Traveling for two weeks. What to do with cats?

[WaryEri]

Seems I get most of my money's worth out of this board on pet questions. Here I go again.


Spouse and I have three cats (was a dog several months ago, but for various reasons he's moved away to a house with his own Boy). We also have family in Eastern Canada, with whom we'd like to spend Christmas and New Years. We haven't been living in our current city all that long, and we don't know anyone here we'd trust to feed and check on them for such a long period. Our nearest trust-with-the-cats friends are an hour away, and because of the senior cat's diet requirements, he needs to be fed once a day (wet food, doesn't keep).

We're looking into boarding and pet sitting as possible options. I'm worried that boarding would be bad for the senior cat, who can be delicate when stressed. And he doesn't travel well. In fact, he's pretty much the entire reason this is so complecated. The other two are much younger, dumber, and actually like eachother, so they're alot more self sufficient. A bucket of catfood and water and a check in every few days would probably get them by okay. But the old guy has to be accounted for.


I'm looking for options I've missed and anecdotes, pretty much. Anyone try pet sitters for more than a week? What about boarding services? How did it work out? Any advice on determinging good ones? What should I look for to make sure we don't come home to this?

[even sven]

Don't they sell little dishes on a timer that can be chilled to keep wet food edible and hold several day's worth?

[WaryEri]

I didn't even bther looking for wet-food dispenser. Thinking along the lines of dry foods dispensers, I assumed they could not exist. But dang!

Thank you. That opens up our options quite a bit.

[kittenblue]

My neighbor goes away almost every weekend, and she has a pet-sitting service come in and feed/walk the dogs and the cat (well, the cat doesn't get walked). The girl comes over about three times a day because of the dogs...I'm sure it would be cheaper with just cats since only one trip a day would be needed.

[Winston Smith]

I wouldn't do anything special. Cats are clever, and I'm sure they'll be fine.

~Winston (Cat Hater)

[kanicbird]

I wouldn't do anything special. Cats are clever, and I'm sure they'll be fine.

very clever, I knew one who knew how to defete the self feeder, which means he could have deactivated it instead. Best way is to have someone stop in to check. Also some cats will self regulate their food, so you can leave it in one big bowl.

You may also considering bringing the cat w/ you, some hotels allow travel w/ pets (though they expect dogs).

[SnakesCatLady]

I cat sit for people going out of town - feeding, watering, cleaning litter boxes, brushing, medicating - whatever the cats need. Check with your vet - they may be able to recommend a good sitter. Boarding is ok for some cats, but some don't do well at all, especially if the place where they are boarded also takes dogs. Kennels with dogs are almost never quiet, which can be very stressful to cats.

[LionelHutz405]

Keep in mind that you should have someone checking on the house anyway. Most insurance policies require this, and it’s a good idea anyway. So you might as well hire a cat sitter who can check on the house at the same time. (A small plumbing leak can be a major disaster if nobody notices for days.)

[Missy2U]

My mom travels extensively and has a cat - she has someone come in daily and check the cat and the house (as Lionel mentioned).

[lizardling]

When I go on Xmas vacation, I get a pet sitter to come in every other day and clean the box, give the cats and the hedgehog food. Worked pretty well so far -- she plays with them and makes sure the flat's OK.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

For our last trip we hired a cat sitter to come and stay with them 24/7. She charged $75/day (FWIW).

[Doug Bowe]

FWIW every December I board the cats at the vet. But they're not just boarded. There's a vet handy...let's go to town.
Rabies, feline parvo, feline leukemia. Every other year lets clean teeth.
Call it one-stop shopping.

[Odinoneeye]

My parents often leave their cat for two or three weeks at a time.

Either my brother or I stop in every few days and make sure she has food and give her a little attention.

But of course, they've been doing that her whole life and she's used to it. You're old cat might get severely stressed.

I guess I would see if a good friend (hopefully one the cat knows) could come in once a day and see to it's needs.

[Q.N. Jones]

I think pet sitters are worth every dime. If I'm away for more than a few days, I get one. Usually they cost me about $15 per day for a 30 minute visit. They check the food and water bowls, fill the bird feeders, clean the litter box, and play with the cats. My cats are very social, so they get upset if they're without people for too long. They also pick up my mail, keep an eye out for maintenance emergencies, etc.

[Jennshark]

I've always hired a cat/dog/housesitter, and always a college student or very responsible high school daughter-of-friend for about $20 a day. It gives me great peace of mind to know that my furry ones are safe and sound in their own home and that the house is being looked after.