Cat Chat Feline Forum

hello

has anyone ever used cat in a flat where they come to your house to feed the cat?

i'm only going away for a weekend so dont really want to put him in a cattery

thank you

I have never used a cat sitter, but I have used automatic feeders over a weekend, and although they are not cheap, they can of course be used over and over again

I use these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-Mate-C20-A ... 503&sr=8-7 as I find the mechanism idiot proof - I have two of them so that provides 4 meals, and dry food can be left out as well

I would prefer someone I and my cat knows to come in, but would worry about a stranger frightening the cat, and leaving doors open, and I also think, probably wrongly, that it might be a bit cruel to have someone enterering and my cat thinking it's me and being upset when it isn't

left entirely alone they do tend to hunker down and sit it out without being traumatized

I have used cat sitters in the past, but after one unfortunate experience when a booking was lost and my cats were left unfed, I ask the sitter to text me daily to say that they've visited. (Even better, in these days of camera phones, get them to send a picture.) These days I send my two to a cattery where there is more than one person responsible for them. But if I was only away overnight, I'd probably leave them at home with timer-feeders.

I’ve left mine for a couple of days. Left extra litter trays, gave them a good dinner the night before, gave them breakfast as well as leaving extra dry food & water. Some people I know leave a radio on for company but as we have electrical storms I’m hesitant to do that.

We don't leave our cats longer than 12 hours on their own in case the feeder malfunctioned and also because of an experience we once had. Both cats were fine and we went out for the evening. We returned late and Rosie was very poorly and lethargic. We had to take her to the emergency vet to have fluids. We never knew what caused it as both cats were locked in so she couldn't have ingested something poisonous. I dread to think what might have happened if we had left them alone for longer.

I would always use a cat-friendly neighbour I trust, or a cat sitter that's recommended by a friend or vet, and make sure they visit twice a day. I would keep the cats locked in for the duration so they don't get scared and run off.

Or use a recommended cattery that I've checked out personally. There are some bad ones.

If you post the general area you're in, people might have recommendations.

I leave my cats at home for 11 hours most weekdays when I go to work. I have an internet camera so I get a notification on my phone every time one walks by. I leave loads of cat biscuits down for them to eat when they want.

I have left them overnight before, but get my sister to come in and check on them (she has cats and lives a mile away).

If I was away for any longer I think I would consider a well-reviewed cattery.

the only cattery near me has a minimum stay of 4 days, so to use it would mean paying for two unused days

and then there is the problem of vaccination - my vet stopped it for Tiffany years ago when she kept getting a bigger and bigger sore patch on the injection site, and of course catteries won't accept unvaccinated cats - at least the good ones won't

the ideal is someone reliable to pop in who knows the cat, and whom the cat is not afraid of, but that isn't always possible - but I think the age of the cat makes a difference too - oldies need as little change to their routine as possible, and in the case of my oldie that means being left to sleep most of the day and night away in her own bed near a reliable source of heat