# In-home sitting or cat boarding



## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

I'm leaving for a trip later this summer - this will be the first time I will be away from my cats for an extended period of time 

Unfortunately, I don't have any friends or family who live close by that I would trust the care of my cats with. So for those of you who are in a similar position, I'd like to know which is better for the cats? Leaving the cats in my home and have a pet-sitter visit daily? Or cat-boarding? 

The costs are comparable between both, so I'm open to either, but I'm leaning towards cat boarding. In-home sitting has the advantage of my cats staying in a familiar setting, but I'm worried that they won't get enough interaction. One, even two visits @ 15-30 minutes each would mean the cats are alone for 23+ hours a day. I'm thinking my cats would go stir-crazy. And what if my cats door-dash during one of the visits?

Cat-boarding would mean a little more stress and a period of adjustment, but I like the idea that they will be monitored during the day.

What do you all think?


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

I used a cat sitting service when I went on vacation for 10 days overseas. They came once a day to feed them, clean box, then play with the cats. They sent me pics and updates almost every day. Since I had two cats, I figured they'd keep each other company the rest of the time, and I think they did! The sitters were great with the cats, knew what to do (blocking doors when opening with their bags, etc) and covered in detail the cats' preferences, tendencies, vet and emergency contact info, and everything else. They also brought up my mail. 

The cats seemed happy and healthy when I came home. I believe they were very well taken care of. I have never tried boarding, so I am not sure how that works. I'd hesitate to bring my cats to other places because they get very stressed.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Depends on how long you will be leaving. If it's only a couple of weeks, I think a cat sitter fits best. No need to stress your cats for that short period. My cats are both very social and crave for human attentions, and they both did well when I left them alone for a few weeks (with a sitter coming in once a day). 

If you will be gone for a month or so, maybe it's better to get a boarding service. However, I don't like the idea of a cat hotel, where they live in a very small space and can only go out a few hours a day. It's too uncomfortable and stressful, and with so many cats under the same roof, it's easy to catch disease. Last winter I left for a month, and I managed to find a coworker to take in my cats. My Meatball was really stressed for the first few days, but after that they just settled in nicely.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I held off on vacationing for SO long because I didn't want to leave MowMOw (I figured Book would handle things just fine, but MowMow is *SUCH* a Mama's boy).

I finally went home for 5 or 6 days over this last Christmas and interviewed petsitters. I found 3 (I think..) in my area and had they all stop by. I had a list of questions, asked for references, and observed how they were with the cats while they were there.

The cats disliked one completely. My guys are very social so when they didn't want to interact with her that knocked her right out of the running. There was obviously something wrong with her.

The second they liked OK but she seemed kind of ....skeevy to me. I couldn't put my finger on it because she was very organized and seemed nice... I just didn't like her.

The third was a major winner. The boys adored her, MowMOw couldn't stop bugging her (I swear she must have rubbed herself down with catnip before she walked in). She was a vet tech at a vet hospital less than 1/2 a mile from my house and my downstairs neighbor used her for two weeks during the previous summer for her CRF cat (twice daily Sub Q fluids) and I found out from the sitter that the dogs were left home (two weeks with two dogs living below me unsupervised and I had NO idea...). She was perfect. 

She sent me nightly photos of the boys to my celll phone. She came over 3 times a day and the second visit was eating her lunch there so the boys had a little company. 

When I came home they didn't even seem phased. It was AMAZING and gave me a great sense of relief (and a sense of freedom). I would never board, they wouldn't like that. MOwMow would be freaked out the whole time. At home with Liz coming in a few time a day (next time it'll be twice a day, 3 times was excessive) was just perfect.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Cats are attached to territory. To move them is traumatic. A boarding facility would have strange smells, sounds and unfamiliar. I would always advise to staying at home even for extended period just because it is their home! I would contact your vet offices or rescues and ask for pet sitters. Do what MowMow did and interview them and go with your intuition on how the cats interact with each person. Daily reports help. I get phone calls daily when I'm gone from my cat and fosters.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Just so you realize, a boarding situation doesn't necessarily mean the cats will get more attention. Most of the places around here only guarantee 15-30mins a day of actual interaction, so you're not getting a huge benefit on the social aspects.

