rescue of my dear boy. So we left with a heavy heart and we could not cancel the hotel bookings and flights. So we have to go ahead with the holidays.
We did not want to leave him at a boarding house because we know he won't get use to it and also did not want to leave him at the vet because it's a taboo place for him and also with all the barking of dogs, I don't think he will be well staying there. So we decided to leave him at home and have people come over to feed him and clear his litter box.
So we left for our 1st break and we had some friends to come over to feed him and clear his litter box. Everyday they sent us photos of him and boy, the look on his face was so stressed out. Think he must be wondering where we were and why someone else is feeding him and he eats 3 times a day. In the beginning, he refuse to eat his food and they have to leave it there and leave the house and come back later.
And he was so weary of those that come to feed him. When we came back on Saturday after the 1st round, he was so happy to see us and begging us to carry him and he was running all over the house with joy. But Saturday to Monday was only two days away and we have to leave for the second leg of the vacation. On Monday, he saw us dressed up with our luggage in tow, on his mind is, 'What? Going off again?'
So we left and this time round was done by a different friend. Again, photos and videos were sent to us and this time round, my boy looked tired and really stressed. It really shows on his face. So in actual fact, we did not really enjoyed our vacation.
On our return on Saturday, of cause he was again very happy to see us but the next day his look is like are we leaving again and leaving him home alone again? So we showered him with lots of love and talked to him and give him the assurance that we are not going to leave him alone again.
So, I'll not be taking anymore vacations so that I can spend time with him. I don't want him to have this separation anxiety and stressed him out again.
Nothing beats having his personal slave to look after him. Partly he was a rescued abandoned kitten and I think he is still going through post trauma stare which I hope he'll get over it quick. After his rescue and leaving with us for only four months and we disappeared for two weeks, sure give him lots of stress.
Unless if you have other family members that have been leaving with you all this while, think it shouldn't be a problem leaving your cat at home as they are already familiar with them.

 

[sunoersea]

For our annual vacation, we are having a close friend live in our home while we are away. His responsibilities are scooping litter, feeding, playing, daily grooming, and monitoring our baby. We trust him implicitly and would never let a stranger or even an acquaintance with our girl. I wouldn't deprive yourself or your mother of time away, especially when it's needed, but I wouldn't leave my cat with a stranger.

Our girl will be a show cat, which means she's accustomed to travel. For our adventures, we pack a pet tent (we use the 2 door oxford pet playpen; the 56"), medical pads (4), her litter pan and litter, her food, toys, and carrier. We set up the pet tent in the hotel room, which keeps her safe and use the medical pads for a mess-free and risk reduced environment. We strap her in the passenger seat or she stays on one of our laps in the back seat. Taking the kitty with you may be your best bet if you can't find someone you trust implicitly!

I would shy away from boarding or leaving her with people you don't know. Taking our girl with us saves our budget as well as gives her experience in new environments and gives us peace of mind!

Best of luck,

Beth

 

[donutte]

For our annual vacation, we are having a close friend live in our home while we are away. His responsibilities are scooping litter, feeding, playing, daily grooming, and monitoring our baby. We trust him implicitly and would never let a stranger or even an acquaintance with our girl. I wouldn't deprive yourself or your mother of time away, especially when it's needed, but I wouldn't leave my cat with a stranger.

Our girl will be a show cat, which means she's accustomed to travel. For our adventures, we pack a pet tent (we use the 2 door oxford pet playpen; the 56"), medical pads (4), her litter pan and litter, her food, toys, and carrier. We set up the pet tent in the hotel room, which keeps her safe and use the medical pads for a mess-free and risk reduced environment. We strap her in the passenger seat or she stays on one of our laps in the back seat. Taking the kitty with you may be your best bet if you can't find someone you trust implicitly!

I would shy away from boarding or leaving her with people you don't know. Taking our girl with us saves our budget as well as gives her experience in new environments and gives us peace of mind!

Best of luck,
Beth

I'm a sitter, and agree that boarding can be very stressful, which is why I do not do it. Apparently most cat-only sitters board for the most part, but I prefer to go to the people's homes. Some folks are new to the area so don't have someone to look after their babies (which is the case with my first client).

Definitely want whoever you have sitting for you to spend some time with the kitty, playing, giving love, making sure they are not stressed. It's not just about feeding, watering, and scooping litter. And for what it's worth, it's amazing what a toy on a string does to make a cat not so stressed out.

