# Going on holiday......What to do for the best???



## little_mo (Jan 6, 2011)

Hi - I'm going on holiday next month and we are going to be away for 2 weeks.....
I've only ever put our cats in the cattery once (for 9 nights) becuase we had gone on holiday with my parents who usually pop in to feed them, change litter and spend some time with them, other times we've been on holiday. But the longest we've ever left them at home has been a week.
I'm not sure what to do for the best, leave them in their home or at the cattery, I've seen our local cattery, when I very eagerly picked them up last time (cause I couldn't drop them off, had to get hubby to do that ) it's not the cosiest of places!!! ??


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

If you're able to have someone come in at least once a day to feed them, scoop the litter boxes and play with them for a while, then I think it's preferable for them to be in their own home. They will likely be much less stressed in their own familiar surroundings than in a strange place.


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

Personally, I'd opt to have them at home with someone coming in daily rather than a cattery as well. We usually have my Mum look after ours at her place and they are so happy to see us when we get home.. They can't free roam the whole house as they ALWAYS have doors open and have a dog that does not like cats, as well as a 3.5year old child! I do feel bad that they are locked in one room there but it's about 20 times the size of the area they have if they go into boarding and it saves us $50 a night for the time we're away. If Mum lived closer, I would definitely have her just stop in at our place everyday.


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Two weeks is a long time for cats to spend in a strange place. They would be happiest staying in their own home, by far. 

I cat-sit for a friend of my Mom's, who is usually gone for 10 days at a time. I only charge $10 per day, which includes one full hour of all cat chores plus playtime, pets and grooming. 

Many people don't want strangers in their house, and that is certainly understandable. I wouldn't either. It would have to be someone you know and trust.


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## RowdyAndMalley (Aug 9, 2010)

We just got back from a 11 day vaca. I did alot of research before deciding to have a neighbor (fellow animal lover) take care of my little loves, rather than board them. Taking a cat to a strange environment and leaving them only makes them feel like they are being abandoned, especially for a long period of time. Leaving them at home, at least they are in familiar surroundings. When we came back they were upset with us for about 15 secs, after that, they wanted nothing but cuddles.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

It's a good idea to have a cat sitter identified at all times anyway, just in case of a sudden emergency where you can't be home. 

If you're looking for a cat sitter, I had great luck with calling both the SPCA where we adopted Murphy and asking for a reference, and asking our vet. The SPCA referred me to his main sitter, a wonderful stay-at-home Mom who cat-sits on the side, and the vet sent one of their Vet Techs to do it. I've been really happy with both of them and I know Murphy loves them!


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## little_mo (Jan 6, 2011)

Thank you all for your advice, at least I know who is looking after them and they are safe at home.


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