I, personally, have never boarded and wouldn't unless it was an emergency. My partner's childhood cat died because of bad boarders (they "didn't see" her fall off a ledge and "didn't see" that her leg was broken.) A friend of mine keeps boarding her dog and it keeps coming home really sick with sniffles and sneezes. It's just not worth it to me, I think.

Thankfully, I have lots of friends and family to impose upon for visits. I can pay them in combinations of money, booze, and cookies, so it works out for everyone.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

WOW... so many helpful responses within a few short minutes - I love this forum! 

It sounds like the consensus is for cat-sitting, so I'll most likely opt for that route. I'll be gone for just 4 days, so it's a short trip. I think I'll be feeling more separation anxiety than my cats! In any case, this will also make for a nice trial run for future, longer trips.

Now I just have to find a reliable pet sitter. It would be nice if there was a list of reputable sitters searchable by location. If anyone happens to know of someone who serves the Mississauga/Toronto West region, feel free to pm me.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I agree that home is best. I just did cat sitting for my daughter's cat for 5 days, and yeah, he was a little lonely, you could tell, but he was SO much better off than he would have been had she boarded him. I went over twice a day, fed him his wet food morning and night and gave him a little dry to nibble in the middle of the day. I played with him for a while. He was good. I have done both in the past and they are WAY less stressed being in their own home vs boarding. 

Your cats will have each other. I understand your worries but I lean towards pet sitter.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

MowMow said:


> When I came home they didn't even seem phased. It was AMAZING and gave me a great sense of relief (*and a sense of freedom*).


What a great way to put it - I've had my cats for 11 months now, and that's exactly how I hope to feel when I leave them i.e. to be able to travel and not WORRY.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

I think there can be perks to being gone for a bit as well. After I returned, Billi started sleeping with me nightly


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

I was gone for a week last month- the first time my cats were home alone for more than overnight- and used a pet sitter that I found through the animal shelter (several volunteers there use her for their own pets and she used to volunteer there as well). I decided to use a sitter instead of boarding the cats because I thought it would be much less stressful on them to be at home. My girl cat tends to be afraid of strangers and all I could think of was her cowering in the back of a cage for the whole week if she went to a boarder. 

Keeping the cats at home worked out well. The sitter came by twice a day to feed/change water/scoop litter and she even got my little 'fraidy cat to come out from under the bed and play for a bit. My boy warmed right up to her as soon as he realized she was providing the food  I like the idea of the cats being monitored all day at a boarder, but overall, I felt better leaving them at home, where I know they are comfortable with all their toys and favorite places to sleep.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

tezster said:


> Now I just have to find a reliable pet sitter. It would be nice if there was a list of reputable sitters searchable by location. If anyone happens to know of someone who serves the Mississauga/Toronto West region, feel free to pm me.


There are quite a few cat sitting service providers in GTA area, but I'm not sure if most of them will cover as far as Mississauga. You can do a google search and call around.

I would suggest you make you reservation as soon as possible though. Summer season is really busy and most of the good sitting companies are all booked out weeks, if not months ago. So don't wait until last minute!


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## Justteri1000 (May 27, 2013)

My situation was a little different as my Tonkinese cannot be left alone overnight for more than one night at a time. I have 2 cats but Max has been the one with what appears to be abandonment issues. I was VERY fortunate to find a very responsible woman, in her 50's that was a member of my women's running group. She would come to my house and stay there, making it a little paid vacation for the duration. She would get up in the morning and feed them, clean litter boxes and then leave to go to work, just as I did. Then come home that night and cook her dinner, feed the cats, spend time with them, administer treats and go to bed. I paid her $25 a night. Soon many of us from the running group were having her house/pet sit. One summer she said she had spent a total of 8 nights in a 4 month period in her own home. She had that kind of flexibility. She was in very high demand.