 

[jcat]

A professional pet sitter comes twice a day to take care of Mogli when we go away (usually for 8 days). She feeds him, gives him fresh water, cleans the litter box and plays with him for half an hour. "Status reports" are via Facebook or text message.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have a young woman stay at the house.  I used to have my friend's younger sister because she lived close by.  But after we moved it was too far for her so I asked a young woman from church who was still living at home.  She has her own place now; but still stays here when we travel. She gets some extra money and it gives me peace of mind. She is responsible for giving the girls their meds and all the other usual cat duties and she also collects the mail, waters the garden and flowers if needed and takes the trash cans to the street.  

 

[foxxycat]

we bring our girls with us but we rent the same place. They stay with us and seem happy. They love sleeping on the bed with us. One time we had a neighbor come over but Pumps hid and would NOT come out. She knows how to hide WELL. We decided to stick to the same rental. We usually look for pet happy rentals in areas where no traffic and no big hotels. We are on the end of a 3 miles road and second to last house. We got lucky. Found it on craigslist 7 years ago. Not sure how I would feel renting from people nowadays but I have better luck renting from older folks-they seem easiest to deal with .

 

[donutte]

If you DO decide to go with a professional cat sitter, but all means, you can ask them if they'd be willing to come over a couple of times just so you can get to know them a bit better and how they would be with your pets. One of the things owners definitely look at with us is how the cat behaves. Does it run and hide, or does it get all lovey dovey? My own cat Oliver runs for no reason whatsoever, so I could never go by his reaction. But you know your cats best and their reactions.

If you go with a friend or family member, it will help to document everything that needs to be done, and when. Have them check off each thing as they do it. It sounds silly, but I know when I was sitting for my sister, it helped considerably, since she had a bunch of dogs with different needs. Some couldn't go out at the same time as others, etc. And, make sure they know where all food bowls, water bowls/fountains, and litter boxes are. My sister-in-law watched her friend's cat while she was on vacation, but neglected the second litter box because it was never shown to her. She was told where it was, but the visual wasn't there so it was quickly forgotten.

 

[hellomisskitty]

I have a good friend come and stay with Kitty when I go on vacation. It's always the same friend so they are good buddies by now and I know Camille loves my girl almost as much as I do and treats her like gold (evidenced by a super happy cat when I get home). She is a very diligent person who follows my instructions to the letter and she is volunteer at our local humane society so is savvy with felines. I lucked out that she and my girl get along so well.
Since we are friends rather than make things awkward by the giving/receiving of money, I always leave her a gift card from a favorite store or restaurant and always bring a treat from wherever I have been as a thank you.
One thing that I do that helps me to not forget to convey any important information to my friend is to keep an ongoing document on my computer that I can easily edit before each trip. It has house specifics, best places to eat/shop in my neighborhood, contact information as well as cat instructions. All the basics are there so minimal information needs to be tweaked.
I also let my vet know I'm out of town and give them Camille's name and contact information as well as my out of town contact information. I also complete my vet's authorization for Camille so there are no issues if Kitty were to need to see the vet while I'm out of town.

 

[caitini]

There is a site that let's you pay to basically get a free sitter. Someone had posted about it today, so not sure what it is or how much sitters are vetted on that one, however.

Trustedhousesitters.com.  It's like AirBnB but instead of the person paying you to stay in your house, they look after your pets.  They don't vet the sitters themselves (although there is the option for them to get police vetting), but there are reviews and you can ask for references, etc.

I'm going away today and using it for the first time. Previously I'd either just paid someone to come in once a day (for short trips), or used the kennel at the vet's for a long trip, but that gets so expensive and it is harder for them.  I don't have any family around so this just seems the best option. I'll let you all know how it works out

 

[terestrife]

 
For our annual vacation, we are having a close friend live in our home while we are away. His responsibilities are scooping litter, feeding, playing, daily grooming, and monitoring our baby. We trust him implicitly and would never let a stranger or even an acquaintance with our girl. I wouldn't deprive yourself or your mother of time away, especially when it's needed, but I wouldn't leave my cat with a stranger.

Our girl will be a show cat, which means she's accustomed to travel. For our adventures, we pack a pet tent (we use the 2 door oxford pet playpen; the 56"), medical pads (4), her litter pan and litter, her food, toys, and carrier. We set up the pet tent in the hotel room, which keeps her safe and use the medical pads for a mess-free and risk reduced environment. We strap her in the passenger seat or she stays on one of our laps in the back seat. Taking the kitty with you may be your best bet if you can't find someone you trust implicitly!