I moved to another state and started trying to find someone like her. To complicate matters, Max by this time had developed diabetes and had to have insulin shots twice a day. I put out the word to friends and associates that I was looking for a pet/house sitter that could spend nights. We now have two college girls who live at home with their parents (they don't know each other). I upped the amount to $35 a night. We use one more than the other, as we prefer her, but have the other as a backup. This having strangers stay in the house was a foreign concept to my new husband,but he has adapted quite nicely to this arrangement and in fact, as I write this, he is driving us home from our latest four night mini vacation.

This takes a lot of trust to do, trust that takes a little time to establish, but well worth it to us.


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## swimmergurl1105 (May 30, 2013)

I highly recommend pet-sitting rather than boarding. I used Yelp to locate a bunch of pet sitters, and then compared reviews/rates online. If you have multiple cats, they should be able to keep each other company, but I know that she also did a great job interacting with him while she watched him.

I got text message updates daily, which I loved (since I'm a little neurotic). I also looked at boarding facilities in the area, and even the "deluxe" cages looked too much like the cage I rescued him from, so I just couldn't do it


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hey everyone, I just posted recently to a post howsefrau had in the 'lounge' section regarding pet sitting. I gave some sites where you can look for petsitters/housesitters, and just some general info.
A professional sitter will be licensed and bonded, very important for your piece of mind! Happy vacationing!

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

care.com has pet sitters that vary in experience and you can interview the licensed and bonded ones yourself. 

I have done both and I won't board my cats anymore. like jacq said, there is no guarantee they get more attention. in a way, I feel like they get less. plus with catteries, there are lots of little bugs they can get. just because a cat isn't ill itself doesn't mean it can't be carrying something, and my cat came home with coughs and sniffles every time. nothing all that serious but it did take vet visits and medication. and they're all shut up in those little cages. I just don't like the idea of that and neither do my cats.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

I posted a similar question months back and the decision then was pet-stitting, but in the end, we had to go boarding cos hubby isn't comfortable with leaving the house to a total stranger even if we had interviewed them. I had even wanted to do up a digital lock, and really wished I can leave ET in the hands of a pet-sitter. Though everything worked out well at the boarding house, but I would still think twice before deciding to go away, but if hubby insisted on going then I am left with no choice but to let ET go boarding.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Mitts & Tess said:


> Cats are attached to territory. To move them is traumatic. A boarding facility would have strange smells, sounds and unfamiliar. I would always advise to staying at home even for extended period just because it is their home! I would contact your vet offices or rescues and ask for pet sitters. Do what MowMow did and interview them and go with your intuition on how the cats interact with each person. Daily reports help. I get phone calls daily when I'm gone from my cat and fosters.


 
Ditto what Mitts & Tess says. I think letting them stay home, even if you are not there is less disruptive and traumatic for them. I hate having strangers in my home when I'm not there so be sure and lock up anything that may be valuable or even marginally valuable to someone else. Most reputable would be bonded I'm sure, and ask for references!!!


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## Wry_Martini (Nov 9, 2011)

I use a cat-sitter service. My little girl HATES the car so much that I try to not have to board her. 

If I'll be gone for a longer period of time - say longer than 4 days - I do a combination of a pet sitting service and having a friend drop in a few times. My friend's husband always loves to do this -- I tell him he has free run of the liquor cabinet, and he'll hang out with the cat, drink some scotch, and watch my t.v. for a few hours. Another friend is happy to escape her 3 teenagers for a bit, and will come spend a few hours on the weekend, hanging out with the cat, reading a book, etc. 

Unfortunately, the pet sitting service is expensive, but it's too much hassle to ask anyone to drop in twice a day to feed/water/scoop. Pity I don't have a neighbor with a reliable teenaged kid who'd like to earn some money. 

I'm going out of town on a 3 week business trip later this year, and realized it would be much cheaper to buy a plane ticket for my aunt (a huge cat lover) than to pay for the cat sitter. So my aunt will get a free vacation, and my kitty will have a loving, live-in caretaker.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

I'm interviewing my first perspective cat-sitter tomorrow; hopefully, it goes well. I'd like to have it all sorted out as soon as possible.

What I need is a crazy cat lady neighbour to move in next door, where we can care for each other's pets while the other is away.


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## wallycat (Nov 10, 2012)

I am in a similar situation in that I have not taken a vacation for several years now that we have relocated and don't know many people. If I had to pick, I would pick a sitter.
Cats are very territorial and to board them would not equate to "play" and "interaction" for them, but rather, fear/anger and territory disputes. I think it makes the most sense to bring someone in. This means only one variable changes for them.

My biggest concern is finding someone I can trust. My cats are TERRIFIED and run under the bed and hide if they simply hear a car in our driveway, so interaction with the cats is meaningless to me.

My vote, as others have said, is leave them in their home.


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## CharlesD (Jun 12, 2013)

A friend of my wife's was asking me the other day if I would watch her two cats while she's away, but I think she wants to drop them at our house. I'm wondering how that will work out. Should I maybe have her bring them over another time before them to make sure they get along with my little one? I'd be willing to run over to her place to feed and scoop, but I'm wondering how taking care of them in my place would work out. They're about five years old and not nearly as rambunctious as my two month old.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

Ohhh...no! I will never leave my cat with someone with a cat at home in case of fighting. Neither will I allow another person's cat to come stay over. We have a friend whose friend went on a holiday and left her cat with her. She has 2 cats and as soon as her friend's cat arrived, apparently the 3 cats fought so badly, our friend's cat needed stitches, and she spent more than $1000 for medical treatment.

Introduction needed to be done slowly and by the time they are done, its time they go home. Unless you have a spare room to confine kitty throughout the period, I do not suggest bringing your friend's kitty home. Too stressful for both you/kitty/your friend's kitty. That's just my personal opinion.


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## Justteri1000 (May 27, 2013)

I too think that placing your in a caretakers home is not a good idea. The whole idea of a sitter is to make this less stressful for the cat.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

sadly....i refuse to leave my cats....and when i had dogs same thing. ive heard too many horror stories. a vacation for me is WITH my pets =^..^=


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

Well, I just finished meeting my cat-sitter, and got a really good vibe from her  More importantly, both of my cats absolutely loved her! Newton typically is a little shy at first, and sometimes hides in my closet for a short while. I was expecting the same thing to happen with this meeting, but there was nothing of the sort. Not only did he stay out, he started to snuggle up to her within minutes... I've never seen him do that with anyone. Mommy Newt was a little more indifferent, but she also warmed up to her.

We talked for well over an hour about a lot of different things, mostly specific to my cats' needs, and her job history/experience with pet care in general. We were both sitting on the floor, with Newton curled up right beside her. She's coming back for a 2nd visit to finalize the cat-sitting details in August (I kinda like that there'll be two visits before the actual cat-sitting begins).

I think I found my cat-sitter


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

awwww thats awesome....it actually made me feel good that your cats took to her....that is a HUGE sign of good things:2kitties


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

tezster said:


> She's coming back for a 2nd visit to finalize the cat-sitting details in August (I kinda like that there'll be two visits before the actual cat-sitting begins).
> 
> I think I found my cat-sitter


It sounds like you did! I had two visits with mine as well. Once was about 6 months before I went on vacation for her interview (yeah, I was already freaking out about it that early). Then she came by a week before to re introduce her to the boys and give her the typed multi paged 'bible' where I tried to account for every possible situation and handed over a spare key. She watched me feed them dinner and played with them for a little while.