I would shy away from boarding or leaving her with people you don't know. Taking our girl with us saves our budget as well as gives her experience in new environments and gives us peace of mind!

Best of luck,

Beth

thanks! you expressed the way i was feeling better than i did. 

 i love the idea of a kitty going to experience new places. lol

thanks everyone for the help! =)

I have a good friend come and stay with Kitty when I go on vacation. It's always the same friend so they are good buddies by now and I know Camille loves my girl almost as much as I do and treats her like gold (evidenced by a super happy cat when I get home). She is a very diligent person who follows my instructions to the letter and she is volunteer at our local humane society so is savvy with felines. I lucked out that she and my girl get along so well.
Since we are friends rather than make things awkward by the giving/receiving of money, I always leave her a gift card from a favorite store or restaurant and always bring a treat from wherever I have been as a thank you.
One thing that I do that helps me to not forget to convey any important information to my friend is to keep an ongoing document on my computer that I can easily edit before each trip. It has house specifics, best places to eat/shop in my neighborhood, contact information as well as cat instructions. All the basics are there so minimal information needs to be tweaked.
I also let my vet know I'm out of town and give them Camille's name and contact information as well as my out of town contact information. I also complete my vet's authorization for Camille so there are no issues if Kitty were to need to see the vet while I'm out of town.

thanks for the info! i never thought about letting a vet know about who is watching my pet. i also like the idea of the printed document.

 

[neely]

We are typical doting pet parents who like yourself hesitate going on vacation because we worry so much about our furbabies.  Many years ago our vet told us it is best for animals to stay in their own environment especially cats because they are territorial.  We looked into different options and got recommendations for a pet sitter who lives right in our own neighborhood.  She was very professional and made a good impression.  That was approx. 9 yrs. ago and we couldn't be happier.  She will stay overnight or come as many times as we request.  She will also medicate and not charge extra. I leave detailed instructions, usually 2 pages long as well as the address and phone number of a close friend who lives nearby.  She is familiar with our vet's location in case of emergency.  She calls or texts every day while we are gone.  I know it's not easy to leave our pets, they are a part of our family but with the right person it can work. I wish you the very best of luck.

 

[terestrife]

 
We are typical doting pet parents who like yourself hesitate going on vacation because we worry so much about our furbabies.  Many years ago our vet told us it is best for animals to stay in their own environment especially cats because they are territorial.  We looked into different options and got recommendations for a pet sitter who lives right in our own neighborhood.  She was very professional and made a good impression.  That was approx. 9 yrs. ago and we couldn't be happier.  She will stay overnight or come as many times as we request.  She will also medicate and not charge extra. I leave detailed instructions, usually 2 pages long as well as the address and phone number of a close friend who lives nearby.  She is familiar with our vet's location in case of emergency.  She calls or texts every day while we are gone.  I know it's not easy to leave our pets, they are a part of our family but with the right person it can work. I wish you the very best of luck.

thank you! im glad to know its possible to find someone trustworthy and for it to last for so many years =)

 

[neely]

You're welcome, I hope things work out and you are able to enjoy a nice vacation too.

 

[catlover73]

I am going on vacation in September for 9 days. I have one friend that regularly cat sits for me we travel. My cats know her and 3 of the four come to her for cuddles. She is also taking care of her elderly mother and working full-time. She works from home. She would be the one to make the call if vet care were needed.

Another friend that my cats are familiar with is going to co-cat sit for this trip. He is more of a dog person but my he is comfortable with my cats. He will spend time giving my cats attention. My friends do know each other and will communicate with each other. By having two people I can make sure they get daily visits. Also my cat Statbuck has let Mark see her and even pet her. Starbuck hides from my regular cat sitter and anyone else who comes over. My friend who normally cat sits will scoop out the litter boxes every other day. My other friend would take care of the cat box if he needs to. Both will be authorized for vet care. My regular cat sitter would more likely deal any issues though since she has a lot more cat knowledge. My other friend works an e-bay business from home so he can set his own hours.

We used this set-up years ago when we had seniors that needed to be fed wet food 2x a day on a schedule. He fed them in the morning and she fed them at night. They communicated to make sure it happened. We were gone for the same amoun of time then,