A few other things I did, I contacted my vet and let them know I'd be out of town. I gave them a CC# and a $$ amount that could charge up to in case of an emergency. Anything higher than that amount I asked they contact me on my cell. 

I also let my *VERY* involved(Gladys Kravitz) neighbors know so they wouldn't call the cops on the sitter going in and out. I gave them my cell# and asked that they call me if anything sounded amiss upstairs (cats howling like in pain, excessive banging, strangers pulling up with a truck and emptying out furniture, or cats running lose). I asked them to please call me if they didn't see the sitter stop at least once a day( I was paying her for 3 visits a day). 

In the 'bible' were detailed instructions on feeding, water, litter box habits, etc. I let her know where their hiding places were so if she couldn't find someone right away she knew where to check first. 

Also how to catch them if they got out (like to 'herd' MowMow towards a grass patch and you can nab him when he stops to chew on it or to aim Book towards a tree and you can scruff him when he tries to climb it).

Not to imply that I'm neurotic ('cause I'll say it straight up, I am).... but I really tried to account for almost every possible problem that might arise.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

Well, I don't think you're neurotic 

It's kind of uncanny, actually, I've thought of the same things you mentioned. We spoke at length about the cats' door-dashing tendencies, and strategies to best combat it. She actually simulated coming in and out of the house several times so she could gauge the cats' reactions. Of course, it isn't quite the same with me inside, but she seemed to be knowledgeable enough that she was asking the right questions and really paying attention to the things I thought were most important.

You've actually given me a few good ideas about the 'cat bible'. I started to write one up this morning, and thought it would only take me 20-30 minutes, quick and easy. Hours later, I still wasn't finished (I'm still not!). I kept going back and adding little details I felt would be important. It's funny that things you're accustomed to through familiarity, repetition and experience, all seem so simple in your head, but when translated into written instructions for someone else who doesn't know any of that history, they grow into a giant pile of words. It's then that you realize how much 'stuff' you know about your cats, that even people who are close to you may not be aware of.

Also, the more I think about the situation, the more the financial cost takes a backseat, and the welfare of my cats and my own peace of mind come to the forefront.


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## CharlesD (Jun 12, 2013)

Another question kind of related. Would any of you take your cat with you if you were going out of town to visit friends or family for a day or two. I had a couple cats years ago that I would take with me and it always worked out ok. Maybe it depends on the personality of the cat.


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## Justteri1000 (May 27, 2013)

CharlesD, when I got Pooter 15 years ago, I travelled a lot in my work. I thought Pooter would make an EXCELLENT travelling companion. I packed the car with a litter box on the floor boards of the back seat and a water and dry food bowl on the floor boards of the front seat. Late at night, I would take him for little walks along the long carpeted hallways of hotels and when we went through the drive throughs banks or fast food restaurants I would hold him in my lap and show him off. I was having a great time with "my little buddy". Somehow I ignored how I had to call hotel maintenance in the mornings before checkout to lift the bed so I could retrieve him from under the bed, or how he would pace from window to window in the car while I was in a restaurant or inside an office for a few minutes. Finally One day I was packing the car for another long road trip and the last thing I did was picked up my little cat and started to carry him down the stairs toward the garage. He let out a long mournful cry and frantically reached out and grabbed ahold of the railing with his paws and wouldn't let go. It took THAT MUCH to open my eyes and realize how selfish I had been and that he HATED these trips. I left him at home with my roommate that time and I never took my cats on unnecessary trips again. Most cats don't like to be taken from their environment, even if it means they may be separated from us, their loved ones, for a time. Make sure you are not misplacing your own desires and attributing them as your cats desires.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

I'm looking for a cat-sitter,too. The exterminator's coming in again. I have to seal up or move out everything.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

bluemilk said:


> I'm looking for a cat-sitter,too. The exterminator's coming in again. I have to seal up or move out everything.


I hope your not keeping the cats in their while they exterminate...


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

MowMow said:


> I hope your not keeping the cats in their while they exterminate...


Heavens ,no! that's why I need a sitter for the lil prince of thieves!


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## Boristhecat (Jul 13, 2013)

*cat sitters and boarding kennels in South Australia*

I have the same dilemma at the moment. We are going overseas for two weeks in September and it will be the first time we leave our cat, Boris, for more than a couple of days. We left him for three days at xmas and a friend was supposed to come over and feed him, but when we got back, it turned out he'd only come over twice in 3 days, so, obviously, we won't be trusting him again!

What worries me about leaving him in the house is that he could be hurt or something and no-one would no until the next visit. Also, we have fully enclosed our back garden so he can't get out, but I worry that if we weren't here to keep an eye on things, something could go wrong (burglars, storm bringing down the netting - crazy and paranoid, I know!) and he might get out and be lost or hurt, but I also worry about putting him in a cattery in case he's upset or they don't take care of him well enough.

He also needs regular brushing and gets knots if he isn't brushed every couple of days, and I don't think either a sitter or a boarding kennel would groom him.

The thought of leaving him really makes me want to stay home, but I can't not travel for the next 15 years!

Anyway, my original question was going to be:
Can anyone in South Australia recommend either a good boarding kennel or a cat sitting service?

Sorry for the long post!


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

Ohh...I can understand, its hard leaving kitty behind for the 1st time. I kept finding excuses to stay home too when hubby wanted to go away. Twice I stayed home alone with kitty while hubby went ahead. The 3rd time, no more excuses, I had to go. I was so terribly apprehensive too and on the day I sent ET for boarding, he was so stressed, that really upsets me, but when we got home, ET came back fine and more sweet and clingy, though his eyes looked puffy (had been crying?) and lost 2kg in weight.

I'd actually thought I can go on a vacation again the next time with a peace of mind, but months later, now, I am beginning to be apprehensive again about leaving him behind, about luring him into the carrier and the stress of him being confined inside the carrier. I can trust the boarding house to take care of kitty, I just didn't the idea of him thinking I am abandoning him and the journey to the boarding house really stresses him out.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Boristhecat! Check out Pet Sitters International at www.petsit.com 
I did see quite a few in Australia listed.
Good luck! 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I boarded my first cat the first time I went away. She came back sick. That was the end of boarding for me, although I know it works fine for many people. 

When I moved the first time with my 2 current cats, I thought it would be less stressful for them to be elsewhere for the day, so I brought them to a friend's to stay overnight. She has 2 cats of her own, and although she put mine in a separate room, one of my girls growled and hissed through the door at her cats all night. I felt really bad for my friends' kitties, and I think it was more stressful for my girls than had I just put them in the bathroom on moving day. 

MowMow and Tezster, isn't it amazing how many little things you realize you need to (or just want to) mention? My catsitter is absolutely wonderful, and she remembers all directions that I've left previously, but I still write up instructions before every trip, and it takes me forever. I print out the instructions, and then there's always half a page of handwritten notes that gets added. I know she really appreciates having very detailed instructions though. 

Whichever way someone chooses to have a kitty taken care of during a trip, I think the most important thing is that the kitty caretaker be someone who owns and likes cats. There are just too many awful stories about well-intentioned friends/family/neighbors who think kitties are cute but don't have a clue about cat care or behavior. Finding a petsitter who really understands your individual kitties is priceless.


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## koshechka (Jul 14, 2013)

I prefer a pet sitter. Right now it's the only option for me since my cat needs her medications twice a day, and also because my vet (and the one I had before who moved to a different state) considers her too sick for vaccinations. Even if boarding allowed cats who are behind on vaccinations, I'd be afraid of leaving her there. So I have a cat sitter - actually a vet tech from the clinic I take my cat to - come twice a day. 

Before I'd probably preferred a pet sitter too, but I was pretty lucky in that my retired parents lived nearby and were willing to move into my place to take care of my cat. After my mother's death I took my 83-year old father to live with me, but he'd not be able to medicate the cat, so I still need a cat sitter. 

But in general, I think the cat sitter is better assuming you find a reliable one. Sometimes you may also find some friends around or a neighbor with a cat and have an agreement of looking after each other's cats while on vacation.

I was told that for a few days after I leave, my cat jumps on the window near the entrance at around 6pm waiting for me and doesn't leave it until about 10pm. Then she stops. After I come back, she is usually extra loving for the first evening.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

Here's an update to my first-time being away from my cats (went camping for 4 days) and using a pet-sitter.

I left Thursday morning, and I had asked her to send me daily updates. She came in that evening for her first visit, and sent me an e-mail that all was well. 

On Friday evening, I got a call from her telling me one of the cats was 'missing'. She explained that everything was fine in the morning, and it was also fine when she came in that evening. She was playing with both cats. At some point, one of the cats trots off out of her sight, and now she couldn't find it. She sounds a bit frantic, saying she knows for certain the cat didn't get out and that she has looked everywhere. Hmm... pretty strange, I think. Both of my cats look quite similar, especially to someone unfamiliar with them. She thinks it's Newt (the mom). It's not really in her character to hide somewhere. In any case, I stay on the phone with her for about 30 minutes, thinking of different places she could be: kitchen cupboards, the furnace room, corner of a closet, top of the fridge, the area behind the washer/dryer, under the bed, under the sofa, under a blanket? Nowhere, she says... but she didn't get out, so she has to be SOMEWHERE. She doesn't hear any meowing or yowling, like she would be if she were trapped or in distress. But what if she was indeed in distress but injured and couldn't vocalize? This doesn't make any sense... logically, I'm thinking, ok, the cat's in the house. The other cat (Newton? I'm still not entirely sure which is which from her description) is acting normally. So my best guess is, Newt's just hiding somewhere, hopefully. So I simply ask the pet-sitter to leave a bunch of doors and cupboards open, so she can get out in case she's hiding out of sight in one of them, and to do a quick last-minute check before she leaves. Hopefully, everything will be fine in the morning.

I'm pretty worried that night and all I can think of is where my cat could be. If she's hiding, it's very atypical behaviour. Then again, this is the first time I've left them, maybe she's acting out? But the pet-sitter came by for two visits and both of them warmed up to her. Of course, this time, I'm not with them. I briefly consider driving back home, but it's late... and I'm at an astronomy-themed camping festival - no lights or driving around in the dark. Thinking rationally, chances are, both cats are fine, but it's difficult to think rationally.

Saturday morning. Pet-sitter calls me - still no sign of the other cat. I have no clue what's going on... this time, I'm able to get a better description of which cat is still accounted for: it's Newt: Newton's the one that's AWOL. For some reason, that little piece of info is actually makes me feel a tiny bit better. Newton's actions are a little more unpredictable. He's adventurous, curious, and on occasion, prone to hiding. He hides when he hears the ice cream truck come around with its music, or when I vacuum. He hid in the closet for an hour when I had friends staying over with me. To put it another way, in my mind, Newton being 'missing' inside the house is less worrisome than if it were Newt, if that makes sense.

If Newton was trapped somewhere, he would be pooping and peeing in that area, which would be pretty evident from the smell. No foul smells, the pet-sitter says. Also, all the cat dishes are empty, and there's the normal amount of waste in the cat litters for two cats. So unless Newt inhaled an entire 156g can of wet food AND a half full dish of kibble (not very likely), Newton is simply being particularly sneaky. The pet-sitter is kind of freaked out - how can a cat just disappear? This is the first time she's ever experienced something like this. Everything points to Newton still being around, except for an actual visual sighting of him. I live in a tiny space - there aren't that many places to hide. 

Again, I ask her to keep all the doors/cupboards open, just in case. I'm thinking HE HAS TO BE THERE.

7pm Saturday night - I get an e-mail from my pet-sitter that she FOUND Newton! My phone was dying , so I didn't have a chance to speak with her directly until the next morning:

_Where was he hiding!?
Under the Bed
I thought you checked under the bed?
I did! And I didn't see him at all. But this time, I moved the mattress, and saw him between the slats on the bed frame, but if you just looked under the bed, you couldn't see him.
Was he trapped in there?
No, no... he could get in and out.

_We had a longer conversation than that, but that was the important bit.

If you can picture it, my bed is an euro-style frame (no box spring). It doesn't use legs for support, instead, there are two wooden boards which run horizontally along the width of the bed. These two boards split the bottom area of my bed into 3 sections. The bottom section has pull-out drawers on either side, the middle section is empty space for storage. The last, small, section is also empty, but unused, space. It's right at the top of the bed, underneath the headboard, right against the wall, and is inaccessible (for the most part). I have two nightstands on either side of the bed - these two nightstands block that opening space, effectively sealing it. 

So, this is my best guess as far as what happened. At some point, Newton became wary of my absence and was in some way uncomfortable with the sitter (who knows why, exactly). His usual choice of a hiding spot is in my bedroom closet. Apparently, this wasn't good enough for him this time around. My nightstands have castors as legs. Even then, they still require quite a bit of force to move, since they're resting on carpet (and the wheels aren't turned the right way). 

It seems that Newton's has super strength, as his crazy-kitten powers was strong enough to push the night stand out of the way, about 3-4 inches, enough for him to wiggle into this gap. For all intents and purposes, he would be completely out of sight in this space, and be almost impossible to find if he didn't make a sound, unless you knew exactly where to look.

Now I think I had actually mentioned this in passing when the pet-sitter first called me, but back then, I had phrased it something like "there's an area right underneath the headboard he might sneak into, but he can only get in there if someone moved the nightstand"... so it was really more of a comment than a direction for her to check. I never entertained the thought he could move the nightstand.

So all's well that end's well. Chalk that up to learning experience. I'll add a 'hiding spots' section on the updated version of my notes.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Hahaha poor cat sitter had a bit of a scare! Newton with his crazy kitty powers 

Interesting how the cat you thought would be hiding wasn't actually the one hiding! You find out new things about our cats, just when we thought we knew them...

My cats were total social butterflies when two different sitters came. They sent me daily pics of the kitties playing with wand toys.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

I just moved. My cat is no way small but I've seen ferals wedge in the tiniest spaces. I wasn't concerned totally when he wouldn't come out. My fear is my s/o would leave a door open which he said he didn't. After an hour of pleading my cat saunters out. I still haven't found his hiding place.

ghby....that was a cat walking over key board.... grrr.. sorry this happened with your first time away. I must admit I laughed. Cats are such funny creatures when your away. Teaches you not to worry. Sounds like you found a good cat sitter though. She let you know what is going on. Its when you get home and find things out that would upset me.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

I would go for in-home sitting. Not only is your kitty being cared for,your house is more secure!


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

Cats are really good at getting into teeny weeny space that we thought impossible. I now have many places in my apartment where he can go hiding, places I don't even reach in to clean, but I have to now, cos he always comes out with dust filled fur, lol. 

I know he has been eyeing at another place, behind the fridge, cos he kept checking that place out, but he has yet to find a way to get in there cos I have alot of my fish food on top of a box and to get behind the fridge, he will have to jump over that box and will probably have the bottles of fish food topple. I noticed he then looked at other ways to get behind, from my TV console, but I managed to stop him many times, when he tried doing that. Cats are just smart, aren't they. Sorry for going off topic. Anyway, glad to hear that everything's well.


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## Jannerl (Jun 24, 2011)

I have done both and will never board again - my cat is so much less stressed when staying at home with regular pet sitter visits. No strange cats, no dogs barking constantly, no fleas or viruses, strangers, different smells or noises. I have three and they play with each other and the sitter. I highly recommend keeping them at home where they have all their familiar surroundings and no stressors...


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